OpenClaw March 2026: Tasks, QQ Bot, and Safer Installs

March's release line pushed OpenClaw toward work that can be inspected after it starts. The clearest checkpoint is v2026.3.31, published on March 31. Its notes describe background task flows, a bundled QQ Bot channel, remote MCP transports, and several security defaults that now fail closed.

This is a release report, not a promise that every feature is enabled in an existing installation. Read the notes for your exact version before changing a live Gateway.

Tasks get a real owner

Background work now has a SQLite-backed ledger shared by ACP runs, subagents, cron jobs, and detached CLI tasks. The release also adds openclaw flows list, show, and cancel. That gives an operator a place to see what a detached run belongs to and why it is blocked.

The practical change is small but useful: a reminder, a subagent, and a manual task no longer need separate mental models. You can inspect the parent flow, retry a blocked run, and keep the result tied to the originating conversation.

Install scans stop on critical findings

Plugin and skill installation now fails closed when the built-in scanner reports a critical dangerous-code finding or an install-time scan cannot complete. An explicit dangerous override exists for operators who have reviewed the code, but the default path is a pause for inspection. That is a healthier default for an agent that can run commands.

openclaw security audit
openclaw --version

The same release tightens Gateway authentication and node pairing. A paired device does not automatically receive node commands; approval is a separate decision. Keep the Gateway on a trusted boundary while you verify those settings.

New channels and transports

QQ Bot ships as a bundled channel plugin with multi-account setup, reminders, and media send and receive support. The MCP path also gains remote HTTP and SSE server configurations with authentication headers. Both features widen the integration surface, which makes credential scope and egress rules worth checking before rollout.

What to do before upgrading

1. Read the v2026.3.31 release notes and identify breaking changes.
2. Back up your configuration and session state.
3. Run the security audit, then review new skill or plugin permissions one by one.
4. Test one message, one scheduled task, and one rollback path in a disposable environment.

For the rest of the release train, use the project's release index. It is a better source than a copied feature list because it keeps the version boundary visible.