pREST for OpenClaw plugin

pREST for OpenClaw (prest/prest-openclaw) is an OpenClaw plugin on ClawHub (@prest/prest-openclaw). It provides skills, examples, and security guidance for building PostgreSQL-backed APIs with pREST. It is not the MCP binary and does not run pREST or PostgreSQL.

Component	What it is
prest-mcp	Stdio adapter that talks to /_mcp — see Install pREST MCP Adapter
prest-openclaw	OpenClaw plugin (skills + examples) that guides config, SQL routes, security review, and MCP setup

Use both together: install the adapter for live MCP tools, and the plugin for OpenClaw-native guidance.

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What the plugin provides

Skill	Purpose
generate-config	Generate prest.toml, .env.example, optional Docker Compose
generate-sql-route	Parameterized SQL under /_QUERIES/
review-security	Audit configs, SQL, auth, and MCP exposure
setup-mcp	Wire prest-mcp and read-only Postgres for agents
explain-config	Plain-language prest.toml walkthrough
prest-core-guidance	Core pREST development rules
prest-security-guidance	Security defaults and warnings
prest-mcp-guidance	MCP and prest-mcp connection patterns
agent-prompts	Copy-paste prompts for common tasks

Examples include Docker Compose setups, SQL template routes, multi-database configs, and a read-only MCP workflow (examples/mcp-readonly/).

Repository: https://github.com/prest/prest-openclaw

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Install from ClawHub

openclaw plugins install clawhub:@prest/prest-openclaw
openclaw plugins inspect prest

Enable the plugin in your OpenClaw config if needed, then restart the gateway:

openclaw gateway restart

Listing: clawhub.ai/prest/plugins/prest-openclaw

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MCP setup

The plugin does not replace prest-mcp. After installing the plugin:

1. Run pREST v2.1.0+ with /_mcp available

2. Install the adapter: brew install prest/tap/prest-mcp — see Install pREST MCP Adapter

3. Wire MCP in OpenClaw using prest-mcp and env vars

export PREST_MCP_URL='http://localhost:3000/_mcp'
# export PREST_MCP_TOKEN='...'   # when auth is required
prest-mcp

Example MCP config shape (from the plugin repo’s examples/mcp-readonly/openclaw-mcp.example.json):

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "prest": {
      "command": "prest-mcp",
      "env": {
        "PREST_MCP_URL": "${PREST_MCP_URL}",
        "PREST_MCP_TOKEN": "${PREST_MCP_TOKEN}"
      }
    }
  }
}

Variable	Required	Description
PREST_MCP_URL	Yes	Full MCP URL, e.g. http://localhost:3000/_mcp
PREST_MCP_TOKEN	No	Bearer token when pREST auth is enabled
PREST_MCP_TIMEOUT_MS	No	HTTP timeout override (default 30000)

MCP Registry name: io.github.prest/prest

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Plugin vs MCP checklist

Task	Use
Agent calls prest.list_databases / select tools	MCP via prest-mcp → /_mcp
Agent follows pREST skills (config, SQL routes, security)	prest-openclaw plugin
Least-privilege DB access	Read-only PostgreSQL for AI

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Security

• Never expose /_mcp, Postgres, or pREST publicly without authentication

• Prefer a read-only PostgreSQL role for agent workflows

• Use environment variables for secrets — never commit real credentials

• Set access.restrict = true with explicit [[access.tables]] in production

• Do not use write-capable database roles in MCP configs

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Troubleshooting

Symptom	Fix
Skills not appearing	Confirm plugin is enabled; restart gateway; run openclaw plugins inspect prest
MCP connection fails	curl http://localhost:3000/_health; verify PREST_MCP_URL ends with /_mcp; set PREST_MCP_TOKEN if auth is on
prest-mcp not found	brew install prest/tap/prest-mcp or use absolute path

Publishing and validation issues: see the plugin README and OpenClaw ClawHub docs.

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Next steps

• Install pREST MCP Adapter

• MCP Overview

• PostgreSQL to AI agent

Related documentation

• AI and MCP landing

• pREST for Cursor plugin — sibling plugin for Cursor

• MCP over HTTP

• Distribution channels