---
title: NemoClaw
description: How ClawMetry observes NemoClaw — where its data lives, the environment variables that move it, what cost data is real, and the traps in its store.
eyebrow: Runtime reference
---

# NemoClaw

NemoClaw is NVIDIA's governed build of the OpenClaw runtime. It shares OpenClaw's session layout, so everything on the OpenClaw page applies, and adds a NeMo Guardrails policy layer with an approval queue that ClawMetry surfaces on its own tab.

| | |
|---|---|
| **Runtime id** | `nemoclaw` |
| **Category** | Governed agent runtime |
| **Vendor** | NVIDIA |
| **Tier** | Free in the OSS package |
| **Upstream** | [github.com/openclaw/openclaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw) |

## Where the data comes from

ClawMetry reads these locations, in order, and never writes to any of them.

- `Same layout as OpenClaw (sessions, channels, logs, gateway)`
- `NeMo Guardrails policy config and decision log`

**Format.** OpenClaw v3 JSONL plus the guardrails decision stream.

## Environment variables

| Variable | Effect |
|---|---|
| `OPENCLAW_HOME` | workspace root, shared with OpenClaw |
| `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN` | gateway auth token |

See [Environment variables](/docs/config/environment/) for the variables that apply to every runtime.

## Tokens and cost

**Tokens.** Full split on disk.

**Cost.** Derived at ingest, same path as OpenClaw.

:::note Why this section exists
Runtimes differ enormously in what they persist. Rather than showing a plausible number everywhere, ClawMetry reports what the store actually contains and marks the rest unknown. A cost of `$0.00` and a cost of *unknown* mean different things, and the dashboard keeps them different.
:::

## Sub-agents and delegation

Same as OpenClaw.

## Things worth knowing

- `nemo_governance` is a free *feature*, not a runtime. You get the governance tab on any runtime; NemoClaw is what makes it interesting.
- On macOS the sandbox daemons need LaunchAgents to survive a logout — `clawmetry nemoclaw-daemons` registers them.

## Verify it is being read

```bash
# Is this runtime detected, and would this install unlock it?
clawmetry runtimes --json | jq '.runtimes[] | select(.id=="nemoclaw")'

# Why is it locked, if it is?
clawmetry runtimes --why nemoclaw

# Any sessions ingested yet?
curl -s 'http://localhost:8900/api/local/sessions?limit=5' \
  | jq '.rows[] | {session_id, agent_id, events, cost_usd}'
```

If detection succeeds but no sessions appear, work through [Troubleshooting](/docs/ops/troubleshooting/) — the usual causes are a relocated data directory (set the override above), a session limit that is hiding older runs, or a runtime that simply has not written anything yet.