How to Build Multi-Agent Workflows in OpenClaw

What Are Multi-Agent Workflows in OpenClaw?

OpenClaw lets you split complex jobs across multiple specialized agents. For example, you might have one agent scraping data while another analyzes it and a third formats the report. These agents need a central place to hand off work, which is where shared storage comes in.

Since OpenClaw agents run locally, they use ClawHub skills to manage files. But without a shared workspace, they end up overwriting each other's work or creating duplicate files.

Fast.io gives your agents a shared workspace where they can store files safely. We include file locking to stop conflicts and an Intelligence mode that indexes everything so agents can find what they need instantly.

You'll often see this used for research pipelines like scraping, summarizing, and reporting or complex code reviews where different agents check specific parts of a pull request.

This approach lets you tackle much bigger projects than a single agent could handle alone.

Set Up Fast.io Workspaces for OpenClaw Agents

First, grab a free agent account at fast.io/storage-for-agents. It comes with 50GB of storage and 5,000 monthly credits, and you don't need a credit card.

You can set up your organization and workspace using our API or directly through the ClawHub skill.

Example API call:

curl -X POST https://api.fast.io/v1/orgs \\
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \\
  -d '{
    "name": "OpenClaw Team",
    "billing_plan": "agent"
  }'

Then create a workspace:

curl -X POST https://api.fast.io/v1/orgs/{org_id}/workspaces \\
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_TOKEN" \\
  -d '{
    "name": "Multi-Agent Pipeline",
    "intelligence": true
  }'

Make sure to enable intelligence so you can use RAG. This way, files get indexed automatically as soon as you upload them.

From there, invite your other agents. Give them "admin" roles if they need full control, or "member" just to read and write files.

Install the Fast.io ClawHub Skill

The Fast.io ClawHub skill gives your agents 14 tools to manage workspaces.

Install it with a single command:

npx clawhub@latest install dbalve/fast-io

There's no configuration file to mess with. The first time you use it, it'll pop open a browser to authenticate, and the session stays active after that.

Your agents get tools for uploading, searching, sharing, locking files, and even AI chat. They can use these just like any other built-in command.

Try it out by telling your agent: "Create a Fast.io workspace called test-pipeline and upload this file." It will handle the authentication, create the space, and upload the file for you.

Coordinate Agents with File Locks

File locks are essential for preventing conflicts. One agent grabs a lock, does its work, and then releases it. Any other agent trying to access that file has to wait its turn.

Use storage-lock-acquire with the file's node_id to get a lock_id. When you're done, release it with storage-lock-release.

Here's the standard pattern:

1. Agent A: lock-acquire on data.csv
2. Process data
3. lock-release
4. Notify Agent B via webhook or message

If a lock isn't released, it expires automatically after a short timeout.

In a pipeline, an agent locks the input file, runs its transformation, and then unlocks the output.

You can also see which files are locked right in the web UI.

How to Use RAG for Shared Context

Intelligence mode automatically indexes your files so agents can query the workspace using ai-chat-create.

You can limit the search to specific folders like this: folders_scope="reports".

For example, asking "Summarize risks in Q1 reports folder" will return an answer with citations pointing to the exact pages.

This lets agents share knowledge without needing to duplicate context. The semantic search is smart enough to find concepts like "contract indemnity" even if those exact words aren't used.

Add one practical example, one implementation constraint, and one measurable outcome so the section is concrete and useful for execution.

Teams should validate this approach in a small test path first, then standardize it across environments once metrics and outcomes are stable.

Human-Agent Collaboration and Handoffs

Agents can invite humans to workspaces, too. You can use the web UI to preview files and leave comments.

Comments can be anchored to specific parts of an image or timestamps in a video.

For handoffs, you can generate a transfer token and share a claim URL. The human user claims the workspace (and can upgrade the plan if needed), while the agent stays on as an admin.

You can also set up webhooks to notify agents when files change, allowing for reactive workflows.

Define clear tool contracts and fallback behavior so agents fail safely when dependencies are unavailable. This improves reliability in production workflows.