How to Build 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.

Fastio 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.

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More on this subject: OpenClaw Setup and Guides (199 guides)

First, grab a Business Trial account at fast.io/storage-for-agents. Create an API key in Settings > Devices & Agents > API Keys, or with POST /current/user/auth/key/.

Point OpenClaw at the Fastio MCP server. Use Streamable HTTP at https://mcp.fast.io/mcp, or https://mcp.fast.io/mcp/key when the client sends a Bearer token. Legacy SSE is at https://mcp.fast.io/sse. You can also install the ClawHub skill in the next section.

Seed the shared workspace by importing a file the pipeline will use:

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call",
 "params":{"name":"upload","arguments":{"action":"web-import","url":"https://example.com/report.pdf",
 "profile_type":"workspace","profile_id":"1234567890123456789"}}}

You can also create an organization with POST /current/org/create/ and a workspace with POST /current/org/{org_id}/create/workspace/. Workspace intelligence indexes uploads so Ripley, the built-in RAG agent, can answer from those files.

Invite other agents as workspace members with POST /current/workspace/{workspace_id}/members/{email_or_user_id}/.

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OpenClaw agents connect to Fastio's remote MCP server to manage workspaces and files.

Configure the remote MCP server in OpenClaw:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "fastio": {
      "url": "https://mcp.fast.io/mcp",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_FASTIO_API_KEY"
      }
    }
  }
}

There is no local package or container to install. Connect directly over Streamable HTTP or legacy SSE to access Fastio's consolidated MCP toolset.

Fastio coordinates multi-agent updates through full file version history with restore, granular folder-level permissions, and an append-only audit log. Instead of brittle locking, agents write files with version tracking enabled, ensuring previous revisions are preserved and can be restored at any time.

Agents can inspect file activity and revisions through the remote MCP server or the REST API at https://api.fast.io/current/:

GET https://api.fast.io/current/activity/poll/{entityId}

Granular permissions ensure each agent writes to its designated folder, while the audit log and realtime activity feed track operations across the pipeline.

Intelligence mode indexes your files so agents can query the workspace through Ripley. Use the MCP ai tool (ask). It returns a cited, read-only answer and requires profile_type.

{"jsonrpc":"2.0","id":1,"method":"tools/call",
 "params":{"name":"ai","arguments":{"action":"ask","profile_type":"workspace","profile_id":"1234567890123456789"}}}

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

This lets agents share knowledge without needing to duplicate context. Semantic search (GET /current/workspace/{workspace_id}/storage/search/) finds concepts like "contract indemnity" even if those exact words aren't used.

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, invite the person as a workspace member with POST /current/workspace/{workspace_id}/members/{email_or_user_id}/. The agent keeps working in the same workspace. For people outside the org, create a branded Send, Receive, or Exchange share with POST /current/workspace/{workspace_id}/create/share/.

Agents watch for new files with GET /current/activity/poll/{entityId}?wait=95&lastactivity={timestamp} or GET /current/events/search/. A Coordination Room wait call is the MCP version of that handoff.

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