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Public Signal Labs

Setup guide

Use Public Signal in OpenClaw

Let your OpenClaw assistant run Public Signal research.

Connection address (MCP URL)

https://publicsignallabs.com/mcp

This address is public and is not a secret. You never need to open it in a browser: your app pastes it in during setup.

Before you start

For people already running OpenClaw. This guide covers the connection only, not installing or hosting OpenClaw itself.

  • An existing, working OpenClaw setup. If you do not run OpenClaw yet, this guide is not a reason to deploy another product: use Claude or the hosted agent instead.
  • An OpenClaw version that supports remote Streamable HTTP MCP servers with OAuth browser sign-in.
  • A Public Signal account whose credits you want research to use.
  • A computer with a browser, so you can complete the sign-in step.
  • This setup uses OpenClaw's shared operator credentials. Only use it in a private or trusted instance: other people or agents with access to that instance may research with your Public Signal account and credits.

Effort: About 10 minutes. Take it one step at a time; nothing here runs research or spends credits until you send the first request yourself.

Steps

  1. Add Public Signal as a remote MCP server

    Open a terminal on the machine running OpenClaw and run the command below. It saves a server named public-signal, using Streamable HTTP and OAuth. It does not change your other server entries.

    OpenClaw registers itself automatically: you do not need to create or paste a client ID, secret, or token.

    OpenClaw setup command

    openclaw mcp set public-signal '{"url":"https://publicsignallabs.com/mcp","transport":"streamable-http","auth":"oauth"}'

    You should now see: OpenClaw lists Public Signal as an added server.

  2. Sign in to Public Signal in the browser

    Run the login command below. OpenClaw opens a browser: sign in with the Public Signal account whose credits you want to use, review the access request, and approve it. Keep the terminal open until login finishes.

    OpenClaw login command

    openclaw mcp login public-signal

    You should now see: OpenClaw reports the server as authenticated or connected.

  3. Confirm the tools, then try one lookup

    Run the checks below to inspect authorization and connect to the server. Once its tools are available, send the bounded first request from this guide in your assistant. Live research uses your Public Signal credits.

    OpenClaw connection checks

    openclaw mcp status --verbose
openclaw mcp doctor public-signal --probe

    You should now see: You receive a short profile summary with a source link.

Your first request

Copy the request below and send it in your app when you are ready. It asks for exactly one profile, so you can confirm the connection without starting a large search. Running it uses Public Signal credits, and your app may have its own usage charges.

First request (copy, then send in your app)

Using Public Signal, look up the public Instagram profile @natgeo. Summarize its bio and follower count, and include its profile link. Use only one profile lookup; do not fetch follower lists or expand the research.

Keep it switched on

  • Keep the server entry enabled in OpenClaw's MCP settings so the assistant can reach it in new sessions.
  • If your assistant runs skills or sub-agents, confirm they inherit the Public Signal tools before a large task.

Next, bring your own campaign brief and ask for a small evidence-backed shortlist. Build your first creator shortlist walks through that.

If something goes wrong

  • The browser login never returns to OpenClaw: If the browser is on a different machine, use the code returned by the approval page with openclaw mcp login public-signal --code YOUR_RETURNED_CODE in the OpenClaw terminal. Replace the final value with your own code and do not share it.
  • It keeps asking me to sign in: Sign in with the Public Signal account whose credits you want, and finish the whole approval without switching accounts halfway through.
  • I connected it, but nothing happens: Confirm the server is enabled and its tools are listed in OpenClaw, then retry the bounded first request rather than a broad autonomous task.

Still stuck? Get connection help covers the common cases across every app, or write to support@publicsignallabs.com.

Remove the connection

  • In the terminal, run openclaw mcp logout public-signal to clear saved credentials, then openclaw mcp unset public-signal to remove the server entry.
  • Clearing local credentials does not by itself revoke copies already issued. Contact support if you need help revoking access. Disconnecting does not restore used credits.

Good to know

  • Signing in lets your app use Public Signal on your behalf. Your Public Signal password is not shared with the app.
  • Research uses your Public Signal credits. Your AI app may have its own plan or usage charges, and hosted-agent chats also consume credits for model inference.
  • Public Signal uses browser sign-in, not API keys or manually pasted access tokens. Use automatic registration where offered; do not invent a client ID or secret.
  • Prefer to skip setup entirely? Open the agent and research here instead.