Glossary
Quick reference for terms used across Beach docs.
What this is
A short, alphabetical reference for the terms you'll see throughout these docs. Each entry is tagged so you know whether it's something Beach owns, something OpenClaw owns, or both.
Beach is the hosting platform. OpenClaw is the agent software running on the server we host for you. If you're new, What is Beach? explains the boundary.
Terms
Agent (OpenClaw) — the AI assistant that lives on your server. It reads your messages, remembers what matters, and replies.
Backup (Beach) — an encrypted snapshot of your instance, taken automatically and on demand. Backups can be restored onto your Beach instance only — there's no off-platform export today. See Backups.
BYOK (Beach) — short for "Bring Your Own Key." You provide your own LLM API key from a supported provider; Beach doesn't bill you for AI usage on top of the subscription.
Channel (both) — a messaging app (e.g. Telegram) connected to your agent. Beach stores the channel token securely; OpenClaw uses it to send and receive messages. See Channels overview.
Control UI (OpenClaw) — OpenClaw's web interface, served from your subdomain. Where you chat with your agent, manage memory, and install skills. See Opening the Control UI.
Free trial (Beach) — the 7 days after sign-up before your first charge. Full access; cancel any time. See Pricing & Free Trial.
Instance (Beach) — your dedicated server. One per customer, running in AWS us-east-1. See Where your data lives.
Memory (OpenClaw) — facts and preferences your agent remembers across sessions. Lives inside OpenClaw, not Beach. See Memory & personalization.
Provider (Beach config / external) — your AI/LLM provider: Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, or OpenRouter. You bring the key; Beach stores it; OpenClaw uses it. See Choosing a provider.
Reactivation window (Beach) — the 14 days after cancellation when you can re-subscribe and recover your data. After that, your instance and backups are deleted. See What happens to my data when I cancel?.
Session (OpenClaw) — one ongoing conversation thread with your agent. Sessions are saved automatically. See Sessions & history.
Skill (OpenClaw) — an installable ability for your agent, like sending email or searching the web. Managed in the Control UI. See Skills.
Subdomain (Beach) — your unique URL for the Control UI, in the form sd-XXXXXXXX.beachhost.io. Bookmark it — that's where you'll talk to your agent.
Token (Beach storage / channel-side) — the credential a channel (e.g. a Telegram bot token) uses to authenticate. Beach stores tokens encrypted and scoped to your account. See How your API keys are stored.
Trial — see Free trial.