Path
Right place
The field must live at the correct config path.
Right value shape
The value must use the right type or allowed enum.
OpenClaw config
How OpenClaw config works
Use this page when you need a high-level map of OpenClaw configuration before making changes.
Treat config like a live system surface
Config controls channels, models, tools, browser behavior, plugins, skills, session defaults, and other runtime behavior.
Config shape
Structured system state, not a scratchpad
OpenClaw configuration is not just a bag of toggles. A careless edit can break startup, disable working features, or silently wipe sibling settings.
The config file uses JSON5, not plain JSON. Comments and trailing commas are allowed, but structure still matters.
Why config work goes wrong
Most pain comes from edit method
- guessing field names
- putting a real key under the wrong parent object
- replacing an entire map when only one entry needed to change
- stacking more edits before validating the first one
Think in layers
Path, type, scope, and runtime behavior all matter
Type
Scope
Preserve siblings
The surrounding object must keep its sibling settings intact.
Runtime
Verify live behavior
The runtime must actually apply the change, whether by hot-apply or restart.
Safe default pattern
Inspect, check schema, patch narrowly, validate, verify
The safest default pattern is simple: inspect the current state first, check the schema instead of guessing, patch the smallest possible layer, validate immediately, and then verify the real runtime effect.