OpenClaw reads an optional JSON5 config from ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. If the file is missing, OpenClaw uses safe defaults.

The active config path must be a regular file. OpenClaw-owned writes replace it atomically (rename onto the path), so a symlinked openclaw.json gets its target replaced rather than written through - avoid symlinked config layouts. If you keep config outside the default state directory, point OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH directly at the real file.

Common reasons to add a config:

• Connect channels and control who can message the bot
• Set models, tools, sandboxing, or automation (cron, hooks)
• Tune sessions, media, networking, or UI

See the full reference for every available field.

Agents and automation should use config.schema.lookup for exact field-level docs before editing config. Use this page for task-oriented guidance and Configuration reference for the broader field map and defaults.

Minimal config

// ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  agents: { defaults: { workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace" } },
  channels: { whatsapp: { allowFrom: ["+15555550123"] } },
}

Editing config

Strict validation

openclaw config schema prints the canonical JSON Schema used by Control UI and validation. config.schema.lookup fetches a single path-scoped node plus child summaries for drill-down tooling. Field title/description docs metadata carries through nested objects, wildcard (*), array-item ([]), and anyOf/ oneOf/allOf branches. Runtime plugin and channel schemas merge in when the manifest registry is loaded.

When validation fails:

• The Gateway does not boot
• Only diagnostic commands work (openclaw doctor, openclaw logs, openclaw health, openclaw status)
• Run openclaw doctor to see exact issues
• Run openclaw doctor --fix (--repair is the same flag; --yes skips prompts) to apply repairs

The Gateway keeps a trusted last-known-good copy after each successful startup, but startup and hot reload do not restore it automatically - only openclaw doctor --fix does. If openclaw.json fails validation (including plugin-local validation), Gateway startup fails or the reload is skipped and the current runtime keeps the last accepted config. A rejected write is also saved as <path>.rejected.<timestamp> for inspection. The Gateway blocks writes that look like accidental clobbers - dropping gateway.mode, losing the meta block, or shrinking the file by more than half - unless the write explicitly allows destructive changes. Promotion to last-known-good is skipped when a candidate contains a redacted secret placeholder such as *** or [redacted].

Common tasks

- [Discord](/channels/discord) - `channels.discord`
- [Feishu](/channels/feishu) - `channels.feishu`
- [Google Chat](/channels/googlechat) - `channels.googlechat`
- [iMessage](/channels/imessage) - `channels.imessage`
- [Mattermost](/channels/mattermost) - `channels.mattermost`
- [Microsoft Teams](/channels/msteams) - `channels.msteams`
- [Signal](/channels/signal) - `channels.signal`
- [Slack](/channels/slack) - `channels.slack`
- [Telegram](/channels/telegram) - `channels.telegram`
- [WhatsApp](/channels/whatsapp) - `channels.whatsapp`

All channels share the same DM policy pattern:

```json5
{
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      enabled: true,
      botToken: "123:abc",
      dmPolicy: "pairing",   // pairing | allowlist | open | disabled
      allowFrom: ["tg:123"], // only for allowlist/open
    },
  },
}
```

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      model: {
        primary: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
        fallbacks: ["openai/gpt-5.4"],
      },
      models: {
        "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6": { alias: "Sonnet" },
        "openai/gpt-5.4": { alias: "GPT" },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

- `agents.defaults.models` stores aliases and per-model settings; adding an entry never restricts `/model` or `--model` overrides.
- `agents.defaults.modelPolicy.allow` is the explicit allowlist for overrides and model pickers. It accepts exact refs and `provider/*` wildcards; omit it or use `[]` to allow any model.
- Model refs use `provider/model` format (e.g. `anthropic/claude-opus-4-6`).
- `agents.defaults.imageMaxDimensionPx` controls transcript/tool image downscaling (default `1200`); lower values usually reduce vision-token usage on screenshot-heavy runs.
- See [Models CLI](/concepts/models) for switching models in chat and [Model Failover](/concepts/model-failover) for auth rotation and fallback behavior.
- For custom/self-hosted providers, see [Custom providers](/gateway/config-tools#custom-providers-and-base-urls) in the reference.

- `"pairing"`: unknown senders get a one-time pairing code to approve
- `"allowlist"`: only senders in `allowFrom` (or the paired allow store)
- `"open"`: allow all inbound DMs (requires `allowFrom: ["*"]`)
- `"disabled"`: ignore all DMs

For groups, use `groupPolicy` (`"allowlist" | "open" | "disabled"`) plus `groupAllowFrom` or channel-specific allowlists.

See the [full reference](/gateway/config-channels#dm-and-group-access) for per-channel details.

```json5
{
  messages: {
    visibleReplies: "automatic", // set "message_tool" to require message-tool sends everywhere
    groupChat: {
      visibleReplies: "message_tool", // opt-in; visible output requires message(action=send)
      unmentionedInbound: "room_event", // unmentioned always-on group chatter is quiet context
    },
  },
  agents: {
    list: [
      {
        id: "main",
        groupChat: {
          mentionPatterns: ["@openclaw", "openclaw"],
        },
      },
    ],
  },
  channels: {
    whatsapp: {
      groups: { "*": { requireMention: true } },
    },
  },
}
```

- **Metadata mentions**: native @-mentions (WhatsApp tap-to-mention, Telegram @bot, etc.)
- **Text patterns**: safe regex patterns in `mentionPatterns`
- **Visible replies**: `messages.visibleReplies` can require message-tool sends globally; `messages.groupChat.visibleReplies` overrides that for groups/channels.
- See [full reference](/gateway/config-channels#group-chat-mention-gating) for visible reply modes, per-channel overrides, and self-chat mode.

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      skills: ["github", "weather"],
    },
    list: [
      { id: "writer" }, // inherits github, weather
      { id: "docs", skills: ["docs-search"] }, // replaces defaults
      { id: "locked-down", skills: [] }, // no skills
    ],
  },
}
```

- Omit `agents.defaults.skills` for unrestricted skills by default.
- Omit `agents.list[].skills` to inherit the defaults.
- Set `agents.list[].skills: []` for no skills.
- See [Skills](/tools/skills), [Skills config](/tools/skills-config), and
  the [Configuration Reference](/gateway/config-agents#agents-defaults-skills).

```json5
{
  gateway: {
    channelHealthCheckMinutes: 5,
    channelStaleEventThresholdMinutes: 30,
    channelMaxRestartsPerHour: 10,
  },
  channels: {
    telegram: {
      healthMonitor: { enabled: false },
      accounts: {
        alerts: {
          healthMonitor: { enabled: true },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

- Values shown are the defaults. Set `gateway.channelHealthCheckMinutes: 0` to disable health-monitor restarts globally.
- `channelStaleEventThresholdMinutes` should be greater than or equal to the check interval.
- Use `channels.<provider>.healthMonitor.enabled` or `channels.<provider>.accounts.<id>.healthMonitor.enabled` to disable auto-restarts for one channel or account without disabling the global monitor.
- See [Health Checks](/gateway/health) for operational debugging and the [full reference](/gateway/configuration-reference#gateway) for all fields.

```json5
{
  gateway: {
    handshakeTimeoutMs: 30000,
  },
}
```

- Default is `15000` milliseconds.
- `OPENCLAW_HANDSHAKE_TIMEOUT_MS` still takes precedence for one-off service or shell overrides.
- Prefer fixing startup/event-loop stalls first; this knob is for hosts that are healthy but slow during warmup.

```json5
{
  session: {
    dmScope: "per-channel-peer",  // recommended for multi-user
    threadBindings: {
      enabled: true,
      idleHours: 24,
      maxAgeHours: 0,
    },
    reset: {
      mode: "daily",
      atHour: 4,
      idleMinutes: 120,
    },
  },
}
```

- `dmScope`: `main` (shared) | `per-peer` | `per-channel-peer` | `per-account-channel-peer`
- `threadBindings`: global defaults for thread-bound session routing. `/focus`, `/unfocus`, `/agents`, `/session idle`, and `/session max-age` bind, unbind, list, and tune this per session (Discord binds threads, Telegram binds topics/conversations).
- See [Session Management](/concepts/session) for scoping, identity links, and send policy.
- See [full reference](/gateway/config-agents#session) for all fields.

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      sandbox: {
        mode: "non-main",  // off | non-main | all
        scope: "agent",    // session | agent | shared
      },
    },
  },
}
```

Build the image first - from a source checkout run `scripts/sandbox-setup.sh`, or from an npm install see the inline `docker build` command in [Sandboxing § Images and setup](/gateway/sandboxing#images-and-setup).

See [Sandboxing](/gateway/sandboxing) for the full guide and [full reference](/gateway/config-agents#agentsdefaultssandbox) for all options.

Custom relay deployments require a deliberately separate iOS build/deployment path whose relay URL matches the gateway relay URL. If you are using a custom relay build, set this in gateway config:

```json5
{
  gateway: {
    push: {
      apns: {
        relay: {
          baseUrl: "https://relay.example.com",
          // Optional. Default: 10000
          timeoutMs: 10000,
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

CLI equivalent:

```bash
openclaw config set gateway.push.apns.relay.baseUrl https://relay.example.com
```

What this does:

- Lets the gateway send `push.test`, wake nudges, and reconnect wakes through the external relay.
- Uses a registration-scoped send grant forwarded by the paired iOS app. The gateway does not need a deployment-wide relay token.
- Binds each relay-backed registration to the gateway identity that the iOS app paired with, so another gateway cannot reuse the stored registration.
- Keeps local/manual iOS builds on direct APNs. Relay-backed sends apply only to official distributed builds that registered through the relay.
- Must match the relay base URL baked into the iOS build, so registration and send traffic reach the same relay deployment.

End-to-end flow:

1. Install the official iOS app.
2. Optional: configure `gateway.push.apns.relay.baseUrl` on the gateway only when using a deliberately separate custom relay build.
3. Pair the iOS app to the gateway and let both node and operator sessions connect.
4. The iOS app fetches the gateway identity, registers with the relay using App Attest plus the app receipt, and then publishes the relay-backed `push.apns.register` payload to the paired gateway.
5. The gateway stores the relay handle and send grant, then uses them for `push.test`, wake nudges, and reconnect wakes.

Operational notes:

- If you switch the iOS app to a different gateway, reconnect the app so it can publish a new relay registration bound to that gateway.
- If you ship a new iOS build that points at a different relay deployment, the app refreshes its cached relay registration instead of reusing the old relay origin.

Compatibility note:

- `OPENCLAW_APNS_RELAY_BASE_URL` and `OPENCLAW_APNS_RELAY_TIMEOUT_MS` still work as temporary env overrides.
- Custom gateway relay URLs must match the relay base URL baked into the iOS build; the public App Store release lane rejects custom iOS relay URL overrides.
- `OPENCLAW_APNS_RELAY_ALLOW_HTTP=true` remains a loopback-only development escape hatch; do not persist HTTP relay URLs in config.

See [iOS App](/platforms/ios#relay-backed-push-for-official-builds) for the end-to-end flow and [Authentication and trust flow](/platforms/ios#authentication-and-trust-flow) for the relay security model.

- `every`: duration string (`30m`, `2h`). Set `0m` to disable. Default: `30m`.
- `target`: `last` | `none` | `<channel-id>` (for example `discord`, `matrix`, `telegram`, or `whatsapp`)
- `directPolicy`: `allow` (default) or `block` for DM-style heartbeat targets
- See [Heartbeat](/gateway/heartbeat) for the full guide.

- `sessionRetention`: prune completed isolated run sessions from SQLite session rows (default `24h`; set `false` to disable).
- Run history automatically keeps the newest 2000 terminal rows per job; lost rows retain their 24-hour cleanup window.
- See [Cron jobs](/automation/cron-jobs) for feature overview and CLI examples.

```json5
{
  hooks: {
    enabled: true,
    token: "shared-secret",
    path: "/hooks",
    defaultSessionKey: "hook:ingress",
    allowRequestSessionKey: false,
    allowedSessionKeyPrefixes: ["hook:"],
    mappings: [
      {
        match: { path: "gmail" },
        action: "agent",
        agentId: "main",
        deliver: true,
      },
    ],
  },
}
```

Security note:
- Treat all hook/webhook payload content as untrusted input.
- Use a dedicated `hooks.token`; do not reuse active Gateway auth secrets (`gateway.auth.token` / `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN` or `gateway.auth.password` / `OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_PASSWORD`).
- Hook auth is header-only (`Authorization: Bearer ...` or `x-openclaw-token`); query-string tokens are rejected.
- `hooks.path` cannot be `/`; keep webhook ingress on a dedicated subpath such as `/hooks`.
- Keep unsafe-content bypass flags disabled (`hooks.gmail.allowUnsafeExternalContent`, `hooks.mappings[].allowUnsafeExternalContent`) unless doing tightly scoped debugging.
- If you enable `hooks.allowRequestSessionKey`, also set `hooks.allowedSessionKeyPrefixes` to bound caller-selected session keys.
- For hook-driven agents, prefer strong modern model tiers and strict tool policy (for example messaging-only plus sandboxing where possible).

See [full reference](/gateway/configuration-reference#hooks) for all mapping options and Gmail integration.

```json5
{
  agents: {
    list: [
      { id: "home", default: true, workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace-home" },
      { id: "work", workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace-work" },
    ],
  },
  bindings: [
    { agentId: "home", match: { channel: "whatsapp", accountId: "personal" } },
    { agentId: "work", match: { channel: "whatsapp", accountId: "biz" } },
  ],
}
```

See [Multi-Agent](/concepts/multi-agent) and [full reference](/gateway/config-agents#multi-agent-routing) for binding rules and per-agent access profiles.

```json5
// ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  gateway: { port: 18789 },
  agents: { $include: "./agents.json5" },
  broadcast: {
    $include: ["./clients/a.json5", "./clients/b.json5"],
  },
}
```

- **Single file**: replaces the containing object
- **Array of files**: deep-merged in order (later wins), up to 10 nested levels deep
- **Sibling keys**: merged after includes (override included values)
- **Relative paths**: resolved relative to the including file
- **Path format**: include paths must not contain null bytes and must be strictly shorter than 4096 characters before and after resolution
- **OpenClaw-owned writes**: when a write changes only one top-level section
  backed by a single-file include such as `plugins: { $include: "./plugins.json5" }`,
  OpenClaw updates that included file and leaves `openclaw.json` intact
- **Unsupported write-through**: root includes, include arrays, and includes
  with sibling overrides fail closed for OpenClaw-owned writes instead of
  flattening the config
- **Confinement**: `$include` paths must resolve under the directory holding
  `openclaw.json`. To share a tree across machines or users, set
  `OPENCLAW_INCLUDE_ROOTS` to a path-list (`:` on POSIX, `;` on Windows) of
  additional directories that includes may reference. Symlinks are resolved
  and re-checked, so a path that lexically lives in a config dir but whose
  real target escapes every allowed root is still rejected.
- **Error handling**: clear errors for missing files, parse errors, circular includes, invalid path format, and excessive length

Config hot reload

The Gateway watches ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and applies changes automatically - no manual restart needed for most settings.

Direct file edits are treated as untrusted until they validate. The watcher waits for editor temp-write/rename churn to settle, reads the final file, and rejects invalid external edits without rewriting openclaw.json. OpenClaw-owned config writes use the same schema gate before writing (see Strict validation for the clobber/rollback rules that apply to every write).

If you see config reload skipped (invalid config) or startup reports Invalid config, inspect the config, run openclaw config validate, then run openclaw doctor --fix for repair. See Gateway troubleshooting for the checklist.

Reload modes

{
  gateway: {
    reload: { mode: "hybrid", debounceMs: 300 },
  },
}

What hot-applies vs what needs a restart

Most fields hot-apply without downtime; some hot-applied sections restart just that subsystem (channel, cron, heartbeat, health monitor) rather than the whole Gateway. In hybrid mode, Gateway-restart-required changes are handled automatically.

Reload planning

When you edit a source file that is referenced through $include, OpenClaw plans the reload from the source-authored layout, not the flattened in-memory view. That keeps hot-reload decisions (hot-apply vs restart) predictable even when a single top-level section lives in its own included file such as plugins: { $include: "./plugins.json5" }. Reload planning fails closed if the source layout is ambiguous.

Config RPC (programmatic updates)

For tooling that writes config over the gateway API, prefer this flow:

• config.schema.lookup to inspect one subtree (shallow schema node + child summaries)
• config.get to fetch the current snapshot plus hash
• config.patch for partial updates (JSON merge patch: objects merge, null deletes, arrays replace when explicitly confirmed with replacePaths if entries would be removed)
• config.apply only when you intend to replace the entire config
• update.run for explicit self-update plus restart; include continuationMessage when the post-restart session should run one follow-up turn
• update.status to inspect the latest update restart sentinel and verify the running version after a restart

Agents should treat config.schema.lookup as the first stop for exact field-level docs and constraints. Use Configuration reference when they need the broader config map, defaults, or links to dedicated subsystem references.

Example partial patch:

openclaw gateway call config.get --params '{}'  # capture payload.hash
openclaw gateway call config.patch --params '{
  "raw": "{ channels: { telegram: { groups: { \"*\": { requireMention: false } } } } }",
  "baseHash": "<hash>"
}'

Both config.apply and config.patch accept raw, baseHash, sessionKey, note, and restartDelayMs. baseHash is required for both methods once a config file already exists (a first write with no existing config skips the check).

config.patch also accepts replacePaths, an array of config paths whose array replacement is intentional. If a patch would replace or delete an existing array with fewer entries, the Gateway rejects the write unless that exact path appears in replacePaths; nested arrays under array entries use [], such as agents.list[].skills. This prevents truncated config.get snapshots from silently clobbering routing or allowlist arrays. Use config.apply when you intend to replace the full config.

Environment variables

OpenClaw reads env vars from the parent process plus:

• .env from the current working directory (if present)
• ~/.openclaw/.env (global fallback)

Neither file overrides existing env vars. You can also set inline env vars in config:

{
  env: {
    OPENROUTER_API_KEY: "sk-or-...",
    vars: { GROQ_API_KEY: "gsk-..." },
  },
}

{
  env: {
    shellEnv: { enabled: true, timeoutMs: 15000 },
  },
}

Env var equivalent: OPENCLAW_LOAD_SHELL_ENV=1. Default timeoutMs: 15000.

{
  gateway: { auth: { token: "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}" } },
  models: { providers: { custom: { apiKey: "${CUSTOM_API_KEY}" } } },
}

Rules:

• Only uppercase names matched: [A-Z_][A-Z0-9_]*
• Missing/empty vars throw an error at load time
• Escape with $${VAR} for literal output
• Works inside $include files
• Inline substitution: "${BASE}/v1" → "https://api.example.com/v1"

{
  models: {
    providers: {
      openai: { apiKey: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "OPENAI_API_KEY" } },
    },
  },
  skills: {
    entries: {
      "image-lab": {
        apiKey: {
          source: "file",
          provider: "filemain",
          id: "/skills/entries/image-lab/apiKey",
        },
      },
    },
  },
  channels: {
    googlechat: {
      serviceAccountRef: {
        source: "exec",
        provider: "vault",
        id: "channels/googlechat/serviceAccount",
      },
    },
  },
}

SecretRef details (including secrets.providers for env/file/exec) are in Secrets Management. Supported credential paths are listed in SecretRef Credential Surface.

See Environment for full precedence and sources.

Full reference

For the complete field-by-field reference, see Configuration Reference.

Related: Configuration Examples · Configuration Reference · Doctor

Related

• Configuration reference
• Configuration examples
• Gateway runbook

Source: docs/gateway/configuration.md