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openclaw/docs/gateway/config-tools.md
Peter Steinberger 59492c51a5 feat(agents): rename spawn_task tool to suggest_task (#121694)
* feat(agents): rename spawn_task tool to suggest_task

Models across vendors read the name spawn_task as 'starts background
work' and refuse to call it when the user has not asked to start
anything (Claude Sonnet 5, verbatim: 'spawn_task (which actively starts
background work)... Since you didn't ask me to start work, I'm flagging
this as a follow-up instead'). The tool only records a suggestion card,
so the name defeated the feature.

Rename the model-facing tool to suggest_task everywhere (catalog,
descriptors, presets, display config, OpenClawKit tool-display, docs)
and migrate persisted operator state via doctor: config tool policies
and cron SQLite toolsAllow entries that reference spawn_task are
rewritten to suggest_task. No runtime alias remains; runtime exposes
only the canonical name.

Live clean-room matrix on a dev gateway (virgin session per cell):
suggested-task-card phrasing now yields exactly one card on
anthropic/claude-sonnet-5, claude-haiku-4-5, openai/gpt-5.6-sol,
gpt-5.6-luna, and google/gemini-3.1-pro; pre-rename the same bait
produced prose-only follow-ups.

* chore(doctor): keep legacy tool-name predicate module-local

isLegacyTaskSuggestionToolName has no external consumers; the exported
form tripped the knip unused-export gate (deadcode:exports).

* fix(doctor): keep tool-name migration out of plugin-owned config

The rename migration traversed the whole raw config, so any object
carrying a toolsAllow key was rewritten - including opaque
plugins.entries.*.config, which core must not mutate. Scope the apply
pass to the typed core roots (tools, agents, channels, gateway) and pin
plugin config preservation in the test. Plugin-owned tool lists migrate
via the owning plugin's doctor contract instead.

* fix(ci): heal main deadcode and stale Swift protocol mirror

Unrelated main breakage blocking this PR's merge gate, healed here per
landing policy:

- #121653 left dead exports in src/skills/workshop: make
  removeSkillCollectionDirectory and SkillCollectionRestoreResult
  module-local; register collection-review.ts under the documented knip
  ignoreIssues test-only-export convention (production runs it via the
  scheduled maintenance loop).
- #121673 added ApprovalResolveParams.reviewer without regenerating the
  Swift mirror; regenerate GatewayModels.swift (additive only).

* fix(ci): satisfy generic approval-runtime request signature in resolver test

Third main-heal carried by this PR: #121673 (9935ca3b30) left the
scoped-request mock's concrete inferred type unassignable to the generic
GatewayNativeApprovalRuntime request signature, breaking check-test-types
on main. Cast the mock at the runtime literal; assertions keep the Mock.

* chore(ci): drop approval-test cast superseded by main's typed mock rewrite

* chore(ci): drop duplicate knip entry superseded by main's heal
2026-08-10 16:41:39 -07:00

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---
summary: "Tools config (policy, experimental toggles, provider-backed tools) and custom provider/base-URL setup"
read_when:
- Configuring `tools.*` policy, allowlists, or experimental features
- Registering custom providers or overriding base URLs
- Setting up OpenAI-compatible self-hosted endpoints
title: "Configuration — tools and custom providers"
sidebarTitle: "Tools and custom providers"
---
`tools.*` config keys and custom provider / base-URL setup. For agents, channels, and other top-level config keys, see [Configuration reference](/gateway/configuration-reference).
## Tools
### Tool profiles
`tools.profile` sets a base allowlist before `tools.allow`/`tools.deny`:
<Note>
Local onboarding defaults new local configs to `tools.profile: "coding"` when unset (existing explicit profiles are preserved).
</Note>
| Profile | Includes |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `minimal` | `session_status` only |
| `coding` | `group:fs`, `group:runtime`, `group:web`, `group:sessions`, `group:memory`, `cron`, `get_goal`, `create_goal`, `update_goal`, `update_plan`, `ask_user`, `skill_workshop`, `image`, `image_generate`, `music_generate`, `video_generate` |
| `messaging` | `group:messaging`, `sessions`, `sessions_list`, `sessions_history`, `sessions_search`, `conversations_list`, `conversations_send`, `conversations_turn`, `sessions_send`, `sessions_spawn`, `sessions_yield`, `subagents`, `session_status`, `ask_user` |
| `full` | No restriction (same as unset) |
`coding` and `messaging` also implicitly allow `bundle-mcp` (configured MCP servers).
### Tool groups
| Group | Tools |
| ------------------ | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `group:runtime` | `exec`, `process`, `code_execution` (`bash` is accepted as an alias for `exec`) |
| `group:fs` | `read`, `write`, `edit`, `apply_patch` |
| `group:sessions` | `sessions`, `sessions_list`, `sessions_history`, `sessions_search`, `conversations_list`, `conversations_send`, `conversations_turn`, `sessions_send`, `sessions_spawn`, `sessions_yield`, `subagents`, `session_status`, `suggest_task`, `dismiss_task` |
| `group:memory` | `memory_search`, `memory_get` |
| `group:web` | `web_search`, `x_search`, `web_fetch` |
| `group:ui` | `browser`, `screen`, `terminal`, `canvas`, `show_widget` |
| `group:automation` | `heartbeat_respond`, `cron`, `gateway` |
| `group:messaging` | `message` |
| `group:nodes` | `nodes`, `computer` |
| `group:agents` | `agents_list`, `get_goal`, `create_goal`, `update_goal`, `update_plan`, `ask_user`, `skill_workshop` |
| `group:media` | `image`, `image_generate`, `music_generate`, `video_generate`, `tts` |
| `group:openclaw` | All built-in tools above except `read`/`write`/`edit`/`apply_patch`/`exec`/`process`/`canvas` (excludes plugin tools) |
| `group:plugins` | Tools owned by loaded plugins, including configured MCP servers exposed through `bundle-mcp` |
`suggest_task` lets a coding agent propose confirmed follow-up work without starting it. The suggestion's project directory must be a git checkout; invalid suggestions, including a non-git directory or blank prompt, are rejected when the tool records them. The Control UI shows the title and summary as an actionable chip; a Gateway-backed TUI shows an equivalent interactive prompt. Accepting a suggestion can start it in a fresh managed worktree (the default), start it locally in a new session in the suggested checkout, send it to a cloud worker profile when one is configured, or deliver it into the source session. OpenClaw sends the full prompt to the selected destination while the current turn continues. `dismiss_task` withdraws a still-pending suggestion by the ephemeral `task_id` returned from `suggest_task`.
The tools are offered only when the initiating operator surface can receive and action Gateway task-suggestion events. Channel sessions and local/embedded TUI sessions do not receive them; channel transports need a portable typed task action before they can safely expose this flow. Suggestions are process-local and disappear when the Gateway restarts. Both tools remain in the `coding` profile and `group:sessions`, so normal `tools.allow` and `tools.deny` policy configures them automatically when the surface supports them.
### MCP and plugin tools inside sandbox tool policy
Configured MCP servers are exposed as plugin-owned tools under the `bundle-mcp` plugin id. Normal tool profiles can allow them, but `tools.sandbox.tools` is an additional gate for sandboxed sessions. If sandbox mode is `"all"` or `"non-main"`, include one of these entries in the sandbox tool allowlist when MCP/plugin tools should be visible:
- `bundle-mcp` for OpenClaw-managed MCP servers from `mcp.servers`
- the plugin id for a specific native plugin
- `group:plugins` for all loaded plugin-owned tools
- exact MCP server tool names or server globs such as `outlook__send_mail` or `outlook__*` when you only want one server
Server globs use the provider-safe MCP server prefix, not necessarily the raw `mcp.servers` key. Non-`[A-Za-z0-9_-]` characters become `-`, names that do not start with a letter get an `mcp-` prefix, and long or duplicate prefixes may be truncated or suffixed; for example, `mcp.servers["Outlook Graph"]` uses a glob like `outlook-graph__*`.
```json5
{
agents: { defaults: { sandbox: { mode: "all" } } },
mcp: {
servers: {
outlook: { command: "node", args: ["./outlook-mcp.js"] },
},
},
tools: {
sandbox: {
tools: {
alsoAllow: ["web_search", "web_fetch", "memory_search", "memory_get", "bundle-mcp"],
},
},
},
}
```
Without that sandbox-layer entry, the MCP server can still load successfully while its tools are filtered before the provider request. Use `openclaw doctor` to catch this shape for OpenClaw-managed servers in `mcp.servers`. MCP servers loaded from bundled plugin manifests or Claude `.mcp.json` use the same sandbox gate, but this diagnostic does not enumerate those sources yet; use the same allowlist entries if their tools disappear in sandboxed turns.
### `tools.codeMode`
`tools.codeMode` gates the generic OpenClaw code-mode surface. When engaged
for a run with tools, normal OpenClaw tools move behind the in-sandbox `tools.*`
catalog bridge, and MCP tools are available through the generated `MCP`
namespace. The model normally sees `exec` and `wait`; tools such as `computer`
whose structured results cannot cross the JSON-only bridge stay direct.
`enabled` defaults to `"auto"`, which engages code mode only for models whose
catalog entry flags `compat.codeMode: "preferred"`. See
[Code Mode - automatic per-model activation](/tools/code-mode#automatic-per-model-activation).
To opt out for every run:
```json5
{
tools: {
codeMode: {
enabled: false,
},
},
}
```
The shorthand is also accepted:
```json5
{
tools: { codeMode: false },
}
```
`enabled: true` forces code mode on for every tool-capable run, regardless of
model.
MCP declarations are exposed through the read-only virtual API file surface in
code mode. Guest code can call `API.list("mcp")` and
`API.read("mcp/<server>.d.ts")` to inspect TypeScript-style signatures before
calling `MCP.<server>.<tool>()`. See [Code Mode](/tools/code-mode) for the
runtime contract, limits, and debugging steps.
### `tools.allow` / `tools.deny`
Global tool allow/deny policy (deny wins). Case-insensitive, supports `*` wildcards. Applied even when Docker sandbox is off.
```json5
{
tools: { deny: ["browser", "canvas"] },
}
```
`write` and `apply_patch` are separate tool ids. `allow: ["write"]` also enables `apply_patch` for compatible models, but `deny: ["write"]` does not deny `apply_patch`. To block all file mutation, deny `group:fs` or list each mutating tool explicitly:
```json5
{
tools: { deny: ["write", "edit", "apply_patch"] },
}
```
<Note>
`allow` and `alsoAllow` cannot both be set in the same scope (`tools`, `tools.byProvider.<id>`, `agents.entries.*.tools`) — config validation rejects it. Merge `alsoAllow` entries into `allow`, or drop `allow` and use `profile` + `alsoAllow` instead.
</Note>
### `tools.byProvider`
Further restrict tools for specific providers or models. Order: base profile → provider profile → allow/deny.
```json5
{
tools: {
profile: "coding",
byProvider: {
anthropic: { profile: "minimal" },
"openai/gpt-5.4": { allow: ["group:fs", "sessions_list"] },
},
},
}
```
### `tools.toolsBySender`
Restricts tools for the current turn's originating requester. This is defense-in-depth on top of channel access control; sender values must come from the channel adapter, not message text. It does not authenticate other content in the model prompt; see [Requester-scoped controls and prompt context](/gateway/security#requester-scoped-controls-and-prompt-context).
```json5
{
tools: {
toolsBySender: {
"channel:discord:1234567890123": { alsoAllow: ["group:fs"] },
"id:guest-user-id": { deny: ["group:runtime", "group:fs"] },
"*": { deny: ["exec", "process", "write", "edit", "apply_patch"] },
},
},
}
```
Keys use explicit prefixes: `channel:<channelId>:<senderId>`, `id:<senderId>`, `e164:<phone>`, `username:<handle>`, `name:<displayName>`, or `"*"`. Channel ids are canonical OpenClaw ids; aliases such as `teams` normalize to `msteams`. Legacy unprefixed keys are accepted as `id:` only. Matching order is channel+id, id, e164, username, name, then wildcard.
Per-agent `agents.entries.*.tools.toolsBySender` overrides the global sender match when it matches, even with an empty `{}` policy.
### `tools.elevated`
Controls elevated exec access outside the sandbox:
```json5
{
tools: {
elevated: {
enabled: true,
allowFrom: {
whatsapp: ["+15555550123"],
discord: ["1234567890123", "987654321098765432"],
},
},
},
}
```
- Per-agent override (`agents.entries.*.tools.elevated`) can only further restrict.
- `/elevated on|off|ask|full` stores state per session; inline directives apply to single message.
- Elevated `exec` bypasses sandboxing and uses the configured escape path (`gateway` by default, or `node` when the exec target is `node`).
### `tools.exec`
```json5
{
tools: {
exec: {
backgroundMs: 10000,
timeoutSeconds: 1800,
cleanupMs: 1800000,
approvalRunningNoticeMs: 10000,
notifyOnExit: true,
notifyOnExitEmptySuccess: false,
commandHighlighting: false,
applyPatch: {
enabled: true,
allowModels: ["gpt-5.6-sol"],
},
},
},
}
```
Values shown are defaults except `applyPatch.allowModels` (empty/unset by default, meaning any compatible model may use `apply_patch`). `approvalRunningNoticeMs` emits a running notice when approval-backed exec runs long; `0` disables it.
### `tools.loopDetection`
Tool-loop safety checks are **disabled by default**. Set `enabled: true` to activate detection. Settings can be defined globally in `tools.loopDetection` and overridden per-agent at `agents.entries.*.tools.loopDetection`.
```json5
{
tools: {
loopDetection: {
enabled: true,
},
},
}
```
### `tools.web`
```json5
{
tools: {
web: {
search: {
enabled: true,
apiKey: "brave_api_key", // or BRAVE_API_KEY env (Brave provider)
maxResults: 5,
timeoutSeconds: 30,
cacheTtlMinutes: 15,
},
fetch: {
enabled: true,
provider: "firecrawl", // optional; omit for auto-detect
maxChars: 20000,
maxCharsCap: 20000,
maxResponseBytes: 750000,
timeoutSeconds: 30,
cacheTtlMinutes: 15,
maxRedirects: 3,
readability: true,
userAgent: "custom-ua",
},
},
},
}
```
Values shown are defaults except `provider` and `userAgent`. `maxResponseBytes` clamps to 3200010000000; `maxChars` clamps to `maxCharsCap` (raise `maxCharsCap` to allow larger responses).
### `tools.media`
Configures inbound media understanding (image/audio/video):
```json5
{
tools: {
media: {
concurrency: 2,
models: [
{ provider: "openai", model: "gpt-4o-mini-transcribe", capabilities: ["audio"] },
{
type: "cli",
command: "whisper",
args: ["--model", "base", "{{AttachmentPath}}"],
capabilities: ["audio"],
},
{ provider: "ollama", model: "gemma4:26b", capabilities: ["image"] },
{ provider: "google", model: "gemini-3-flash-preview", capabilities: ["video"] },
],
audio: { enabled: true, preferredModel: "openai/gpt-4o-mini-transcribe" },
image: { enabled: true, preferredModel: "ollama/gemma4:26b" },
video: { enabled: true },
},
},
}
```
`tools.media.models` is the only configured model list. Every entry declares the capabilities it handles. The optional `preferredModel` selector accepts `provider/model`, a model id, `provider:<id>` for provider-default entries, or `cli:command`; matching entries move to the front of that capability's fallback order. Per-capability prompts, limits, request settings, scope, attachment policy, and audio transcript echo remain defaults for configured and auto-detected models; a model entry can override model-specific fields.
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Media model entry fields">
**Provider entry** (`type: "provider"` or omitted):
- `provider`: API provider id (`openai`, `anthropic`, `google`/`gemini`, `groq`, etc.)
- `model`: model id override
- `profile` / `preferredProfile`: `auth-profiles.json` profile selection
**CLI entry** (`type: "cli"`):
- `command`: executable to run
- `args`: templated args (supports `{{AttachmentPath}}`, `{{AttachmentUrl}}`, `{{AttachmentContentType}}`, `{{AttachmentDir}}`, `{{AttachmentIndex}}`, `{{Prompt}}`, `{{MaxChars}}`, etc.; `openclaw doctor --fix` migrates deprecated `{input}` placeholders to `{{AttachmentPath}}`). The older `{{MediaPath}}`, `{{MediaUrl}}`, `{{MediaType}}`, and `{{MediaDir}}` aliases remain available during their compatibility window but are deprecated.
**Common fields:**
- `capabilities`: list containing one or more of `image`, `audio`, and `video`.
- `prompt`, `maxChars`, `maxBytes`, `timeoutSeconds`, `language`: per-entry overrides.
- Matching image model `timeoutSeconds` entries also apply when the agent calls the explicit `image` tool. For image understanding, this timeout applies to the request itself and is not reduced by earlier preparation work.
- Failures fall back to the next entry.
Provider auth follows standard order: `auth-profiles.json` → env vars → `models.providers.*.apiKey`.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
### `tools.agentToAgent`
```json5
{
tools: {
agentToAgent: {
enabled: false,
allow: ["home", "work"],
},
},
}
```
### `tools.sessions`
Controls which sessions can be targeted by the session tools (`sessions_list`, `sessions_history`, `sessions_send`).
Default: `tree` (current session + sessions spawned by it, such as subagents, plus ambient
watched group sessions for the same agent).
```json5
{
tools: {
sessions: {
// "self" | "tree" | "agent" | "all"
visibility: "tree",
},
},
}
```
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Visibility scopes">
- `self`: only the current session key.
- `tree`: current session + sessions spawned by the current session (subagents). For read operations, it also includes same-agent group sessions that the current session watches through ambient group awareness.
- `agent`: any session belonging to the current agent id (can include other users if you run per-sender sessions under the same agent id).
- `all`: any session. Cross-agent targeting still requires `tools.agentToAgent`.
- Sandbox clamp: when the current session is sandboxed and `agents.defaults.sandbox.sessionToolsVisibility="spawned"` (the default), visibility is forced to `tree` even if `tools.sessions.visibility="all"`.
- When not `all`, `sessions_list` includes a compact `visibility` field
describing the effective mode and a warning that some sessions may be
omitted outside the current scope.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
With the default `session.dmScope: "main"`, human activity in a group makes that same-agent group
session ambiently visible to the agent's main session. In a multi-user setup, `"main"` also shares
one DM session across users, so each user routed there can read from ambiently watched groups,
including through session-memory `memory_search`. Use a per-peer `dmScope` for DM isolation, or set
`tools.sessions.visibility: "self"` to opt out of ambient watched-session reads.
### `tools.sessions_spawn`
Controls inline attachment support for `sessions_spawn`.
```json5
{
tools: {
sessions_spawn: {
attachments: {
enabled: false, // opt-in: set true to allow inline file attachments
maxTotalBytes: 5242880, // 5 MB total across all files
maxFiles: 50,
maxFileBytes: 1048576, // 1 MB per file
retainOnSessionKeep: false, // keep attachments when cleanup="keep"
},
},
},
}
```
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Attachment notes">
- Attachments require `enabled: true`.
- Subagent attachments are materialized into the child workspace at `.openclaw/attachments/<uuid>/` with a `.manifest.json`.
- ACP attachments are image-only and forwarded inline to the ACP runtime after the same file count, per-file byte, and total byte limits pass.
- Attachment content is automatically redacted from transcript persistence.
- Base64 inputs are validated with strict alphabet/padding checks and a pre-decode size guard.
- Subagent attachment file permissions are `0700` for directories and `0600` for files.
- Subagent cleanup follows the `cleanup` policy: `delete` always removes attachments; `keep` retains them only when `retainOnSessionKeep: true`.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
<a id="toolsupdateplan"></a>
### `tools.updatePlan`
Kill switch for the structured `update_plan` checklist tool used for non-trivial multi-step work tracking.
```json5
{
tools: {
updatePlan: false, // hide update_plan from every run
},
}
```
- Default: `true` for every provider and model. Set `false` to keep the tool off; there is no model-specific auto-enable rule.
- The tool description adds usage guidance so the model only uses it for substantial work and keeps at most one step `in_progress`.
- `tools.deny: ["update_plan"]` also removes the tool, so use whichever surface already carries your tool policy.
Older configs used `tools.experimental.planTool`. Run `openclaw doctor --fix` to move the value to `tools.updatePlan`.
### `agents.defaults.subagents`
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
subagents: {
allowAgents: ["research"],
model: "minimax/MiniMax-M2.7",
maxConcurrent: 8,
runTimeoutSeconds: 900,
announceTimeoutMs: 120000,
archiveAfterMinutes: 60,
},
},
},
}
```
- `model`: default model for spawned sub-agents. If omitted, sub-agents inherit the caller's model.
- `allowAgents`: default allowlist of configured target agent ids for `sessions_spawn` when the requester agent does not set its own `subagents.allowAgents` (`["*"]` = any configured target; default: same agent only). Stale entries whose agent config was deleted are rejected by `sessions_spawn` and omitted from `agents_list`; run `openclaw doctor --fix` to clean them up.
- `maxConcurrent`: max concurrent sub-agent runs. Default: `8`.
- `runTimeoutSeconds`: timeout (seconds) for `sessions_spawn` when the caller does not pass its own override. Default: `0` (no timeout); the `900` shown above is a common opt-in value, not the built-in default.
- `announceTimeoutMs`: per-call timeout (milliseconds) for gateway `agent` announce delivery attempts. Default: `120000`. Transient retries can make the total announce wait longer than one configured timeout.
- `archiveAfterMinutes`: minutes after a sub-agent session completes before it is auto-archived. Default: `60`; `0` disables auto-archive.
- Per-subagent tool policy: `tools.subagents.tools.allow` / `tools.subagents.tools.deny`.
---
## Custom providers and base URLs
Provider plugins publish their own model catalog rows. Add custom providers via `models.providers` in config or `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/agent/models.json`.
Configuring a custom/local provider `baseUrl` is also the narrow network trust decision for model HTTP requests: OpenClaw allows that exact `scheme://host:port` origin through the guarded fetch path, without adding a separate config option or trusting other private origins.
```json5
{
models: {
mode: "merge", // merge (default) | replace
providers: {
"custom-proxy": {
baseUrl: "http://localhost:4000/v1",
apiKey: "LITELLM_KEY",
api: "openai-completions", // openai-completions | openai-responses | anthropic-messages | google-generative-ai | etc.
models: [
{
id: "llama-3.1-8b",
name: "Llama 3.1 8B",
reasoning: false,
input: ["text"],
cost: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0 },
contextWindow: 128000,
contextTokens: 96000,
maxTokens: 32000,
},
],
},
},
},
}
```
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Auth and merge precedence">
- Use `authHeader: true` + `headers` for custom auth needs.
- Override agent config root with `OPENCLAW_AGENT_DIR`.
- Merge precedence for matching provider IDs:
- Non-empty agent `models.json` `baseUrl` values win.
- Non-empty agent `apiKey` values win only when that provider is not SecretRef-managed in current config/auth-profile context.
- SecretRef-managed provider `apiKey` values are refreshed from source markers (`ENV_VAR_NAME` for env refs, `secretref-managed` for file/exec/store refs) instead of persisting resolved secrets.
- SecretRef-managed provider header values are refreshed from source markers (`secretref-env:ENV_VAR_NAME` for env refs, `secretref-managed` for file/exec/store refs).
- Empty or missing agent `apiKey`/`baseUrl` fall back to `models.providers` in config.
- Matching model `contextWindow`/`maxTokens`: the explicit config value wins when present and valid (a positive finite number); otherwise the implicit/generated catalog value is used.
- Matching model `contextTokens` follows the same explicit-wins-else-implicit rule; use it to limit effective context without changing native model metadata.
- Provider-plugin catalogs are stored as generated plugin-owned catalog shards under the agent's plugin state.
- Use `models.mode: "replace"` when you want config to fully rewrite `models.json` and skip merging in plugin-owned catalog shards.
- Marker persistence is source-authoritative: markers are written from the active source config snapshot (pre-resolution), not from resolved runtime secret values.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
### Provider field details
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Top-level catalog">
- `models.mode`: provider catalog behavior (`merge` or `replace`).
- `models.providers`: custom provider map keyed by provider id.
- Safe edits: use `openclaw config set models.providers.<id> '<json>' --strict-json --merge` or `openclaw config set models.providers.<id>.models '<json-array>' --strict-json --merge` for additive updates. `config set` refuses destructive replacements unless you pass `--replace`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Provider connection and auth">
- `models.providers.*.api`: request adapter (`openai-completions`, `openai-responses`, `openai-chatgpt-responses`, `anthropic-messages`, `google-generative-ai`, `google-vertex`, `github-copilot`, `bedrock-converse-stream`, `ollama`, `azure-openai-responses`). For self-hosted `/v1/chat/completions` backends such as MLX, vLLM, SGLang, and most OpenAI-compatible local servers, use `openai-completions`. A custom provider with `baseUrl` but no `api` defaults to `openai-completions`; set `openai-responses` only when the backend supports `/v1/responses`.
- `models.providers.*.apiKey`: provider credential (prefer SecretRef/env substitution).
- `models.providers.*.auth`: auth strategy (`api-key`, `token`, `oauth`, `aws-sdk`).
- `models.providers.*.contextWindow`: default native context window for models under this provider when the model entry does not set `contextWindow`.
- `models.providers.*.contextTokens`: default effective runtime context cap for models under this provider when the model entry does not set `contextTokens`.
- `models.providers.*.maxTokens`: default output-token cap for models under this provider when the model entry does not set `maxTokens`.
- `models.providers.*.timeoutSeconds`: optional per-provider model HTTP request timeout in seconds, including connect, headers, body, and total request abort handling.
- `models.providers.*.injectNumCtxForOpenAICompat`: for Ollama + `openai-completions`, inject `options.num_ctx` into requests (default: `true`).
- `models.providers.*.authHeader`: force credential transport in the `Authorization` header when required.
- `models.providers.*.baseUrl`: upstream API base URL.
- `models.providers.*.headers`: extra static headers for proxy/tenant routing.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Request transport overrides">
`models.providers.*.request`: transport overrides for model-provider HTTP requests.
- `request.headers`: extra headers (merged with provider defaults). Values accept SecretRef.
- `request.auth`: auth strategy override. Modes: `"provider-default"` (use provider's built-in auth), `"authorization-bearer"` (with `token`), `"header"` (with `headerName`, `value`, optional `prefix`).
- `request.proxy`: HTTP proxy override. Modes: `"env-proxy"` (use `HTTP_PROXY`/`HTTPS_PROXY` env vars), `"explicit-proxy"` (with `url`). Both modes accept an optional `tls` sub-object.
- `request.tls`: TLS override for direct connections. Fields: `ca`, `cert`, `key`, `passphrase` (all accept SecretRef), `serverName`, `insecureSkipVerify`.
- `request.allowPrivateNetwork`: when `true`, allow model-provider HTTP requests to private, CGNAT, or similar ranges through the provider HTTP fetch guard. Custom/local provider base URLs already trust the exact configured origin, except metadata/link-local origins, which remain blocked without explicit opt-in. Set this to `false` to opt out of exact-origin trust. WebSocket uses the same `request` for headers/TLS but not that fetch SSRF gate. Default `false`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Model catalog entries">
- `models.providers.*.models`: explicit provider model catalog entries.
- `models.providers.*.models.*.input`: model input modalities. Use `["text"]` for text-only models and `["text", "image"]` for native image/vision models. Image attachments are only injected into agent turns when the selected model is marked image-capable.
- `models.providers.*.models.*.contextWindow`: native model context window metadata. This overrides provider-level `contextWindow` for that model.
- `models.providers.*.models.*.contextTokens`: optional runtime context cap. This overrides provider-level `contextTokens`; use it when you want a smaller effective context budget than the model's native `contextWindow`; `openclaw models list` shows both values when they differ.
#### Custom provider capability declarations
Provider catalogs own `compat` for bundled and catalog-known model routes. Do not copy those flags into config: OpenClaw uses the catalog row when the configured `api` and `baseUrl` still identify that route. `openclaw doctor --fix` removes matching legacy overrides and reports divergent values for review.
A `compat` block remains supported for a genuinely custom provider, custom model, or catalog model routed to a different endpoint. Set only capabilities verified against that endpoint:
| Custom-route key | Runtime contract |
| --- | --- |
| `supportsStore` | Accepts the OpenAI `store` request field. |
| `supportsPromptCacheKey` | Accepts OpenAI prompt-cache/session-affinity keys. |
| `supportsDeveloperRole` | Accepts `developer` messages instead of requiring `system`. |
| `supportsReasoningEffort` | Accepts a reasoning-effort control. |
| `supportsTemperature` | Accepts `temperature` for this model and adapter. |
| `supportsUsageInStreaming` | Emits usage metadata in streaming responses. |
| `supportsTools` | Supports structured tool/function calling. Set `false` to disable tools. |
| `supportsStrictMode` | Accepts strict tool schemas. |
| `requiresStringContent` | Requires plain-string Chat Completions message content. |
| `strictMessageKeys` | Requires outgoing messages to contain only accepted keys. |
| `visibleReasoningDetailTypes` | Names reasoning detail block types safe to show in transcripts. |
| `supportedReasoningEfforts` | Lists the endpoint's accepted reasoning labels. |
| `reasoningEffortMap` | Maps OpenClaw thinking labels to endpoint-specific labels. |
| `maxTokensField` | Selects `max_tokens` or `max_completion_tokens`. |
| `thinkingFormat` | Selects the endpoint's reasoning payload dialect. |
| `requiresToolResultName` | Requires a tool name on tool-result messages. |
| `requiresAssistantAfterToolResult` | Requires an assistant message after tool results. |
| `requiresThinkingAsText` | Replays reasoning as text rather than structured content. |
| `requiresReasoningContentOnAssistantMessages` | Preserves DeepSeek-style `reasoning_content` during replay. |
| `toolSchemaProfile` | Selects a tool-schema normalization profile. Custom model entries recognize `llamacpp` and `gemini`. The `llamacpp` profile removes `pattern` and `maxLength` values at or above 2000; built-in `llama-cpp`, `ollama`, and `lmstudio` providers apply the same cleaner automatically. Custom `llama-server` models must select it explicitly. See the llama.cpp example below. |
| `unsupportedToolSchemaKeywords` | Removes named JSON Schema keywords rejected by the endpoint before tool schemas are sent. Use this for endpoint-specific gaps beyond a profile's targeted transformations. |
| `toolCallArgumentsEncoding` | Selects the endpoint's tool-call argument encoding. |
| `requiresOpenAiAnthropicToolPayload` | Converts OpenAI-shaped tool calls to Anthropic-family payloads. |
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Amazon Bedrock discovery">
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery`: Bedrock auto-discovery settings root.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.enabled`: turn implicit discovery on/off.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.region`: AWS region for discovery.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.providerFilter`: optional provider-id filter for targeted discovery.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.refreshInterval`: polling interval for discovery refresh.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.defaultContextWindow`: fallback context window for discovered models.
- `plugins.entries.amazon-bedrock.config.discovery.defaultMaxTokens`: fallback max output tokens for discovered models.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
Interactive custom-provider onboarding infers image input for known vision-model-id patterns, including GPT-4o/GPT-4.1/GPT-5+, the `o1`/`o3`/`o4` reasoning families, Claude, Gemini, any `-vl`-suffixed id (Qwen-VL and similar), and named families such as LLaVA, Pixtral, InternVL, Mllama, MiniCPM-V, and GLM-4V; it skips the extra question for known text-only families (Llama, DeepSeek, Mistral/Mixtral, Kimi/Moonshot, Codestral, Devstral, Phi, QwQ, CodeLlama, and bare Qwen ids without a vl/vision suffix). Unknown model IDs still prompt for image support. Non-interactive onboarding uses the same inference; pass `--custom-image-input` to force image-capable metadata or `--custom-text-input` to force text-only metadata.
### Provider examples
<AccordionGroup>
<Accordion title="Cerebras (GLM 4.7 / GPT OSS)">
The official external `cerebras` provider plugin can configure this via `openclaw onboard --auth-choice cerebras-api-key`. Use explicit provider config only when overriding defaults.
```json5
{
env: { vars: { CEREBRAS_API_KEY: "sk-..." } },
agents: {
defaults: {
model: {
primary: "cerebras/zai-glm-4.7",
fallbacks: ["cerebras/gpt-oss-120b"],
},
models: {
"cerebras/zai-glm-4.7": { alias: "GLM 4.7 (Cerebras)" },
"cerebras/gpt-oss-120b": { alias: "GPT OSS 120B (Cerebras)" },
},
},
},
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
cerebras: {
baseUrl: "https://api.cerebras.ai/v1",
apiKey: "${CEREBRAS_API_KEY}",
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{ id: "zai-glm-4.7", name: "GLM 4.7 (Cerebras)" },
{ id: "gpt-oss-120b", name: "GPT OSS 120B (Cerebras)" },
],
},
},
},
}
```
Use `cerebras/zai-glm-4.7` for Cerebras; `zai/glm-4.7` for Z.AI direct.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Kimi Coding">
```json5
{
env: { vars: { KIMI_API_KEY: "sk-..." } },
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "kimi/kimi-for-coding" },
models: { "kimi/kimi-for-coding": { alias: "Kimi Code" } },
},
},
}
```
Anthropic-compatible, built-in provider. Shortcut: `openclaw onboard --auth-choice kimi-code-api-key`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Local models (llama.cpp / llama-server)">
Point a **custom** `openai-completions` provider at a remote `llama-server` (or another OpenAI-compatible llama.cpp endpoint). The built-in `llama-cpp`, `ollama`, and `lmstudio` providers apply the llama.cpp schema cleaner automatically; a custom endpoint does not. Set `compat.toolSchemaProfile: "llamacpp"` on each model whose llama-server chat template compiles tool arguments into GBNF. The profile removes `pattern` and `maxLength` values at or above 2000, covering the `cron` tool's `trigger.script` limit of 65536. It is a targeted mitigation, not complete compatibility for every JSON Schema constraint or `minLength`.
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "my-llamacpp/qwen35" },
},
},
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
"my-llamacpp": {
baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:8080/v1",
apiKey: "llamacpp-no-key",
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{
id: "qwen35",
name: "Qwen3.5 (llama-server)",
contextWindow: 8192,
maxTokens: 2048,
compat: {
supportsTools: true,
toolSchemaProfile: "llamacpp",
},
},
],
},
},
},
}
```
On older builds without `toolSchemaProfile`, the broader fallback is `compat.unsupportedToolSchemaKeywords: ["pattern", "patternProperties", "format", "propertyNames", "uniqueItems", "contains", "minContains", "maxContains", "minLength", "maxLength"]`. Unlike the profile, this removes every listed keyword unconditionally.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Local models (LM Studio)">
See [Local Models](/gateway/local-models). TL;DR: run a large local model via LM Studio Responses API on serious hardware; keep hosted models merged for fallback.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="MiniMax M3 (direct)">
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "minimax/MiniMax-M3" },
models: {
"minimax/MiniMax-M3": { alias: "Minimax" },
},
},
},
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
minimax: {
baseUrl: "https://api.minimax.io/anthropic",
apiKey: "${MINIMAX_API_KEY}",
api: "anthropic-messages",
models: [
{
id: "MiniMax-M3",
name: "MiniMax M3",
reasoning: true,
input: ["text", "image"],
cost: { input: 0.6, output: 2.4, cacheRead: 0.12, cacheWrite: 0 },
contextWindow: 1000000,
maxTokens: 131072,
},
],
},
},
},
}
```
Set `MINIMAX_API_KEY`. Shortcuts: `openclaw onboard --auth-choice minimax-global-api` or `openclaw onboard --auth-choice minimax-cn-api`. The model catalog defaults to M3 and also includes the M2.7 variants. On the Anthropic-compatible streaming path, OpenClaw disables MiniMax M2.x thinking by default unless you explicitly set `thinking` yourself; MiniMax-M3 (and M3.x) stays on the provider's omitted/adaptive thinking path by default. `/fast on` or `params.fastMode: true` rewrites `MiniMax-M2.7` to `MiniMax-M2.7-highspeed`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Moonshot AI (Kimi)">
```json5
{
env: { vars: { MOONSHOT_API_KEY: "sk-..." } },
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "moonshot/kimi-k2.6" },
models: { "moonshot/kimi-k2.6": { alias: "Kimi K2.6" } },
},
},
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
moonshot: {
baseUrl: "https://api.moonshot.ai/v1",
apiKey: "${MOONSHOT_API_KEY}",
api: "openai-completions",
models: [
{
id: "kimi-k2.6",
name: "Kimi K2.6",
reasoning: false,
input: ["text", "image"],
cost: { input: 0.95, output: 4, cacheRead: 0.16, cacheWrite: 0 },
contextWindow: 262144,
maxTokens: 262144,
},
],
},
},
},
}
```
For the China endpoint: `baseUrl: "https://api.moonshot.cn/v1"` or `openclaw onboard --auth-choice moonshot-api-key-cn`.
Native Moonshot endpoints advertise streaming usage compatibility on the shared `openai-completions` transport, and OpenClaw keys that off endpoint capabilities rather than the built-in provider id alone.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="OpenCode">
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "opencode/claude-opus-4-6" },
models: { "opencode/claude-opus-4-6": { alias: "Opus" } },
},
},
}
```
Set `OPENCODE_API_KEY` (or `OPENCODE_ZEN_API_KEY`). Use `opencode/...` refs for the Zen catalog or `opencode-go/...` refs for the Go catalog. Shortcut: `openclaw onboard --auth-choice opencode-zen` or `openclaw onboard --auth-choice opencode-go`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Synthetic (Anthropic-compatible)">
```json5
{
env: { vars: { SYNTHETIC_API_KEY: "sk-..." } },
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "synthetic/hf:MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-M3" },
models: { "synthetic/hf:MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-M3": { alias: "MiniMax M3" } },
},
},
models: {
mode: "merge",
providers: {
synthetic: {
baseUrl: "https://api.synthetic.new/anthropic",
apiKey: "${SYNTHETIC_API_KEY}",
api: "anthropic-messages",
models: [
{
id: "hf:MiniMaxAI/MiniMax-M3",
name: "MiniMax M3",
reasoning: true,
input: ["text", "image"],
cost: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0 },
contextWindow: 262144,
maxTokens: 65536,
},
],
},
},
},
}
```
Base URL should omit `/v1` (Anthropic client appends it). Shortcut: `openclaw onboard --auth-choice synthetic-api-key`.
</Accordion>
<Accordion title="Z.AI (GLM-4.7)">
```json5
{
agents: {
defaults: {
model: { primary: "zai/glm-4.7" },
models: { "zai/glm-4.7": {} },
},
},
}
```
Set `ZAI_API_KEY`. Model refs use the canonical `zai/*` provider ID. Shortcut: `openclaw onboard --auth-choice zai-api-key`.
- General endpoint: `https://api.z.ai/api/paas/v4`
- Coding endpoint: `https://api.z.ai/api/coding/paas/v4`
- The default `zai-api-key` auth choice probes your key and auto-detects which endpoint it belongs to (falling back to a prompt, defaulting to Global, if detection is inconclusive). Dedicated CN and Coding-Plan auth choices are also available for explicit selection.
- For the general endpoint, define a custom provider with the base URL override.
</Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>
---
## Related
- [Configuration — agents](/gateway/config-agents)
- [Configuration — channels](/gateway/config-channels)
- [Configuration reference](/gateway/configuration-reference) — other top-level keys
- [Tools and plugins](/tools)