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Non-interactive helpers for openclaw.json: get/set/patch/unset a value by path, print the schema, validate, or print the active file path. Run openclaw config with no subcommand to open the same guided wizard as openclaw configure.
When OPENCLAW_NIX_MODE=1, OpenClaw treats openclaw.json as immutable. Read-only commands (config get, config file, config schema, config validate) still work; config writers refuse. Edit the Nix source for the install instead; for the first-party nix-openclaw distribution, use the nix-openclaw Quick Start and set values under programs.openclaw.config or instances.<name>.config.

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Root options

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--section <section>
string
Repeatable guided-setup section filter when you run openclaw config without a subcommand.
Guided sections: workspace, model, web, gateway, daemon, channels, plugins, skills, health.

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Examples

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Paths

Dot or bracket notation. Quote bracket paths in shell examples so zsh does not glob-expand [0]:

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config get

Reads a value from the redacted config snapshot (secrets never print). --json prints the raw value as JSON; otherwise strings/numbers/booleans print bare and objects/arrays print as formatted JSON.

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config file

Prints the active config file path, resolved from OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH or the default location. The path names a regular file, not a symlink; see Write safety.

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config schema

Prints the generated JSON schema for openclaw.json to stdout.
  • The current root config schema, plus a root $schema string field for editor tooling.
  • Field title / description docs metadata used by the Control UI.
  • Nested object, wildcard (*), and array-item ([]) nodes inherit the same title / description metadata when matching field docs exist.
  • anyOf / oneOf / allOf branches inherit the same docs metadata too.
  • Best-effort live plugin + channel schema metadata when runtime manifests can be loaded.
  • A clean fallback schema even when the current config is invalid.

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config validate

Validates the current config against the active schema without starting the gateway.
If validation is already failing, start with openclaw configure or openclaw doctor --fix. openclaw chat does not bypass the invalid-config guard.

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Values

Values parse as JSON5 when possible; otherwise they are treated as raw strings. Use --strict-json to require standard JSON with no string fallback (JSON5-only syntax such as comments, trailing commas, or unquoted keys is then rejected). --json is a legacy alias for --strict-json on config set.
config get <path> --json prints the raw value as JSON instead of terminal-formatted text.
Object assignment replaces the target path by default. Protected paths that commonly hold user-added entries refuse replacements that would remove existing entries unless you pass --replace: agents.defaults.models, agents.list, models.providers, models.providers.<id>, models.providers.<id>.models, plugins.entries, and auth.profiles.
Use --merge when adding entries to those maps:
Use --replace only when the provided value should intentionally become the complete target value.

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config set modes

SecretRef assignments are rejected on unsupported runtime-mutable surfaces (for example hooks.token, commands.ownerDisplaySecret, Discord thread-binding webhook tokens, and WhatsApp creds JSON). See SecretRef Credential Surface.
Batch parsing always uses the batch payload (--batch-json/--batch-file) as the source of truth; --strict-json / --json do not change batch parsing behavior. JSON path/value mode also works for SecretRefs and providers directly:

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Provider builder flags

Provider builder targets must use secrets.providers.<alias> as the path.
  • --provider-source <env|file|exec>
  • --provider-timeout-ms <ms> (file, exec)
  • --provider-allowlist <ENV_VAR> (repeatable)
  • --provider-path <path> (required)
  • --provider-mode <singleValue|json>
  • --provider-max-bytes <bytes>
  • --provider-allow-insecure-path
  • --provider-command <path> (required)
  • --provider-arg <arg> (repeatable)
  • --provider-no-output-timeout-ms <ms>
  • --provider-max-output-bytes <bytes>
  • --provider-json-only
  • --provider-env <KEY=VALUE> (repeatable)
  • --provider-pass-env <ENV_VAR> (repeatable)
  • --provider-trusted-dir <path> (repeatable)
  • --provider-allow-insecure-path
  • --provider-allow-symlink-command
Hardened exec provider example:

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config patch

Paste or pipe a config-shaped JSON5 patch instead of running many path-based config set commands. Objects merge recursively; arrays and scalar values replace the target; null deletes the target path.
Pipe a patch over stdin for remote setup scripts:
Example patch:
Use --replace-path <path> when one object or array must become exactly the provided value instead of being recursively patched:
--dry-run runs schema and SecretRef resolvability checks without writing. Exec-backed SecretRefs are skipped by default during dry-run; add --allow-exec when you intentionally want dry-run to execute provider commands.

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Dry run

--dry-run validates changes without writing openclaw.json. Available on config set, config patch, and config unset.
  • Builder mode: runs SecretRef resolvability checks for changed refs/providers.
  • JSON mode (--strict-json, --json, or batch mode): runs schema validation plus SecretRef resolvability checks.
  • Policy validation runs against the full post-change config, so parent-object writes (for example setting hooks as an object) cannot bypass unsupported-surface validation.
  • Exec SecretRef checks are skipped by default to avoid command side effects; pass --allow-exec to opt in (this may execute provider commands). --allow-exec is dry-run only and errors without --dry-run.
  • ok: whether dry-run passed
  • operations: number of assignments evaluated
  • checks: whether schema/resolvability checks ran
  • checks.resolvabilityComplete: whether resolvability checks ran to completion (false when exec refs are skipped)
  • refsChecked: number of refs actually resolved during dry-run
  • skippedExecRefs: number of exec refs skipped because --allow-exec was not set
  • errors: structured missing-path, schema, or resolvability failures when ok=false

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JSON output shape

  • config schema validation failed: your post-change config shape is invalid; fix the path/value or provider/ref object shape.
  • Config policy validation failed: unsupported SecretRef usage: move that credential back to plaintext/string input; keep SecretRefs on supported surfaces only.
  • SecretRef assignment(s) could not be resolved: the referenced provider/ref cannot currently resolve (missing env var, invalid file pointer, exec provider failure, or provider/source mismatch).
  • Dry run note: skipped <n> exec SecretRef resolvability check(s): rerun with --allow-exec if you need exec resolvability validation.
  • For batch mode, fix failing entries and rerun --dry-run before writing.

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Applying changes

After every successful config set / config patch / config unset, the CLI prints one of three hints so you know whether the gateway needs a restart: Writes to plugins.entries (or any subpath) always require a restart, since the CLI cannot prove every plugin’s reload metadata is loaded.

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Write safety

openclaw config set and other OpenClaw-owned config writers validate the full post-change config before committing it to disk. If the new payload fails schema validation or looks like a destructive clobber, the active config is left alone and the rejected payload is saved beside it as openclaw.json.rejected.*. OpenClaw-owned writes reserialize JSON5 as standard JSON. When the source contains comments, the writer warns immediately before removing them; use a direct editor when preserving comments matters.
The active config path must be a regular file. Symlinked openclaw.json layouts are unsupported for writes; use OPENCLAW_CONFIG_PATH to point directly at the real file instead.
Prefer CLI writes for small edits:
If a write is rejected, inspect the saved payload and fix the full config shape:
Direct editor writes are still allowed, but the running Gateway treats them as untrusted until they validate. Invalid direct edits fail startup or are skipped by hot reload; Gateway does not rewrite openclaw.json. Run openclaw doctor --fix to repair prefixed/clobbered config or restore the last-known-good copy. See Gateway troubleshooting. Whole-file recovery is reserved for doctor repair. Plugin schema changes or minHostVersion skew stay loud instead of rolling back unrelated user settings such as models, providers, auth profiles, channels, gateway exposure, tools, memory, browser, or cron config.

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Repair loop

After openclaw config validate passes, use the local TUI to have an embedded agent compare the active config against the docs while you validate each change from the same terminal:
Inside the TUI, a leading ! runs a literal local shell command (after a one-time per-session confirmation prompt):
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Compare with docs

Ask the agent to compare your current config with the relevant docs page and suggest the smallest fix.
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Apply targeted edits

Apply targeted edits with openclaw config set or openclaw configure.
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Re-validate

Rerun openclaw config validate after each change.
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Doctor for runtime issues

If validation passes but the runtime is still unhealthy, run openclaw doctor or openclaw doctor --fix for migration and repair help.