Basic Config

OpenClaw uses ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (JSON5 format) as its main configuration file.

Setup Wizard

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

The wizard automatically configures: auth token, default model, message channels, and the daemon process.

Minimal Configuration

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      model: {
        primary: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
      },
      workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace",
    },
  },
}

Set your API Key in ~/.openclaw/.env:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-api03-xxxxx

Common Commands

# View configuration
cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

# Set a config value
openclaw config set agents.defaults.model.primary "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"

# Read current config
openclaw config get

# Restart after changes
openclaw gateway restart

Recommended Configuration Template

{
  gateway: {
    mode: "local",
    port: 18789,
    bind: "loopback",
    auth: {
      token: "${OPENCLAW_GATEWAY_TOKEN}",
    },
  },
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace",
      model: {
        primary: "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5",
        fallbacks: ["deepseek/deepseek-chat"],
      },
      thinkingDefault: "low",
      timeoutSeconds: 600,
    },
  },
}

Verify Configuration

openclaw doctor
openclaw status
openclaw dashboard