openclaw-model-switch

1# OpenClaw Model Switch
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3Switch or repair the model used by the running OpenClaw instance. Prefer its validated native
4configuration commands; retain the bundled file tools for offline and older-version work.
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6**Diagnose before you edit.** Model failures on OpenClaw are usually NOT the model id —
7they are key routing (env hijack), provider-plugin restrictions, or endpoint/model mismatch.
8Changing the model id without checking these first is how a 5-minute fix becomes a 2-hour
9debugging session. The full trap catalog with discovery commands lives in
10[references/troubleshooting-model-config.md](references/troubleshooting-model-config.md) — read it
11the moment anything errors.
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13## Step 1 — Find the real config file(s)
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15Do NOT assume a hardcoded path. Candidate locations (check all, edit all that exist):
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171. `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` — the gateway's live config on most installs
182. `~/.kimi/kimi-claw/openclaw.json` — Kimi Claw mirror, kept in sync on some installs
193. `~/.kimi_openclaw/openclaw.json` — legacy desktop path
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21Confirm which one the gateway actually reads with `openclaw gateway status` (or its JSON
22config paths). Select that installation's profile/config context before issuing commands.
23If several files exist, verify which are maintained mirrors and keep those in sync;
24existence alone does not prove they belong to the same instance. Reconcile an Ansible or
25other deployment source too when it owns the default, so the next deployment preserves it.
26…