OpenClaw Model Switch

Switch or repair an OpenClaw instance's model configuration by safely editing openclaw.json.

Diagnose before you edit. Model failures on OpenClaw are usually NOT the model id — they are key routing (env hijack), provider-plugin restrictions, or endpoint/model mismatch. Changing the model id without checking these first is how a 5-minute fix becomes a 2-hour debugging session. The full trap catalog with discovery commands lives in references/troubleshooting-model-config.md — read it the moment anything errors.

Step 1 — Find the real config file(s)

Do NOT assume a hardcoded path. Candidate locations (check all, edit all that exist):

1. ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json — the gateway's live config on most installs
2. ~/.kimi/kimi-claw/openclaw.json — Kimi Claw mirror, kept in sync on some installs
3. ~/.kimi_openclaw/openclaw.json — legacy desktop path