zeroclaw config - ZeroClaw

Overview

The zeroclaw config command provides a complete interface for managing your ZeroClaw configuration. It supports:

Viewing the full effective configuration
Querying specific values by dot-path notation
Setting values and persisting to config file
Exporting the configuration JSON Schema

All configuration is stored in config.toml (or ZEROCLAW_CONFIG_DIR if set).

Subcommands

zeroclaw config show           # Show full effective config
zeroclaw config get <key>      # Get specific value
zeroclaw config set <key> <value>  # Set and save value
zeroclaw config schema         # Print JSON Schema

zeroclaw config show

Display the full effective configuration with secrets masked.

Usage

zeroclaw config show

Example Output

{
  "default_provider": "anthropic",
  "default_model": "claude-sonnet-4-20250514",
  "default_temperature": 0.7,
  "workspace_dir": "/home/user/.zeroclaw/workspace",
  "config_path": "/home/user/.zeroclaw/config.toml",
  
  "gateway": {
    "host": "127.0.0.1",
    "port": 8585,
    "paired_tokens": ["***REDACTED***"]
  },
  
  "agent": {
    "max_tool_iterations": 10,
    "max_history_messages": 50,
    "compact_context": false
  },
  
  "autonomy": {
    "level": "supervised",
    "workspace_only": true,
    "max_actions_per_hour": 100,
    "max_cost_per_day_cents": 1000
  },
  
  "memory": {
    "backend": "sqlite",
    "auto_save": true
  },
  
  "security": {
    "otp": {
      "enabled": false
    },
    "estop": {
      "enabled": true,
      "require_otp_to_resume": false
    }
  }
}

Secrets Masking

Sensitive fields are automatically masked:

api_key, api_keys
bot_token
paired_tokens
db_url
secret_key
webhook_secret
http_proxy, https_proxy, all_proxy

zeroclaw config get

Query a specific configuration value using dot-path notation.

Usage

zeroclaw config get <key>

Examples

# Get scalar values
zeroclaw config get gateway.port
# Output: 8585

zeroclaw config get default_provider
# Output: anthropic

zeroclaw config get security.estop.enabled
# Output: true

# Get nested objects (returns JSON)
zeroclaw config get autonomy
# Output: {"level":"supervised","workspace_only":true,...}

# Get arrays
zeroclaw config get autonomy.allowed_commands
# Output: ["ls","cat","grep","git"]

Dot-Path Syntax

Use dots to traverse nested objects:

gateway.port                    # Simple nested key
security.estop.enabled          # Multiple levels
autonomy.allowed_commands       # Arrays
channels.telegram.bot_token     # Sensitive values (masked)

Error Handling

$ zeroclaw config get nonexistent.key
Error: Config path not found: nonexistent.key

zeroclaw config set

Update a configuration value and persist it to config.toml.

Usage

zeroclaw config set <key> <value>

Type Inference

Values are automatically parsed:

true / false → Boolean
null → Null
123 → Integer
3.14 → Float
{...} or [...] → JSON object/array
Everything else → String

Examples

Set Simple Values

# Integer
zeroclaw config set gateway.port 9090
# Output: Set gateway.port = 9090

# Boolean
zeroclaw config set security.estop.enabled true
# Output: Set security.estop.enabled = true

# String
zeroclaw config set default_provider anthropic
# Output: Set default_provider = anthropic

# Float
zeroclaw config set default_temperature 0.8
# Output: Set default_temperature = 0.8

Set Arrays

# JSON array syntax
zeroclaw config set autonomy.allowed_commands '["ls","cat","grep"]'
# Output: Set autonomy.allowed_commands = ["ls","cat","grep"]

Set Objects

# JSON object syntax
zeroclaw config set gateway.rate_limit '{"enabled":true,"max_requests":60}'
# Output: Set gateway.rate_limit = {"enabled":true,"max_requests":60}

Set Enum Values

# Autonomy level (validated by schema)
zeroclaw config set autonomy.level full
# Output: Set autonomy.level = full

# Memory backend
zeroclaw config set memory.backend sqlite
# Output: Set memory.backend = sqlite

Validation

Type mismatches are rejected:

$ zeroclaw config set gateway.port "not-a-number"
Error: Invalid value for this config key — type mismatch

Persistence

Changes are immediately saved to config.toml:

zeroclaw config set gateway.port 9090
# File ~/.zeroclaw/config.toml is updated atomically

zeroclaw config schema

Export the full configuration JSON Schema (draft 2020-12) to stdout.

Usage

zeroclaw config schema

Example Output

{
  "$schema": "https://json-schema.org/draft/2020-12/schema",
  "title": "Config",
  "type": "object",
  "properties": {
    "default_provider": {
      "type": ["string", "null"],
      "description": "Default AI provider"
    },
    "gateway": {
      "type": "object",
      "properties": {
        "host": {
          "type": "string",
          "default": "127.0.0.1"
        },
        "port": {
          "type": "integer",
          "default": 8585,
          "minimum": 0,
          "maximum": 65535
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Use Cases

Validation: Use schema to validate config files
Documentation: Generate config reference docs
IDE support: JSON Schema for autocomplete in editors
Type generation: Generate types for other languages

Configuration File Location

Default Location

~/.zeroclaw/config.toml

Custom Location

# Via environment variable
export ZEROCLAW_CONFIG_DIR=/custom/path
zeroclaw config show

# Via command flag
zeroclaw --config-dir /custom/path config show

Environment Variable Overrides

Some settings can be overridden via environment variables:

# Provider API keys
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
export OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...

# Logging
export RUST_LOG=debug

# Config directory
export ZEROCLAW_CONFIG_DIR=/custom/path

Environment overrides are not persisted when using config set.

Common Configuration Tasks

Change Default Provider

zeroclaw config set default_provider openai
zeroclaw config set default_model gpt-4

Adjust Security Settings

# Enable emergency stop
zeroclaw config set security.estop.enabled true

# Require OTP for critical operations
zeroclaw config set security.otp.enabled true

# Restrict to workspace
zeroclaw config set autonomy.workspace_only true

Configure Gateway

# Change port
zeroclaw config set gateway.port 9090

# Bind to all interfaces
zeroclaw config set gateway.host 0.0.0.0

# Enable rate limiting
zeroclaw config set gateway.rate_limit.enabled true
zeroclaw config set gateway.rate_limit.max_requests_per_window 60

Tune Agent Performance

# Reduce context size
zeroclaw config set agent.max_history_messages 20
zeroclaw config set agent.max_tool_iterations 5

# Enable compact mode
zeroclaw config set agent.compact_context true

Memory Backend

# Switch to SQLite
zeroclaw config set memory.backend sqlite

# Switch to Markdown
zeroclaw config set memory.backend markdown

# Disable memory
zeroclaw config set memory.backend none

Configuration Sections

Major configuration sections:

gateway - Gateway server settings
agent - Agent behavior and limits
autonomy - Autonomy level and restrictions
memory - Memory backend configuration
security - Security features (OTP, e-stop)
channels - Channel integrations (Telegram, Discord, etc.)
peripherals - Hardware peripheral settings
cron - Scheduled task settings
heartbeat - Health monitoring
observability - Logging and tracing

Backup and Restore

Backup Configuration

# Save to file
zeroclaw config show > backup.json

# Or copy TOML directly
cp ~/.zeroclaw/config.toml config.backup.toml

Restore Configuration

# Restore from backup
cp config.backup.toml ~/.zeroclaw/config.toml

# Verify
zeroclaw config show

Validation and Testing

# Check current config is valid
zeroclaw config show > /dev/null
echo $?
# Output: 0 (valid)

# Test specific setting
zeroclaw config get gateway.port

# Validate schema
zeroclaw config schema | jq . > /dev/null

Exit Codes

0 - Success
1 - Error (key not found, invalid value, write failure)
2 - Configuration file error

zeroclaw status - View effective configuration in context
zeroclaw onboard - Initial configuration wizard

Core Traits

Built-in Providers

Built-in Channels

Built-in Tools

CLI Commands

Documentation Index

​Overview

​Subcommands

​zeroclaw config show

​Usage

​Example Output

​Secrets Masking

​zeroclaw config get

​Usage

​Examples

​Dot-Path Syntax

​Error Handling

​zeroclaw config set

​Usage

​Type Inference

​Examples

​Set Simple Values

​Set Arrays

​Set Objects

​Set Enum Values

​Validation

​Persistence

​zeroclaw config schema

​Usage

​Example Output

​Use Cases

​Configuration File Location

​Default Location

​Custom Location

​Environment Variable Overrides

​Common Configuration Tasks

​Change Default Provider

​Adjust Security Settings

​Configure Gateway

​Tune Agent Performance

​Memory Backend

​Configuration Sections

​Backup and Restore

​Backup Configuration

​Restore Configuration

​Validation and Testing

​Exit Codes

​Related Commands

​See Also

Build docs developers (and LLMs) love

Overview

Subcommands

zeroclaw config show

Usage

Example Output

Secrets Masking

zeroclaw config get

Usage

Examples

Dot-Path Syntax

Error Handling

zeroclaw config set

Usage

Type Inference

Examples

Set Simple Values

Set Arrays

Set Objects

Set Enum Values

Validation

Persistence

zeroclaw config schema

Usage

Example Output

Use Cases

Configuration File Location

Default Location

Custom Location

Environment Variable Overrides

Common Configuration Tasks

Change Default Provider

Adjust Security Settings

Configure Gateway

Tune Agent Performance

Memory Backend

Configuration Sections

Backup and Restore

Backup Configuration

Restore Configuration

Validation and Testing

Exit Codes

Related Commands

See Also