OpenClaw Manual OpenClaw
Configuration 6 min read

OpenClaw Config Baseline: A 'Secure and Usable' Template

Minimal configuration examples for Model/Gateway/Channel/Skills with secure defaults and copy-paste ready snippets.

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Minimal Configuration

Here's a verified minimal configuration template with secure defaults:

json 
// ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
{
  "model": {
    "provider": "anthropic",
    "default": "claude-3-5-sonnet",
    "apiKey": "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
  },
  "gateway": {
    "port": 18789,
    "host": "127.0.0.1"
  },
  "channels": [
    { "type": "whatsapp", "enabled": false },
    { "type": "telegram", "enabled": false },
    { "type": "discord", "enabled": false }
  ],
  "security": {
    "rateLimiting": {
      "enabled": true,
      "maxRequests": 100,
      "windowMs": 60000
    }
  }
}

Configuration Sections Explained

Model Configuration

json 
{
  "model": {
    "provider": "anthropic",
    "default": "claude-3-5-sonnet",
    "apiKey": "${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}"
  }
}

Available models:

  • claude-3-5-haiku - Fast, cost-effective ($0.25/1M input, $1.25/1M output)
  • claude-3-5-sonnet - Balanced performance ($3/1M input, $15/1M output)
  • claude-sonnet-4 - Latest generation, best quality ($3/1M input, $15/1M output)

Gateway Configuration

json 
{
  "gateway": {
    "port": 18789,
    "host": "127.0.0.1",
    "timeout": 30000
  }
}

Security Note: Never set host to 0.0.0.0 unless you have proper firewall rules in place.

Channel Configuration

Each channel can be configured independently:

json 
{
  "channels": [
    {
      "type": "whatsapp",
      "enabled": true,
      "sessionPath": "~/.openclaw/whatsapp-session"
    },
    {
      "type": "telegram",
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}"
    },
    {
      "type": "discord",
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "${DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN}",
      "intents": ["GUILDS", "GUILD_MESSAGES", "MESSAGE_CONTENT"]
    }
  ]
}

Security Configuration

json 
{
  "security": {
    "rateLimiting": {
      "enabled": true,
      "maxRequests": 100,
      "windowMs": 60000
    },
    "quotas": {
      "daily": {
        "enabled": true,
        "maxTokens": 100000
      }
    }
  }
}

Environment Variables

Create a .env file in your OpenClaw directory:

bash 
# ~/.openclaw/.env
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxx
TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN=123456:ABC-xxxxx
DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=xxxxx.xxxxx.xxxxx

Validation

Validate your configuration:

bash 
openclaw config validate

This will check for:

  • Required fields
  • Valid API keys
  • Proper formatting

Next Steps