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Agents are defined in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json under agents.agents[]. Most settings are also configurable from Team → [Agent] → Settings in the dashboard.

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Core fields

{
  "id": "felix",
  "name": "Mike",
  "default": true,
  "model": {
    "primary": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "fallbacks": ["deepseek/deepseek-chat"]
  },
  "thinkingDefault": "medium",
  "skills": [],
  "workspace": "~/.openclaw/workspace"
}
FieldTypeDescription
idstringUnique agent identifier. Used in bindings and API calls.
namestringDisplay name shown in the dashboard and channel responses.
defaultbooleanIf true, this agent handles messages not routed to a specific agent.
model.primarystringModel in provider/model format. Overrides the model router for this agent.
model.fallbacksstring[]Fallback models if the primary is rate-limited or unavailable.
thinkingDefaultstringDefault thinking level: off, minimal, low, medium, high, xhigh, adaptive.
skillsstring[]Allowed skill IDs. Omit for all skills; empty array for none.
workspacestringWorking directory for file operations.

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Thinking levels

LevelWhen to use
offSimple tasks, fast responses, low cost
lowMost tasks — good balance
mediumResearch, analysis, multi-step reasoning
highComplex code, long-form writing
adaptiveModel decides based on task complexity

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Channel bindings

Bindings control which agent handles messages from which channel or user. 
{
  "bindings": [
    {
      "agentId": "felix",
      "match": {
        "channel": "discord",
        "guildId": "123456789"
      }
    },
    {
      "agentId": "scout",
      "match": {
        "channel": "discord",
        "peer": { "kind": "dm", "id": "user-id" }
      }
    }
  ]
}

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Memory

{
  "memorySearch": {
    "enabled": true,
    "topK": 5,
    "minScore": 0.7
  }
}
When enabled, the agent automatically searches its memory for relevant context before each response.

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Human delay

{
  "humanDelay": {
    "enabled": true,
    "minMs": 500,
    "maxMs": 2000
  }
}
Adds a realistic typing delay before responses — useful for agents that interact directly with customers.