OpenClaw Model Management Guide

This guide explains how to manage the AI models assigned to your OpenClaw agent; specifically, how to change your primary model or delete models you no longer need.

Why Setting a Primary Model Matters

Your primary model is the default AI engine your agent uses to respond to conversations and handle tasks. Choosing the right primary model affects:

• Response Quality: Different models excel at different tasks, some are better for reasoning, others for speed or creativity.
• Fallback Chain: If the primary model is unavailable, your agent automatically uses the next available model in your list.
• Testing & Optimization: Switching primary models lets you experiment to find which works best for your specific needs.

How to Change Your Primary Model

Follow these steps to select a new primary model from your existing list.

1. Run setup command: setup-ai.

2. When prompted, you will see several options. Enter the letter p to proceed with changing the primary model.

3. The system will display a numbered list of all models you have currently assigned. Enter the number corresponding to the model you want as your new primary.

4. The OpenClaw service will automatically restart to apply the change.

5. After the restart, the setup tool will prompt you again. You may type q to quit.

How to Delete a Model

1. Run setup command: setup-ai.

2. When prompted, enter the letter r to proceed with removing a model.

3. The system will display a numbered list of all your assigned models. Enter the number of the model you wish to delete.

Special Case: Deleting the Primary Model

4. If you select the current primary model for deletion, the system will warn you and prompt you to choose a new primary model immediately.

5. The OpenClaw service will automatically restart to apply the change.

6. After the restart, the setup tool will prompt you again. You may type q to quit.

Important: Start a New Session to Apply Changes

After any change to your models (whether changing the primary or deleting a model), you must start a new session in your chat interfaces for the agent to recognize the updated configuration.

• Web Chat - Click the 'New Session' button in the chat window.

• Telegram - Type /new in the bot chat.

• WhatsApp - Type /new in the conversation.

Need Further Assistance?

If you face any issues or need assistance, don’t hesitate to reach out — our support team is always ready to help!

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Updated on: 03/03/2026