Changing the default model should be a small, explicit config change. OpenClaw exposes that directly through the models CLI, so you can switch the primary and validate it immediately.
Quick answer
Run openclaw models set <provider/model>, then confirm the resolved state with openclaw models status or reopen the interactive model section with openclaw configure --section model.
Command line steps
1. Inspect the current state first
This makes it obvious whether you are changing the primary, the allowlist, or both.
BASH
$openclaw models status
openclaw models list
2. Set the new primary model
Use the fully-qualified provider/model ref so there is no ambiguity.
BASH
$openclaw models set <provider/model>
3. Verify what the resolver now sees
The status output is the source of truth after a change like this.
BASH
$openclaw models status
openclaw models status --probe
What to check if it still fails
- If the new primary is not allowed, reopen
openclaw configure --section modeland add it to the allowlist. - If the old model keeps showing in chat, you may be looking at a session override instead of the gateway default.
- If auth is missing, switching models will not help until the provider credentials are fixed.