How to Find All Added Models in OpenClaw: Primary, Default & Fallback

I am showing two methods to list all configured OpenClaw models. The first method uses simple commands, and the second method checks the configuration file. Both will help you see the primary model and the fallback models.

Commands in OpenClaw

List added models

Run this command.

openclaw models list

You will see the list of models configured. I have configured four models: OpenAI GPT-4.1 Nano, GPT-4.0 Mini, GPT-4.0 Nano, and Google Gemini Pro (preview). If you only need to check which fallbacks are currently enabled, see how to check enabled fallback models.

Status: primary and fallback tags

Run this to see status tags.

openclaw models status

The output shows the default primary model tagged as default, and all other models tagged as fallback. It also prints the location of the config file and lists all configured models. If you are looking for free providers to plug in here, check this list of free APIs and models for OpenClaw Tools.

Config file method

Open the file

Open the configuration file.

vim ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

You can also use nano if you prefer.

nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Identify primary and fallback

Search for model. You will see a models section that includes the primary model. You will also see three fallback models configured.

If the primary model is not reachable, it will try the fallback models in sequence. Scroll further to see all models configured in this OpenClaw setup. This view mirrors what you saw in the status output.

Edit and restart

You can edit this file to add or delete models. Save the file, then restart the OpenClaw gateway service to apply changes.

openclaw gateway restart

To add a new fallback cleanly, follow this guide on adding a fallback model in OpenClaw. To remove or reset fallbacks quickly, use this fallback clearing tool.

Final thoughts

These are the two ways to list all configured OpenClaw models. One is via commands, and the other is by opening the configuration file. For a zero cost setup to experiment with models, see this guide to setting up OpenClaw with free models and APIs.