Model Switchboard v3.0 — Safe AI Model Configuration for OpenClaw

⛔ HARD RULE: NEVER edit openclaw.json model fields directly. Always use this skill's commands. No exceptions. Ever.

Why This Exists

Editing openclaw.json directly for model changes is the #1 cause of OpenClaw gateway crashes. Wrong model type in wrong slot = instant death. No backup = hours rebuilding. This skill eliminates that entirely.

How It Works

1. Validates model format and role compatibility before any change
2. Auto-backs up config before every modification (30 rolling backups)
3. Uses OpenClaw CLI (openclaw models set) — never raw JSON
4. Blocks unsafe assignments (image-gen model as primary LLM = blocked)
5. Instant rollback if anything goes wrong
6. Canvas UI for visual model management

Quick Reference

SWITCHBOARD="$SKILL_DIR/scripts/switchboard.sh"

# View current setup
$SWITCHBOARD status

# Change models
$SWITCHBOARD set-primary "anthropic/claude-opus-4-6"
$SWITCHBOARD set-image "google/gemini-3-pro-preview"
$SWITCHBOARD add-fallback "openai/gpt-5.2"
$SWITCHBOARD remove-fallback "openai/gpt-5.2"
$SWITCHBOARD add-image-fallback "openai/gpt-5.1"

# Preview before applying
$SWITCHBOARD dry-run set-primary "openai/gpt-5.2"

# Discovery & recommendations
$SWITCHBOARD discover          # List all available models
$SWITCHBOARD recommend         # Get optimal suggestions

# Redundancy (3-deep failover)
$SWITCHBOARD redundancy        # Assess current redundancy
$SWITCHBOARD redundancy-deploy # Preview optimal config
$SWITCHBOARD redundancy-apply  # Apply optimal config
$SWITCHBOARD redundancy-apply 4  # Custom depth

# Backup & restore
$SWITCHBOARD backup            # Manual backup
$SWITCHBOARD list-backups      # Show all backups
$SWITCHBOARD restore latest    # Undo last change

# Import/Export (portable model configs)
$SWITCHBOARD export config.json
$SWITCHBOARD import config.json

# Cron model validation
$SWITCHBOARD validate-cron-models  # Check cron jobs use valid models

# Diagnostics
$SWITCHBOARD health            # Gateway + provider status
$SWITCHBOARD validate <model> <role>  # Test compatibility

Model Roles

Validation Rules

The validation engine (scripts/validate.py) enforces: