Fix OpenClaw "Config Validation Failed" and Unknown Keys Error [2026]

Getting "config validation failed" or "unknown config key" warnings? These mean your openclaw.json has entries that OpenClaw doesn't recognize — usually from outdated guides, typos, or version upgrades that renamed settings.

Common Error Messages

WARN  unknown config key: "model"

config validation failed: unrecognized key "telegramToken"

openclaw doctor: WARN unknown config keys detected

Quick Fix

openclaw doctor --fix

This automatically detects and migrates known deprecated keys, and removes truly unrecognized ones.

Common Key Migrations

Many errors come from using old config key names. Here's the mapping:

Manual Fix: Edit openclaw.json

If you prefer to fix the config file directly:

Step 1: Find your config file

openclaw config path

This prints the path to your openclaw.json (usually ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json).

Step 2: Validate the current config

openclaw config validate

This lists all invalid keys with suggestions.

Step 3: Fix the keys

# Remove an invalid key
openclaw config unset model

# Set the correct key
openclaw config set ai.model "claude-sonnet-4-6"

Step 4: Verify

openclaw config validate
# Should show: "Configuration is valid"

Config Structure Reference

A valid openclaw.json uses nested dot-notation groups:

{
  "ai": {
    "model": "claude-sonnet-4-6",
    "apiKey": "sk-ant-..."
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "port": 3001,
    "host": "localhost",
    "token": "your-gateway-token",
    "trustedProxies": ["127.0.0.1"]
  },
  "telegram": {
    "token": "123456:ABC-DEF..."
  }
}

Top-level keys like model, port, or telegramToken are not valid — they must be nested under their group.

After Upgrading OpenClaw

Major version upgrades sometimes rename or restructure config keys. After any upgrade:

# Step 1: Check for issues
openclaw doctor

# Step 2: Auto-migrate config
openclaw doctor --fix

# Step 3: Restart
openclaw restart

Config Reset (Last Resort)

If your config is heavily corrupted:

# Back up current config
cp $(openclaw config path) ~/openclaw-backup.json

# Reset to defaults
openclaw config reset

# Re-apply your essential settings
openclaw config set gateway.mode local
openclaw config set ai.apiKey "your-key"
openclaw config set telegram.token "your-bot-token"

Avoid Config Headaches

ClawTank manages your OpenClaw configuration automatically. No JSON editing, no key migrations, no validation errors — just a working instance with the right settings from day one.