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openclaw.json is not valid JSON - OpenClaw

Quick fix

Add double quotes around the models key in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json by hand to fix the strict JSON parse failure.

Symptom

Section titled “Symptom”
Error output
OpenClaw config at ...\.openclaw\openclaw.json is not valid JSON

Cause

Section titled “Cause”

When saving OpenClaw provider config, cc-switch appears to assemble a template string rather than serialising properly, so the top-level `models` key written into `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` is unquoted (JSON5 style). OpenClaw itself tolerates that format, but third-party tools relying on strict JSON parsing, such as aily-cli, error outright. Related versions also have UI defects: the "set as default" button staying disabled after changing the default model (#5366), and being unable to add a config by copying (#1713).

Fix

Section titled “Fix”

  1. Open `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` and find the unquoted `models` key, usually around line 89.

    // ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
     models: {
     "models": {

  2. Save the file and strict JSON parsers work again. You can also do it in bulk from a terminal: `sed -i 's/^\( \)models: {/\1"models": {/' ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`

Affected Versions

Section titled “Affected Versions”
ToolOpenClaw
Versioncc-switch 3.17.0 - 3.19.2 (affected)
PlatformsWindows

Source Issues

Section titled “Source Issues”

This page is distilled from 3 real issues

FAQ

Section titled “FAQ”
Why does the OpenClaw gateway run fine while the Feishu agent cannot call it locally?
OpenClaw tolerates JSON5 format, so the gateway runs fine. But the openclaw adapter in Feishu aily-cli reads the file with strict JSON, fails to parse the unquoted `models` key, and decides the adapter is unavailable.
The "set as default" button stays disabled after I change the current provider model ID. What now?
A known defect in cc-switch 3.17.0: saving the config does not update the OpenClaw default model field automatically. As a stopgap, set another provider as default first, then return to the target provider and the "set as default" button becomes clickable again.
Why can I not add a config by copying on the OpenClaw page?
A UI defect in early versions that prevented copy-and-modify as in Claude Code. Fixed in a later version (#1724).
Section titled “Related problems”
The Skill source directory has no SKILL.md; refusing to sync to avoid overwriting the target directoryCC Switch fails to install when the skill repository layout does not match the skillId or is nested — install by hand with `npx skills add`.3 issues mergedskills installed to the wrong path - cc-switchOlder cc-switch installs skills into ~/.claude/skills/skills, which Claude Code ignores. Upgrade, or move the contents up to ~/.claude/skills/.4 issues mergedCC Switch config import / sync not taking effectUpgrade CC Switch to v3.16.1+, and check that WebDAV / cloud sync and the config write path are syncing correctly.23 issues merged

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