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7dfc499299
* fix(agents): trim media tools in lean mode * fix(agents): preserve lean tool allowlists * fix(agents): preserve lean tool overrides * fix(agents): enforce lean policy at harness boundary * fix(agents): preserve lean override provenance * test(agents): satisfy lean harness contracts * docs(changelog): record lean local-model tool trimming --------- Co-authored-by: Peter Steinberger <steipete@gmail.com>
1351 lines
45 KiB
Markdown
1351 lines
45 KiB
Markdown
---
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summary: "Run OpenClaw with Ollama (cloud and local models)"
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read_when:
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- You want to run OpenClaw with cloud or local models via Ollama
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- You need Ollama setup and configuration guidance
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- You want Ollama vision models for image understanding
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title: "Ollama"
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---
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OpenClaw talks to Ollama's native API (`/api/chat`), not the OpenAI-compatible
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`/v1` endpoint. Three modes are supported:
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| Mode | What it uses |
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| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Cloud + Local | A reachable Ollama host, serving local models and (if signed in) `:cloud` models |
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| Cloud only | `https://ollama.com` directly, no local daemon |
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| Local only | A reachable Ollama host, local models only |
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For cloud-only setup with the dedicated `ollama-cloud` provider id, see
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[Ollama Cloud](/providers/ollama-cloud). Use `ollama-cloud/<model>` refs when
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you want cloud routing kept separate from a local `ollama` provider.
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<Warning>
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Do not use the `/v1` OpenAI-compatible URL (`http://host:11434/v1`). It breaks tool calling and models can emit raw tool-call JSON as plain text. Use the native URL: `baseUrl: "http://host:11434"` (no `/v1`).
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</Warning>
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The canonical config key is `baseUrl`. `baseURL` is also accepted for
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OpenAI-SDK-style examples, but new config should use `baseUrl`.
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## Auth rules
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<AccordionGroup>
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<Accordion title="Local and LAN hosts">
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Loopback, private-network, `.local`, and bare-hostname Ollama URLs do not need a real bearer token. OpenClaw uses the `ollama-local` marker for these.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Remote and Ollama Cloud hosts">
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Public remote hosts and `https://ollama.com` require a real credential: `OLLAMA_API_KEY`, an auth profile, or the provider's `apiKey`. For direct hosted use, prefer the `ollama-cloud` provider.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Custom provider ids">
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A custom provider with `api: "ollama"` follows the same rules. For example, an `ollama-remote` provider pointed at a private LAN host can use `apiKey: "ollama-local"`; sub-agents resolve that marker through the Ollama provider hook instead of treating it as a missing credential. `agents.defaults.memorySearch.provider` can also point at a custom provider id so embeddings use that Ollama endpoint.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Auth profiles">
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`auth-profiles.json` stores the credential for a provider id; put endpoint settings (`baseUrl`, `api`, models, headers, timeouts) in `models.providers.<id>`. Older flat files such as `{ "ollama-windows": { "apiKey": "ollama-local" } }` are not a runtime format; `openclaw doctor --fix` rewrites them into a canonical `ollama-windows:default` API-key profile with a backup. A `baseUrl` value in that legacy file is noise and should move to provider config.
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</Accordion>
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<Accordion title="Memory embedding scope">
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Bearer auth for Ollama memory embeddings is scoped to the host it was declared for:
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- A provider-level key is sent only to that provider's host.
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- `agents.*.memorySearch.remote.apiKey` is sent only to its remote embedding host.
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- A pure `OLLAMA_API_KEY` env value is treated as the Ollama Cloud convention and is not sent to local/self-hosted hosts by default.
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</Accordion>
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</AccordionGroup>
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## Getting started
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<Tabs>
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<Tab title="Onboarding (recommended)">
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Run onboarding">
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```bash
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openclaw onboard
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```
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Select **Ollama**, then pick a mode: **Cloud + Local**, **Cloud only**, or **Local only**.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Select a model">
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`Cloud only` prompts for `OLLAMA_API_KEY` and suggests hosted cloud defaults. `Cloud + Local` and `Local only` prompt for an Ollama base URL, discover available models, and auto-pull the selected local model if missing. An installed `:latest` tag such as `gemma4:latest` is shown once instead of duplicating `gemma4`. `Cloud + Local` also checks whether the host is signed in for cloud access.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Verify">
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```bash
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openclaw models list --provider ollama
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```
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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Non-interactive:
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```bash
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openclaw onboard --non-interactive \
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--auth-choice ollama \
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--custom-base-url "http://ollama-host:11434" \
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--custom-model-id "qwen3.5:27b" \
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--accept-risk
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```
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`--custom-base-url` and `--custom-model-id` are optional; omitting them uses the local default host and the `gemma4` suggested model.
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</Tab>
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<Tab title="Manual setup">
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Install and start Ollama">
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Get it from [ollama.com/download](https://ollama.com/download), then pull a model:
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```bash
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ollama pull gemma4
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```
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For hybrid cloud access, run `ollama signin` on the same host.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Set a credential">
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```bash
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export OLLAMA_API_KEY="ollama-local" # local/LAN host, any value works
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export OLLAMA_API_KEY="your-real-key" # https://ollama.com only
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```
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Or in config: `openclaw config set models.providers.ollama.apiKey "OLLAMA_API_KEY"`.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Select the model">
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```bash
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openclaw models list
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openclaw models set ollama/gemma4
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```
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Or in config:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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model: { primary: "ollama/gemma4" },
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},
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},
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}
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```
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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</Tab>
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</Tabs>
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## Cloud models through a local host
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`Cloud + Local` routes both local and `:cloud` models through one reachable
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Ollama host — this is Ollama's hybrid flow and the mode to pick during setup
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when you want both.
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OpenClaw prompts for the base URL, discovers local models, and checks
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`ollama signin` status. When signed in, it suggests hosted defaults
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(`kimi-k2.5:cloud`, `minimax-m2.7:cloud`, `glm-5.1:cloud`, `glm-5.2:cloud`). If
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not signed in, setup stays local-only until you run `ollama signin`.
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For cloud-only access without a local daemon, use `openclaw onboard --auth-choice ollama-cloud` and see [Ollama Cloud](/providers/ollama-cloud) — that path does not need `ollama signin` or a running server:
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```bash
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openclaw onboard --auth-choice ollama-cloud
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openclaw models set ollama-cloud/kimi-k2.5:cloud
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```
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The cloud model list shown during `openclaw onboard` is populated live from
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`https://ollama.com/api/tags`, capped at 500 entries, so the picker reflects
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the current hosted catalog. If `ollama.com` is unreachable or returns no
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models at setup time, OpenClaw falls back to its hardcoded suggested list so
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onboarding still completes.
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## Model discovery (implicit provider)
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When `OLLAMA_API_KEY` (or an auth profile) is set and neither
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`models.providers.ollama` nor another custom provider with `api: "ollama"` is
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defined, OpenClaw discovers models from `http://127.0.0.1:11434`:
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| Behavior | Detail |
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| -------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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| Catalog query | `/api/tags` |
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| Capability detection | Best-effort `/api/show` reads `contextWindow`, `num_ctx` Modelfile parameters, and capabilities (vision/tools/thinking) |
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| Vision models | A `vision` capability from `/api/show` marks the model image-capable (`input: ["text", "image"]`) |
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| Reasoning detection | Uses the `thinking` capability from `/api/show` when available; falls back to a name heuristic (`r1`, `reason`, `reasoning`, `think`) when Ollama omits capabilities. `glm-5.2:cloud` and `deepseek-v4-flash\|pro:cloud` are always treated as reasoning regardless of reported capabilities. |
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| Token limits | `maxTokens` defaults to OpenClaw's Ollama max-token cap |
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| Costs | All costs are `0` |
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```bash
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ollama list
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openclaw models list
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```
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Setting `models.providers.ollama` with an explicit `models` array, or a
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custom provider with `api: "ollama"` and a non-loopback `baseUrl`, disables
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auto-discovery; models must then be defined manually (see
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[Configuration](#configuration)). A `models.providers.ollama` entry pointed at
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hosted `https://ollama.com` also skips discovery, since Ollama Cloud models
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are provider-managed. Loopback custom providers such as
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`http://127.0.0.2:11434` still count as local and keep auto-discovery.
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You can use a full ref such as `ollama/<pulled-model>:latest` without a
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hand-written `models.json` entry; OpenClaw resolves it live. For signed-in
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hosts, selecting an unlisted `ollama/<model>:cloud` ref validates that exact
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model with `/api/show` and adds it to the runtime catalog only if Ollama
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confirms metadata — typos still fail as unknown models.
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### Smoke tests
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For a narrow text probe that skips the full agent tool surface:
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```bash
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OLLAMA_API_KEY=ollama-local \
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openclaw infer model run \
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--local \
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--model ollama/llama3.2:latest \
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--prompt "Reply with exactly: pong" \
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--json
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```
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Add `--file` with an image for a lean vision-model probe (accepts PNG/JPEG/WebP;
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non-image files are rejected before Ollama is called — use
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`openclaw infer audio transcribe` for audio):
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```bash
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OLLAMA_API_KEY=ollama-local \
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openclaw infer model run \
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--local \
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--model ollama/qwen2.5vl:7b \
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--prompt "Describe this image in one sentence." \
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--file ./photo.jpg \
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--json
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```
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Neither path loads chat tools, memory, or session context. If it succeeds
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while normal agent replies fail, the issue is likely the model's tool/agent
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capacity, not the endpoint.
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Selecting a model with `/model ollama/<model>` is an exact user choice: if the
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configured `baseUrl` is unreachable, the next reply fails with the provider
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error instead of silently falling back to another configured model.
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Isolated cron jobs add one local safety check before starting the agent turn:
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if the selected model resolves to a local/private-network/`.local` Ollama
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provider and `/api/tags` is unreachable, OpenClaw records that run as
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`skipped` with the model in the error text. This endpoint check is cached for
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5 minutes per host, so repeated cron jobs against a stopped daemon do not all
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launch failing requests.
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Live verification:
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```bash
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_TEST=1 OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA=1 OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_WEB_SEARCH=0 \
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pnpm test:live -- extensions/ollama/ollama.live.test.ts
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```
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For Ollama Cloud, point the same live test at the hosted endpoint (skips
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embeddings by default; force with `OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_EMBEDDINGS=1` since a
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cloud key may not authorize `/api/embed`):
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```bash
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export OLLAMA_API_KEY='<your-ollama-cloud-api-key>'
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_TEST=1 OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA=1 \
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_BASE_URL=https://ollama.com \
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_MODEL=glm-5.1:cloud \
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_WEB_SEARCH=1 \
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pnpm test:live -- extensions/ollama/ollama.live.test.ts
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```
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To add a model, pull it and it is discovered automatically:
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```bash
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ollama pull mistral
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```
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## Node-local inference
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Agents can delegate a short task to an Ollama model on a paired desktop or
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server node. The prompt and response cross the existing authenticated
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Gateway/node connection; the request runs on the node's own loopback Ollama
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endpoint (`http://127.0.0.1:11434`).
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<Steps>
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<Step title="Start Ollama on the node">
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```bash
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ollama pull qwen3:0.6b
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ollama list
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```
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</Step>
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<Step title="Connect the node host">
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```bash
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openclaw node run \
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--host <gateway-host> \
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--port 18789 \
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--display-name "Local inference"
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```
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Approve the device and its node commands on the Gateway host, then verify:
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```bash
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openclaw devices list
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openclaw devices approve <deviceRequestId>
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openclaw nodes pending
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openclaw nodes approve <nodeRequestId>
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openclaw nodes status --connected
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```
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A first connection, or an upgrade that adds Ollama commands, can trigger
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node-command approval. If the node connects without advertising
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`ollama.models` and `ollama.chat`, check `openclaw nodes pending` again.
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</Step>
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<Step title="Use it from an agent">
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The bundled Ollama plugin exposes the `node_inference` tool. Agents call
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`action: "discover"` first, then `action: "run"` with a node and model from
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that result (`run` can omit the node when exactly one capable node is
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connected). For example: "Discover the Ollama models on my nodes, then use
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the fastest loaded model to summarize this text."
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</Step>
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</Steps>
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Discovery reads `/api/tags`, checks `/api/show` capabilities, and uses
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`/api/ps` when available to rank already-loaded models first. It returns only
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local models Ollama reports as chat-capable (`completion` capability) —
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Ollama Cloud rows and embedding-only models are excluded. Each run disables
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model thinking and defaults output to 512 tokens (hard cap 8192) unless the
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tool call requests a different `maxTokens`; some models (for example GPT-OSS)
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do not support disabling thinking and may still emit reasoning tokens.
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To keep Ollama running on a node without exposing it to agents:
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```bash
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openclaw config set plugins.entries.ollama.config.nodeInference.enabled false
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```
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Restart the node (`openclaw node restart`, or stop/rerun `openclaw node run`
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for a foreground session). The node stops advertising `ollama.models` and
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`ollama.chat`; Ollama itself and the Gateway's Ollama provider are unaffected.
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Set the value back to `true` and restart to re-enable; a changed command
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surface may need `openclaw nodes pending` approval again after reconnect.
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Verify the node commands directly, without an agent turn:
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```bash
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openclaw nodes invoke \
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--node "Local inference" \
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--command ollama.models \
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--params '{}' \
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--invoke-timeout 90000 \
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--timeout 100000
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openclaw nodes invoke \
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--node "Local inference" \
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--command ollama.chat \
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--params '{"model":"qwen3:0.6b","prompt":"Reply with exactly: pong","maxTokens":32,"timeoutMs":120000}' \
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--invoke-timeout 130000 \
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--timeout 140000
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```
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`--invoke-timeout` bounds how long the node has to run the command;
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`--timeout` bounds the overall Gateway call and should be larger.
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Node-local inference always uses the node's own loopback endpoint — it does
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not reuse a configured remote/cloud `models.providers.ollama.baseUrl`. The
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node commands are available by default on macOS, Linux, and Windows node
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hosts and remain subject to normal node pairing/command policy.
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## Vision and image description
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The bundled Ollama plugin registers Ollama as an image-capable
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media-understanding provider, so OpenClaw can route explicit image-description
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requests and configured image-model defaults through local or hosted Ollama
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vision models.
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```bash
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ollama pull qwen2.5vl:7b
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export OLLAMA_API_KEY="ollama-local"
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openclaw infer image describe --file ./photo.jpg --model ollama/qwen2.5vl:7b --json
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```
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`--model` must be a full `<provider/model>` ref; when set, `infer image
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describe` tries that model first instead of skipping description for models
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that already support native vision. If the call fails, OpenClaw can continue
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through `agents.defaults.imageModel.fallbacks`; file/URL preparation errors
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fail before fallback is attempted. Use `infer image describe` for OpenClaw's
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image-understanding flow and configured `imageModel`; use `infer model run
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--file` for a raw multimodal probe with a custom prompt.
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To make Ollama the default image-understanding provider for inbound media:
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```json5
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{
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agents: {
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defaults: {
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imageModel: {
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primary: "ollama/qwen2.5vl:7b",
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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Prefer the full `ollama/<model>` ref. A bare `imageModel` ref such as
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`qwen2.5vl:7b` normalizes to `ollama/qwen2.5vl:7b` only when that exact model
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is listed under `models.providers.ollama.models` with
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`input: ["text", "image"]` and no other configured image provider exposes the
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same bare id; otherwise use the provider prefix explicitly.
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Slow local vision models can need a longer image-understanding timeout than
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cloud models, and can crash on constrained hardware if Ollama tries to
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allocate the model's full advertised vision context. Set a capability
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timeout and cap `num_ctx`:
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```json5
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{
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models: {
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providers: {
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ollama: {
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models: [
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{
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id: "qwen2.5vl:7b",
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name: "qwen2.5vl:7b",
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input: ["text", "image"],
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params: { num_ctx: 2048, keep_alive: "1m" },
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},
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],
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},
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},
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},
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tools: {
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media: {
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image: {
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timeoutSeconds: 180,
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models: [{ provider: "ollama", model: "qwen2.5vl:7b", timeoutSeconds: 300 }],
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},
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},
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},
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}
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```
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This timeout applies to inbound image understanding and to the explicit
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`image` tool. `models.providers.ollama.timeoutSeconds` still controls the
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underlying Ollama HTTP request guard for normal model calls.
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Live verification:
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```bash
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OPENCLAW_LIVE_TEST=1 OPENCLAW_LIVE_OLLAMA_IMAGE=1 \
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pnpm test:live -- src/agents/tools/image-tool.ollama.live.test.ts
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```
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If you define `models.providers.ollama.models` manually, mark vision models
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explicitly:
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```json5
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{
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id: "qwen2.5vl:7b",
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name: "qwen2.5vl:7b",
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input: ["text", "image"],
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contextWindow: 128000,
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maxTokens: 8192,
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}
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```
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OpenClaw rejects image-description requests for models not marked
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image-capable. With implicit discovery, this comes from `/api/show`'s vision
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capability.
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## Configuration
|
|
|
|
<Tabs>
|
|
<Tab title="Basic (implicit discovery)">
|
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```bash
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export OLLAMA_API_KEY="ollama-local"
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|
```
|
|
|
|
<Tip>
|
|
If `OLLAMA_API_KEY` is set, you can omit `apiKey` in the provider entry; OpenClaw fills it in for availability checks.
|
|
</Tip>
|
|
|
|
</Tab>
|
|
|
|
<Tab title="Explicit (manual models)">
|
|
Use explicit config for hosted cloud setup, a non-default host/port, forced
|
|
context windows, or fully manual model lists:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "https://ollama.com",
|
|
apiKey: "OLLAMA_API_KEY",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "kimi-k2.5:cloud",
|
|
name: "kimi-k2.5:cloud",
|
|
reasoning: false,
|
|
input: ["text", "image"],
|
|
cost: { input: 0, output: 0, cacheRead: 0, cacheWrite: 0 },
|
|
contextWindow: 128000,
|
|
maxTokens: 8192
|
|
}
|
|
]
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Tab>
|
|
|
|
<Tab title="Custom base URL">
|
|
Explicit config disables auto-discovery, so models must be listed:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
baseUrl: "http://ollama-host:11434", // No /v1 - native Ollama API URL
|
|
api: "ollama", // Explicit: guarantees native tool-calling behavior
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 300, // Optional: longer connect/stream budget for cold local models
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "qwen3:32b",
|
|
name: "qwen3:32b",
|
|
params: {
|
|
keep_alive: "15m", // Optional: keep the model loaded between turns
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
<Warning>
|
|
Do not add `/v1`. That path selects OpenAI-compatible mode, where tool calling is not reliable.
|
|
</Warning>
|
|
|
|
</Tab>
|
|
</Tabs>
|
|
|
|
## Common recipes
|
|
|
|
Replace model IDs with exact names from `ollama list` or
|
|
`openclaw models list --provider ollama`.
|
|
|
|
<AccordionGroup>
|
|
<Accordion title="Local model with auto-discovery">
|
|
Ollama on the same machine as the Gateway, discovered automatically:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
ollama serve
|
|
ollama pull gemma4
|
|
export OLLAMA_API_KEY="ollama-local"
|
|
openclaw models list --provider ollama
|
|
openclaw models set ollama/gemma4
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Do not add a `models.providers.ollama` block unless you need manual models.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="LAN Ollama host with manual models">
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://gpu-box.local:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 300,
|
|
contextWindow: 32768,
|
|
maxTokens: 8192,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "qwen3.5:9b",
|
|
name: "qwen3.5:9b",
|
|
reasoning: true,
|
|
input: ["text"],
|
|
params: {
|
|
num_ctx: 32768,
|
|
thinking: false,
|
|
keep_alive: "15m",
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
model: { primary: "ollama/qwen3.5:9b" },
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
`contextWindow` is OpenClaw's context budget; `params.num_ctx` is sent to
|
|
Ollama. Keep them aligned when hardware cannot run the model's full
|
|
advertised context.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Ollama Cloud only">
|
|
No local daemon, hosted models directly:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
export OLLAMA_API_KEY="your-ollama-api-key"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "https://ollama.com",
|
|
apiKey: "OLLAMA_API_KEY",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "kimi-k2.5:cloud",
|
|
name: "kimi-k2.5:cloud",
|
|
reasoning: false,
|
|
input: ["text", "image"],
|
|
contextWindow: 128000,
|
|
maxTokens: 8192,
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
model: { primary: "ollama/kimi-k2.5:cloud" },
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For the dedicated `ollama-cloud` provider id instead of this shape, see
|
|
[Ollama Cloud](/providers/ollama-cloud).
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Cloud plus local through a signed-in daemon">
|
|
```bash
|
|
ollama signin
|
|
ollama pull gemma4
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 300,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{ id: "gemma4", name: "gemma4", input: ["text"] },
|
|
{ id: "kimi-k2.5:cloud", name: "kimi-k2.5:cloud", input: ["text", "image"] },
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
model: {
|
|
primary: "ollama/gemma4",
|
|
fallbacks: ["ollama/kimi-k2.5:cloud"],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Multiple Ollama hosts">
|
|
Custom provider IDs when running more than one Ollama server; each gets its
|
|
own host, models, auth, and timeout.
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
"ollama-fast": {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://mini.local:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
contextWindow: 32768,
|
|
models: [{ id: "gemma4", name: "gemma4", input: ["text"] }],
|
|
},
|
|
"ollama-large": {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://gpu-box.local:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 420,
|
|
contextWindow: 131072,
|
|
maxTokens: 16384,
|
|
models: [{ id: "qwen3.5:27b", name: "qwen3.5:27b", input: ["text"] }],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
model: {
|
|
primary: "ollama-fast/gemma4",
|
|
fallbacks: ["ollama-large/qwen3.5:27b"],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw strips the active provider prefix (falling back to a bare
|
|
`ollama/` prefix) before calling Ollama, so `ollama-large/qwen3.5:27b`
|
|
reaches Ollama as `qwen3.5:27b`.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Lean local model profile">
|
|
Some local models handle simple prompts but struggle with the full agent
|
|
tool surface. Limit tools and context before touching global runtime
|
|
settings:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
agents: {
|
|
list: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "local",
|
|
experimental: {
|
|
localModelLean: true,
|
|
},
|
|
model: { primary: "ollama/gemma4" },
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://127.0.0.1:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
contextWindow: 32768,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "gemma4",
|
|
name: "gemma4",
|
|
input: ["text"],
|
|
params: { num_ctx: 32768 },
|
|
compat: { supportsTools: false },
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Use `compat.supportsTools: false` only when the model or server reliably
|
|
fails on tool schemas — it trades agent capability for stability.
|
|
`localModelLean` removes heavyweight browser, cron, message, media-generation,
|
|
voice, and PDF tools from the direct agent surface unless explicitly required,
|
|
and puts larger catalogs behind Tool Search. It does not change Ollama's
|
|
runtime context or thinking mode. Pair it with `params.num_ctx` and
|
|
`params.thinking: false` for small Qwen-style thinking models that loop or
|
|
spend their budget on hidden reasoning.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
</AccordionGroup>
|
|
|
|
### Model selection
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
model: {
|
|
primary: "ollama/gpt-oss:20b",
|
|
fallbacks: ["ollama/llama3.3", "ollama/qwen2.5-coder:32b"],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Custom provider ids work the same way: for a ref using the active provider
|
|
prefix, such as `ollama-spark/qwen3:32b`, OpenClaw strips that prefix before
|
|
calling Ollama, sending `qwen3:32b`.
|
|
|
|
For slow local models, prefer provider-scoped tuning before raising the whole
|
|
agent runtime timeout:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 300,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "gemma4:26b",
|
|
name: "gemma4:26b",
|
|
params: { keep_alive: "15m" },
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
`timeoutSeconds` covers the model HTTP request: connection setup, headers,
|
|
body streaming, and the total guarded-fetch abort. `params.keep_alive` is
|
|
forwarded as top-level `keep_alive` on native `/api/chat` requests; set it per
|
|
model when first-turn load time is the bottleneck.
|
|
|
|
### Quick verification
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
# Ollama daemon visible to this machine
|
|
curl http://127.0.0.1:11434/api/tags
|
|
|
|
# OpenClaw catalog and selected model
|
|
openclaw models list --provider ollama
|
|
openclaw models status
|
|
|
|
# Direct model smoke
|
|
openclaw infer model run \
|
|
--model ollama/gemma4 \
|
|
--prompt "Reply with exactly: ok"
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For remote hosts, replace `127.0.0.1` with the `baseUrl` host. If `curl`
|
|
works but OpenClaw does not, check whether the Gateway runs on a different
|
|
machine, container, or service account.
|
|
|
|
## Ollama Web Search
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw bundles **Ollama Web Search** as a `web_search` provider.
|
|
|
|
| Property | Detail |
|
|
| ----------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
|
|
| Host | `models.providers.ollama.baseUrl` when set, otherwise `http://127.0.0.1:11434`; `https://ollama.com` uses the hosted API directly |
|
|
| Auth | Key-free for a signed-in local host; `OLLAMA_API_KEY` or configured provider auth for direct `https://ollama.com` search or auth-protected hosts |
|
|
| Requirement | Local/self-hosted hosts must be running and signed in with `ollama signin`; direct hosted search needs `baseUrl: "https://ollama.com"` plus a real API key |
|
|
|
|
Choose it during `openclaw onboard` or `openclaw configure --section web`, or set:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
tools: {
|
|
web: {
|
|
search: {
|
|
provider: "ollama",
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For direct hosted search through Ollama Cloud:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "https://ollama.com",
|
|
apiKey: "OLLAMA_API_KEY",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
models: [{ id: "kimi-k2.5:cloud", name: "kimi-k2.5:cloud", input: ["text"] }],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
tools: {
|
|
web: {
|
|
search: { provider: "ollama" },
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For a self-hosted host, OpenClaw first tries the local `/api/experimental/web_search`
|
|
proxy, then falls back to the hosted `/api/web_search` path on the same host; a
|
|
signed-in local daemon normally answers through the local proxy. Direct
|
|
`https://ollama.com` calls always use the hosted `/api/web_search` endpoint.
|
|
|
|
<Note>
|
|
For full setup and behavior, see [Ollama Web Search](/tools/ollama-search).
|
|
</Note>
|
|
|
|
## Advanced configuration
|
|
|
|
<AccordionGroup>
|
|
<Accordion title="Legacy OpenAI-compatible mode">
|
|
<Warning>
|
|
**Tool calling is not reliable in this mode.** Use it only when a proxy needs OpenAI format and you do not depend on native tool calling.
|
|
</Warning>
|
|
|
|
Set `api: "openai-completions"` explicitly for a proxy behind
|
|
`/v1/chat/completions`:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://ollama-host:11434/v1",
|
|
api: "openai-completions",
|
|
injectNumCtxForOpenAICompat: true, // default: true
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
models: [...]
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
This mode may not support streaming and tool calling simultaneously; you
|
|
may need `params: { streaming: false }` on the model.
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw injects `options.num_ctx` by default in this mode so Ollama does
|
|
not silently fall back to a 4096-token context. If your proxy rejects
|
|
unknown `options` fields, disable it:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://ollama-host:11434/v1",
|
|
api: "openai-completions",
|
|
injectNumCtxForOpenAICompat: false,
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
models: [...]
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Context windows">
|
|
For auto-discovered models, OpenClaw uses the context window `/api/show`
|
|
reports, including larger `PARAMETER num_ctx` values from custom
|
|
Modelfiles; otherwise it falls back to OpenClaw's default Ollama context
|
|
window.
|
|
|
|
Provider-level `contextWindow`, `contextTokens`, and `maxTokens` set
|
|
defaults for every model under that provider and can be overridden per
|
|
model. `contextWindow` is OpenClaw's own prompt/compaction budget. Native
|
|
`/api/chat` requests leave `options.num_ctx` unset unless you set
|
|
`params.num_ctx` explicitly, so Ollama applies its own model,
|
|
`OLLAMA_CONTEXT_LENGTH`, or VRAM-based default; invalid, zero, negative,
|
|
or non-finite `params.num_ctx` values are ignored. If an older config used
|
|
only `contextWindow`/`maxTokens` to force native request context, run
|
|
`openclaw doctor --fix` to copy those into `params.num_ctx`. The
|
|
OpenAI-compatible adapter still injects `options.num_ctx` by default from
|
|
the configured `params.num_ctx` or `contextWindow`; disable with
|
|
`injectNumCtxForOpenAICompat: false` if the upstream rejects `options`.
|
|
|
|
Native model entries also accept common Ollama runtime options under
|
|
`params`, forwarded as native `/api/chat` `options`: `num_keep`, `seed`,
|
|
`num_predict`, `top_k`, `top_p`, `min_p`, `typical_p`, `repeat_last_n`,
|
|
`temperature`, `repeat_penalty`, `presence_penalty`, `frequency_penalty`,
|
|
`stop`, `num_batch`, `num_gpu`, `main_gpu`, `use_mmap`, and `num_thread`.
|
|
A few keys (`format`, `keep_alive`, `truncate`, `shift`) are forwarded as
|
|
top-level request fields instead of nested `options`. OpenClaw only
|
|
forwards these Ollama request keys, so runtime-only params such as
|
|
`streaming` are never sent to Ollama. Use `params.think` (or
|
|
`params.thinking`) to set top-level `think`; `false` disables API-level
|
|
thinking for Qwen-style thinking models.
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
contextWindow: 32768,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "llama3.3",
|
|
contextWindow: 131072,
|
|
maxTokens: 65536,
|
|
params: {
|
|
num_ctx: 32768,
|
|
temperature: 0.7,
|
|
top_p: 0.9,
|
|
thinking: false,
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
]
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Per-model `agents.defaults.models["ollama/<model>"].params.num_ctx` also
|
|
works; the explicit provider model entry wins if both are set.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Thinking control">
|
|
OpenClaw forwards thinking as Ollama expects it: top-level `think`, not
|
|
`options.think`. Auto-discovered models whose `/api/show` reports a
|
|
`thinking` capability expose `/think low`, `/think medium`, `/think high`,
|
|
and `/think max`; non-thinking models expose only `/think off`.
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
openclaw agent --model ollama/gemma4 --thinking off
|
|
openclaw agent --model ollama/gemma4 --thinking low
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Or set a model default:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
models: {
|
|
"ollama/gemma4": {
|
|
thinking: "low",
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Per-model `params.think`/`params.thinking` can disable or force API
|
|
thinking for a specific model. OpenClaw preserves that explicit config
|
|
when the active run only has the implicit `off` default; a non-off
|
|
runtime command such as `/think medium` still overrides it. A truthy
|
|
thinking request is never sent to a model explicitly marked
|
|
`reasoning: false`; a `think: false` request is always sent regardless.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Reasoning models">
|
|
Models named `deepseek-r1`, `reasoning`, `reason`, or `think` are treated
|
|
as reasoning-capable by default — no extra config needed:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
ollama pull deepseek-r1:32b
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Model costs">
|
|
Ollama runs locally and is free, so all model costs are `0` for both
|
|
auto-discovered and manually defined models.
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Memory embeddings">
|
|
The bundled Ollama plugin registers a memory embedding provider for
|
|
[memory search](/concepts/memory). It uses the configured Ollama base URL
|
|
and API key, calls `/api/embed`, and batches multiple memory chunks into
|
|
one `input` request when possible.
|
|
|
|
When `proxy.enabled=true`, embedding requests to the exact host-local
|
|
loopback origin derived from the configured `baseUrl` use OpenClaw's
|
|
guarded direct path instead of the managed forward proxy. The configured
|
|
hostname must itself be `localhost` or a loopback IP literal — DNS names
|
|
that merely resolve to loopback still use the managed proxy path. LAN,
|
|
tailnet, private-network, and public Ollama hosts always stay on the
|
|
managed proxy path, and redirects to another host/port do not inherit
|
|
trust. `proxy.loopbackMode: "proxy"` routes loopback traffic through the
|
|
proxy anyway; `proxy.loopbackMode: "block"` denies it before connecting —
|
|
see [Managed proxy](/security/network-proxy#gateway-loopback-mode).
|
|
|
|
| Property | Value |
|
|
| --- | --- |
|
|
| Default model | `nomic-embed-text` |
|
|
| Auto-pull | Yes, if not present locally |
|
|
| Default inline concurrency | 1 (other providers default higher; raise with `nonBatchConcurrency` if the host can take it) |
|
|
|
|
Query-time embeddings use retrieval prefixes for models that require or
|
|
recommend them: `nomic-embed-text`, `qwen3-embedding`, and
|
|
`mxbai-embed-large`. Document batches stay raw, so existing indexes need
|
|
no format migration.
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
memorySearch: {
|
|
provider: "ollama",
|
|
remote: {
|
|
// Default for Ollama. Raise on larger hosts if reindexing is too slow.
|
|
nonBatchConcurrency: 1,
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
For a remote embedding host, keep auth scoped to that host:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
agents: {
|
|
defaults: {
|
|
memorySearch: {
|
|
provider: "ollama",
|
|
model: "nomic-embed-text",
|
|
remote: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://gpu-box.local:11434",
|
|
apiKey: "ollama-local",
|
|
nonBatchConcurrency: 2,
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Streaming configuration">
|
|
Ollama uses the **native API** (`/api/chat`) by default, which supports
|
|
streaming and tool calling together — no special config needed.
|
|
|
|
For native requests, thinking control is forwarded directly: `/think off`
|
|
and `openclaw agent --thinking off` send top-level `think: false` unless
|
|
an explicit `params.think`/`params.thinking` is configured; `/think
|
|
low|medium|high` send the matching effort string; `/think max` maps to
|
|
Ollama's highest effort, `think: "high"`.
|
|
|
|
<Tip>
|
|
For the OpenAI-compatible endpoint instead, see "Legacy OpenAI-compatible mode" above — streaming and tool calling may not work together there.
|
|
</Tip>
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
</AccordionGroup>
|
|
|
|
## Troubleshooting
|
|
|
|
<AccordionGroup>
|
|
<Accordion title="WSL2 crash loop (repeated reboots)">
|
|
On WSL2 with NVIDIA/CUDA, the official Ollama Linux installer creates an
|
|
`ollama.service` systemd unit with `Restart=always`. If that service
|
|
autostarts and loads a GPU-backed model during WSL2 boot, Ollama can pin
|
|
host memory while loading; Hyper-V memory reclaim cannot always reclaim
|
|
those pages, so Windows can terminate the WSL2 VM, systemd restarts
|
|
Ollama, and the loop repeats.
|
|
|
|
Evidence: repeated WSL2 reboots/terminations, high CPU in `app.slice` or
|
|
`ollama.service` right after WSL2 startup, and SIGTERM from systemd rather
|
|
than the Linux OOM killer.
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw logs a startup warning when it detects WSL2, `ollama.service`
|
|
enabled with `Restart=always`, and visible CUDA markers.
|
|
|
|
Mitigation:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
sudo systemctl disable ollama
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
On the Windows side, add this to `%USERPROFILE%\.wslconfig`, then run
|
|
`wsl --shutdown`:
|
|
|
|
```ini
|
|
[experimental]
|
|
autoMemoryReclaim=disabled
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Or shorten keep-alive / start Ollama manually only when needed:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
export OLLAMA_KEEP_ALIVE=5m
|
|
ollama serve
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
See [ollama/ollama#11317](https://github.com/ollama/ollama/issues/11317).
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Ollama not detected">
|
|
Confirm Ollama is running, `OLLAMA_API_KEY` (or an auth profile) is set,
|
|
and `models.providers.ollama` is **not** defined explicitly:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
ollama serve
|
|
curl http://localhost:11434/api/tags
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="No models available">
|
|
Pull the model locally, or define it explicitly in
|
|
`models.providers.ollama`:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
ollama list # See what's installed
|
|
ollama pull gemma4
|
|
ollama pull gpt-oss:20b
|
|
ollama pull llama3.3 # Or another model
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Connection refused">
|
|
```bash
|
|
# Check if Ollama is running
|
|
ps aux | grep ollama
|
|
|
|
# Or restart Ollama
|
|
ollama serve
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Remote host works with curl but not OpenClaw">
|
|
Verify from the same machine and runtime that runs the Gateway:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
openclaw gateway status --deep
|
|
curl http://ollama-host:11434/api/tags
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Common causes:
|
|
|
|
- `baseUrl` points at `localhost`, but the Gateway runs in Docker or on another host.
|
|
- The URL uses `/v1`, selecting OpenAI-compatible behavior instead of native Ollama.
|
|
- The remote host needs firewall or LAN binding changes.
|
|
- The model is on your laptop's daemon but not the remote one.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Model outputs tool JSON as text">
|
|
Usually the provider is in OpenAI-compatible mode, or the model cannot
|
|
handle tool schemas. Prefer native mode:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
baseUrl: "http://ollama-host:11434",
|
|
api: "ollama",
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
If a small local model still fails on tool schemas, set
|
|
`compat.supportsTools: false` on that model entry and retest.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Kimi or GLM returns garbled symbols">
|
|
Hosted Kimi/GLM responses that are long, non-linguistic symbol runs are
|
|
treated as a failed provider call rather than a successful reply, so
|
|
normal retry/fallback/error handling takes over instead of persisting
|
|
corrupted text into the session.
|
|
|
|
If it recurs, capture the model name, the current session file, and
|
|
whether the run used `Cloud + Local` or `Cloud only`, then try a fresh
|
|
session and a fallback model:
|
|
|
|
```bash
|
|
openclaw infer model run --model ollama/kimi-k2.5:cloud --prompt "Reply with exactly: ok" --json
|
|
openclaw models set ollama/gemma4
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Cold local model times out">
|
|
Large local models can need a long first load. Scope the timeout to the
|
|
Ollama provider and optionally keep the model loaded between turns:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
timeoutSeconds: 300,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "gemma4:26b",
|
|
name: "gemma4:26b",
|
|
params: { keep_alive: "15m" },
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
If the host itself is slow to accept connections, `timeoutSeconds` also
|
|
extends the guarded connect timeout for this provider.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
|
|
<Accordion title="Large-context model is too slow or runs out of memory">
|
|
Many models advertise contexts larger than your hardware can run
|
|
comfortably. Native Ollama uses its own runtime default unless
|
|
`params.num_ctx` is set. Cap both OpenClaw's budget and Ollama's request
|
|
context for predictable first-token latency:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
models: {
|
|
providers: {
|
|
ollama: {
|
|
contextWindow: 32768,
|
|
maxTokens: 8192,
|
|
models: [
|
|
{
|
|
id: "qwen3.5:9b",
|
|
name: "qwen3.5:9b",
|
|
params: { num_ctx: 32768, thinking: false },
|
|
},
|
|
],
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
Lower `contextWindow` if OpenClaw sends too much prompt. Lower
|
|
`params.num_ctx` if Ollama's runtime context is too large for the machine.
|
|
Lower `maxTokens` if generation runs too long.
|
|
|
|
</Accordion>
|
|
</AccordionGroup>
|
|
|
|
<Note>
|
|
More help: [Troubleshooting](/help/troubleshooting) and [FAQ](/help/faq).
|
|
</Note>
|
|
|
|
## Related
|
|
|
|
<CardGroup cols={2}>
|
|
<Card title="Ollama Cloud" href="/providers/ollama-cloud" icon="cloud">
|
|
Cloud-only setup with the dedicated `ollama-cloud` provider.
|
|
</Card>
|
|
<Card title="Model providers" href="/concepts/model-providers" icon="layers">
|
|
Overview of all providers, model refs, and failover behavior.
|
|
</Card>
|
|
<Card title="Model selection" href="/concepts/models" icon="brain">
|
|
How to choose and configure models.
|
|
</Card>
|
|
<Card title="Ollama Web Search" href="/tools/ollama-search" icon="magnifying-glass">
|
|
Full setup and behavior details for Ollama-powered web search.
|
|
</Card>
|
|
<Card title="Configuration" href="/gateway/configuration" icon="gear">
|
|
Full config reference.
|
|
</Card>
|
|
</CardGroup>
|