Switch Modes

Switch between AI models dynamically to optimize costs and performance. Use when the user says mode commands like "eco mode", "balanced mode", "smart mode", or "max mode", or when they want to check their current mode with "/modes status" or configure modes with "/modes setup".

Security Scan

The skill's instructions and requirements are generally consistent with its stated purpose (switching the agent's model), but it reads/writes the user's OpenClaw config file and has a couple of minor inconsistencies and privacy considerations you should review before using it.

Purpose & Capability

The name/description (switching modes/models) matches the runtime instructions: reading a mode mapping file and updating the OpenClaw config's model field. No unrelated APIs, binaries, or credentials are requested in the metadata.

Instruction Scope

Instructions explicitly tell the agent to read/write ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json and to create ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json. That is within scope for changing the default model, but the skill also recommends specific vendor model IDs and relies on an AskUserQuestion primitive (agent action) which should be present in your agent environment.

Install Mechanism

Instruction-only skill with no install spec or code to download — lowest-risk delivery model. Nothing is being written to disk by an installer beyond the normal config files the skill itself creates at runtime.

Credentials

The skill declares no required env vars, but it instructs the agent to read ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json. That file likely contains API keys or other sensitive fields. The skill does not mention handling or avoiding exposure of such secrets when reading or displaying the config, so there is a risk of inadvertent leakage or misuse of credentials if the agent logs or reports file contents.

Persistence & Privilege

The skill does not set always:true (good) and does not disable model invocation, so the agent may invoke it autonomously. Also the SKILL.md contains an internal inconsistency: it claims "Changes only affect the current session's default model" while its actions write back to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json (a persistent change). You should confirm expected persistence and whether autonomous invocation is acceptable.

Assessment

This skill appears to do what it says (switch your agent's model by editing OpenClaw config files), but take these precautions before installing: (1) inspect your ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to confirm it doesn't expose secrets you wouldn't want read or printed by the agent; (2) back up openclaw.json before using the skill so you can restore settings if something goes wrong; (3) consider requesting the skill author set disableModelInvocation:true if you don't want the model to call this skill autonomously; (4) verify whether changes are intended to be session-local or persistent—the SKILL.md is inconsistent on that point; (5) check file permissions on ~/.openclaw to limit unintended access. If you want, I can draft a safer SKILL.md that explicitly avoids printing secrets and documents persistence and invocation behavior.

Dynamically switch between AI models to optimize costs and performance.

When to Use This Skill

Activate this skill when the user mentions:

• Mode switching commands: eco mode, balanced mode, smart mode, max mode
• Status check: /modes status
• Configuration: /modes setup

How It Works

The skill manages 4 predefined modes, each mapped to a specific model:

• eco → Cheapest model (for summaries, quick questions)
• balanced → Daily driver model (for general work)
• smart → Powerful model (for complex reasoning)
• max → Most powerful model (for critical tasks)

Configuration is stored in ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Detect Mode Commands

When the user message contains any of these patterns:

• eco mode or eco (standalone)
• balanced mode or balanced
• smart mode or smart
• max mode or max
• /modes status
• /modes setup

2. Handle Setup Command (/modes setup)

If the configuration file doesn't exist or user requests setup:

1. Use AskUserQuestion to gather model preferences for each mode:

   • ECO mode: Recommend anthropic/claude-3.5-haiku
   • BALANCED mode: Recommend anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5
   • SMART mode: Recommend anthropic/claude-opus-4-5
   • MAX mode: Recommend anthropic/claude-opus-4-6 or openai/o1-pro

2. Create/update ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json with the structure:

{
	"eco": "model-id",
	"balanced": "model-id",
	"smart": "model-id",
	"max": "model-id"
}

3. Confirm setup completion to the user.

3. Handle Status Command (/modes status)

1. Read the OpenClaw config at ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to get current model
2. Read ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json to get mode mappings
3. Determine which mode is currently active by matching the current model
4. Display: ✅ Currently in [MODE] mode using [MODEL_ID]

4. Handle Mode Switch Commands

When user requests a mode switch:

1. Read configuration:

   cat ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json
   

   If file doesn't exist, prompt user to run /modes setup first.

2. Get the target model from the config based on requested mode (eco/balanced/smart/max)

3. Update OpenClaw config:

   • Read current config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
   • Update the model field with the new model ID
   • Write back to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

4. Confirm to user:

   ✅ [MODE] mode activated
   Now using: [MODEL_ID]
   

Examples

Example 1: Mode Switch

User: eco mode
Agent: [reads switch-modes.json, gets model for "eco"]
Agent: [updates openclaw.json with new model]
Agent: ✅ ECO mode activated
      Now using: anthropic/claude-3.5-haiku

Example 2: Status Check

User: /modes status
Agent: [reads openclaw.json for current model]
Agent: [reads switch-modes.json for mode mappings]
Agent: ✅ Currently in BALANCED mode using anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5

Example 3: First Time Setup

User: /modes setup
Agent: [uses AskUserQuestion for each mode]
Agent: [creates ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json]
Agent: ✅ Setup complete! You can now use:
      - eco mode
      - balanced mode
      - smart mode
      - max mode

File Locations

• Configuration: ~/.openclaw/workspace/switch-modes.json
• OpenClaw Config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
• Example Config: See example-config.json in skill directory

Common Edge Cases

1. Config file missing: Prompt user to run /modes setup
2. Invalid model ID: Show error and ask user to reconfigure that mode
3. Model not available: Suggest checking API keys and model access in OpenClaw
4. Ambiguous input: If just "eco" or "smart" without "mode", still treat as mode switch command
5. Case insensitive: Accept "ECO MODE", "Eco Mode", "eco mode" all the same

Important Notes

• Mode switching is instant - no restart required
• Changes only affect the current session's default model
• Preserve all other settings in openclaw.json when updating model
• Always validate JSON before writing config files
• Use absolute paths: ~/.openclaw/... not relative paths

Reference

For detailed troubleshooting, supported models list, and FAQ, see ./REFERENCE.md.