Skill: mklue/cron-model-fix (version 1.0.0)

--- name: cron-model-fix description: Diagnose and fix OpenClaw cron job model override issues. Use when cron jobs show "not allowed, falling back to agent defaults" in logs, experience unexpected cloud token burn, have slow run times, or models aren't being applied correctly. Fixes agent model allowlist configuration. --- # Cron Model Fix Diagnose and fix OpenClaw cron job model override issues where configured models are rejected and fall back to agent defaults. ## When to Use This Skill Use when: - Cron jobs show `"not allowed, falling back to agent defaults"` in gateway logs - Unexpected cloud token burn on cron jobs configured with local models - Slow cron run times (60-180s) when local models should be used - Model overrides in cron jobs aren't being applied - Need to validate agent model allowlist configuration ## Quick Start ```bash # Diagnose the issue openclaw skill run cron-model-fix --diagnose # Apply the fix (adds missing models to allowlist) openclaw skill run cron-model-fix --fix --model ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b # Validate configuration openclaw skill run cron-model-fix --validate ``` ## Root Cause OpenClaw has **three model configuration layers**. ALL must include the model: ### Layer 1: Provider Model Definition **Location:** `models.providers.<provider>.models[]` **Purpose:** Defines model specs (context, costs, capabilities) ### Layer 2: Agent Default Model **Location:** `agents.defaults.model.primary` **Purpose:** Default model when none specified ### Layer 3: Agent Model Allowlist ← **COMMON ISSUE** **Location:** `agents.defaults.models` **Purpose:** **WHICH MODELS ARE PERMITTED** for agent/cron use **Problem:** Model exists in Layer 1, but missing from Layer 3 (allowlist). **Gateway logs show:** ``` {"subsystem":"cron"} "payload.model 'ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b' not allowed, falling back to agent defaults" ``` ## Diagnosis ### Step 1: Check Gateway Logs ```bash tail -100 /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log | grep -i "not allowed\|falling back" ``` **If you see:** `"payload.model '<model>' not allowed, falling back to agent defaults"` → Model is missing from agent allowlist ### Step 2: Check Agent Allowlist ```bash cat ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json | python3 -c " import json, sys config = json.load(sys.stdin) models = config.get('agents', {}).get('defaults', {}).get('models', {}) print('Allowed models:') for model in models: print(f' - {model}') " ``` **Check if your cron model is in the list.** If not, it will be rejected. ### Step 3: Check Cron Job Configuration ```bash openclaw cron list ``` **Verify:** - Cron job has `model` specified in payload - Model format matches allowlist (e.g., `ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b`) ## The Fix Add the model to `agents.defaults.models` in `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`: ```json { "agents": { "defaults": { "model": { "primary": "ollama/qwen3.5:cloud", "fallbacks": [...] }, "models": { "ollama/glm-4.7-flash": {}, "ollama/kimi-k2.5:cloud": {}, "ollama/qwen2.5vl:7b": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:397b-cloud": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:4b-32K": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:4b-32k": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:9b-128k": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:cloud": {}, "ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b": {}, ← ADD THIS "ollama/qwen3.5:2b": {} ← Optional } } } } ``` ### Manual Fix Steps 1. **Edit config:** ```bash nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ``` 2. **Add to `agents.defaults.models`:** ```json "ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b": {}, ``` 3. **Restart gateway:** ```bash openclaw gateway restart ``` 4. **Verify:** ```bash openclaw cron runs --id <job-id> --limit 3 ``` Look for `"model": "qwen3.5:0.8b"` instead of `qwen3.5:cloud` ### Automated Fix Script Use the included script: ```bash python3 ~/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/cron-model-fix/scripts/add-model-allowlist.py --model ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b ``` ## Expected Results ### Before Fix | Metric | Value | |--------|-------| | Model | Cloud fallback | | Duration | 60-180 seconds | | Input Tokens | 200K-600K per run | | Cost | Cloud token burn | ### After Fix | Metric | Value | Improvement | |--------|-------|-------------| | Model | Local (e.g., qwen3.5:0.8b) | ✅ Free | | Duration | 1-13 seconds | 5-14x faster | | Input Tokens | 5K-36K | 85-95% reduction | | Cost | ZERO | 100% savings | ## Validation After applying fix, verify: ```bash # Check for model rejection warnings tail -50 /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-*.log | grep -i "not allowed" # Should be EMPTY (no warnings) ``` ```bash # Check cron run history openclaw cron runs --id <job-id> --limit 1 # Should show: # "model": "qwen3.5:0.8b" (not cloud) # "durationMs": <15000 (fast) # "input_tokens": <50000 (low) ``` ## Common Issues ### Issue: Model still not working after fix **Check:** 1. Gateway restarted after config change? 2. Model format matches exactly? (e.g., `ollama/qwen3.5:0.8b` vs `qwen3.5:0.8b`) 3. Model exists in provider config (Layer 1)? ### Issue: Invalid JSON after editing **Fix:** ```bash openclaw doctor --fix ``` Or restore from backup: ```bash cp ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json.backup ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json ``` ## Related Skills - `inbox-optimizer` - Optimizes inbox scanning patterns (mesh-specific) - `healthcheck` - General OpenClaw system health monitoring ## References - See `references/model-config-layers.md` for detailed configuration structure - See `references/troubleshooting-examples.md` for real-world case studies ## Version 1.0.0 - Initial release (2026-03-30)


Security scan verdicts — ClawScan: clean | static analysis: clean | VirusTotal: clean | SkillSpector: clean (LOW)