Experimental features
Experimental features in OpenClaw are opt-in preview surfaces. They are behind explicit flags because they still need real-world mileage before they deserve a stable default or a long-lived public contract. Treat them differently from normal config:- Keep them off by default unless the related doc tells you to try one.
- Expect shape and behavior to change faster than stable config.
- Prefer the stable path first when one already exists.
- If you are rolling OpenClaw out broadly, test experimental flags in a smaller environment before baking them into a shared baseline.
Currently documented flags
| Surface | Key | Use it when | More |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local model runtime | agents.defaults.experimental.localModelLean | A smaller or stricter local backend chokes on OpenClaw’s full default tool surface | Local Models |
| Memory search | agents.defaults.memorySearch.experimental.sessionMemory | You want memory_search to index prior session transcripts and accept the extra storage/indexing cost | Memory configuration reference |
| Structured planning tool | tools.experimental.planTool | You want the structured update_plan tool exposed for multi-step work tracking in compatible runtimes and UIs | Gateway configuration reference |
Local model lean mode
agents.defaults.experimental.localModelLean: true is a pressure-release valve
for weaker local-model setups. It trims heavyweight default tools like
browser, cron, and message so the prompt shape is smaller and less brittle
for small-context or stricter OpenAI-compatible backends.
That is intentionally not the normal path. If your backend handles the full
runtime cleanly, leave this off.