solution model medium macos linux windows

/model says 'model not allowed'

Fix 'model not allowed' by updating or clearing the agents.defaults.models allowlist, then selecting an allowed model.

By CoClaw Team • February 3, 2026 • Updated February 13, 2026

Symptoms

In chat, /model <something> returns: Model "provider/model" is not allowed.
It can feel like the bot “didn’t respond” because the selection fails before a normal reply.

Cause

agents.defaults.models is configured as an allowlist. When it’s non-empty, only those models can be selected.

Fix

Check the allowlist:

openclaw config get agents.defaults.models

Then do one of:

Add the model you want to the allowlist (recommended for safety), or
Clear/remove agents.defaults.models to disable allowlisting, or
Pick a model that is already in the allowlist (/model list).

Verify

Re-run /model list and confirm the target model is selectable.
Send a message; it uses the expected model.

Model selection + allowlists explained: /guides/openclaw-configuration

Verification & references

Reviewed by:CoClaw Code Team
Last reviewed:March 14, 2026
Verified on: macOS · Linux · Windows

References

Official docs

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