openclaw - 💡(How to fix) Fix [Docs]: Document valid `models.providers.<name>.api` format options and baseUrl behavior [1 participants]

When configuring a custom model provider, the api field must be one of specific values, but these are only revealed in error messages: Configuring a custom Anthropic-compatible provider required 6 trial-and-error attempts to find the correct combination of provider key, model ID prefix, API format, and baseUrl suffix. See related: #50711, #50647.

TL;DR

To resolve configuration issues with custom model providers, document and utilize the valid api values and their corresponding baseUrl formats.

Guidance

• Add the valid api values to the openclaw config --help or openclaw models --help output to improve user experience and reduce trial-and-error attempts.
• Document the specific api format and baseUrl suffix requirements for each provider, such as anthropic-messages with baseUrl without /v1 for Anthropic API.
• Clarify the provider prefix stripping behavior to help users understand how to configure model IDs correctly.
• Consider adding examples or a configuration guide for common endpoints, such as OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google, to reduce confusion.

Example

No code snippet is provided as it is not explicitly supported by the issue.

Notes

The issue highlights the need for clear documentation and guidance on configuring custom model providers to avoid trial-and-error attempts and reduce user frustration.

Recommendation

Apply workaround by documenting valid api values, baseUrl formats, and provider prefix stripping behavior to improve user experience and configuration accuracy.