Configuration
Every behavioral setting and secret, explained.
Behavioral settings live in config.yaml in your PoorMad home. Secrets (API keys, tokens) live in .env — never put credentials in config.yaml.
Rule
.env is for secrets only. All behavioral settings — timeouts, thresholds, feature flags, display prefs — go in config.yaml.Where config lives
The home directory defaults to ~/.poormad/ and can be overridden with the POORMAD_HOME environment variable or the --home flag.
Reference
| Key | Type | Default | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
provider | string | — | Model provider id (e.g. openai, anthropic, ollama). |
model | string | — | Model slug sent to the provider. |
home | path | ~/.poormad | Agent home directory. |
gateway.bind | string | 127.0.0.1:8765 | Address the gateway listens on. |
gateway.token | string | auto | Session token for gateway auth. |
memory.enabled | bool | true | Enable cross-session recall. |
skills.auto_write | bool | false | Let the agent propose skills without prompting. |
toolsets | list | default | Enabled toolset distribution. |
Environment variables
POORMAD_HOME=~/.poormad POORMAD_API_KEY=sk-... # provider key (secret) POORMAD_TOKEN=... # gateway session token (secret)
Profiles
You can keep multiple named profiles (e.g. work, local) and switch with poormad --profile <name>. Each profile is a separate config.yaml under ~/.poormad/profiles/.