> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.inceptionlabs.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# OpenClaw 🦞 

> Configure OpenClaw to use Mercury 2.

[OpenClaw](https://openclaw.ai/) is an open-source personal AI assistant that runs locally on your machine and connects to messaging platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, and more. It supports any OpenAI-compatible provider, including Inception.

### **Setup Instructions**

1. Set your Inception API key as an environment variable:

```bash theme={null}
export INCEPTION_API_KEY="your-api-key-here"
```

<Tip>
  Add this line to your `~/.zshrc` or `~/.bash_profile` so it persists across terminal sessions.
</Tip>

2. Open your OpenClaw config file at `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json` and add Inception as a custom provider:

```json theme={null}
{
  "models": {
    "mode": "merge",
    "providers": {
      "inception": {
        "baseUrl": "https://api.inceptionlabs.ai/v1",
        "apiKey": "${INCEPTION_API_KEY}",
        "api": "openai-completions",
        "models": [
          {
            "id": "mercury-2",
            "name": "Mercury 2",
            "contextWindow": 128000,
            "maxTokens": 16384
          }
        ]
      }
    }
  }
}
```

<Note>
  Setting `mode: "merge"` ensures all built-in providers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini, etc.) remain available alongside Inception. Without it, custom providers replace the entire built-in catalog.
</Note>

3. Set Mercury as your primary model:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw models set inception/mercury-2
```

4. Restart the gateway to pick up the new provider:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw gateway restart
```

<Note>
  OpenClaw's gateway hot-reloads most config changes automatically, but restarting ensures new provider definitions are fully loaded.
</Note>

5. Verify everything is working:

```bash theme={null}
# Check that the Inception provider and model appear
openclaw models list

# Confirm primary model, auth status, and provider endpoint
openclaw models status
```

You should see `inception/mercury-2` listed as your primary model with valid auth.

### **Switching Models**

You can switch to Mercury mid-session from any connected chat (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, etc.):

```
/model inception/mercury-2
```

Or use Mercury as a fallback instead of the primary model:

```bash theme={null}
openclaw models fallbacks add inception/mercury-2
```

### **Troubleshooting**

If something isn't working, run the built-in diagnostics:

```bash theme={null}
# General health check — finds and fixes common config issues
openclaw doctor --fix

# Detailed gateway and provider status
openclaw status --all
```

[Documentation](https://docs.openclaw.ai/)