OpenSwitchboard

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Configure your defaults ​

Set the agent, model and effort once, at the scope that owns them, instead of repeating directives on every message.

You need:

  • OpenSwitchboard answering you in Slack or on the CLI.
  • For a channel's defaults, the config:write grant (Restrict who can do what); your own need none.

Examples are chat messages; the same commands work on the CLI (npx @coreplane/switchboard config set me --model openai/gpt-5), HTTP and MCP.

See what is in force ​

@switchboard config show

The reply names the effective agent, model and effort for you, where each came from, and what is restricted. Six layers, highest first: message directives, thread history, your settings, the channel's settings, config.yaml defaults, the agent's built-in floor.

Set your own defaults ​

@switchboard config set me --model openai/gpt-5
@switchboard config set me --models.coding openai/gpt-5 --effort medium
FlagSets
--agent <name>the agent that runs when a message names none
--model <provider/model>one model for every agent
--models.<agent> <provider/model>the model for one agent
--effort <low|medium|high|xhigh|max>how hard the model thinks per turn; lower is much faster
--efforts.<agent> <level>the effort for one agent

A provider/model value names a providers block from config.yaml and a model that provider knows; the first slash is the separator, the rest is passed through. OpenRouter is one such block with no code behind it: type: openai-compatible, baseUrl: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1, apiKeyEnv: OPENROUTER_API_KEY (config/config.example.yaml carries it commented out), and because its own ids already name the vendor a model there is openrouter/anthropic/claude-sonnet-4. Three things the native adapter does are not done through the compatible one: --effort is not sent, so the model runs at its own default; document inputs reach the model as a text note saying the file was not sent; and no provider-side prompt caching is requested, so every turn pays for the whole context.

Set a channel's defaults ​

@switchboard config set channel --agent review
@switchboard config set channel --efforts.coding medium

Every message here now defaults to review unless a directive or the sender's own setting overrides it. From the CLI, or from another channel, add --channel <id>.

Add instructions in plain language ​

@switchboard config instructions me "Always reply in bullet points"
@switchboard config instructions channel "This channel is about billing questions"

Advisory system-prompt text; it never changes the agent, the model or a permission. Yours win over the channel's. Omit the text to show it; pass "" to clear it.

Override once ​

Directives in the message always win and persist nothing:

@switchboard agent:ship model:anthropic/claude-opus-5 effort:high in acme/api: fix issue #42

Undo ​

@switchboard config clear me            # drop your overrides; config.yaml shows through again
@switchboard config clear channel       # drop this channel's overrides (needs config:write)

Nothing set here bypasses a restriction; the gate applies when a run starts.

Next ​