OpenClaw Config: You can't set headers for an embedding provider

[Stevenic]

I'm trying to configure an Azure Foundry embeddings provider and I need to be able to add an "api-key" header according to OpenClaw. I'm having to do this manually since OpenClaw isn't allowed to edit it's own settings :(

The problem is the UI treats the header field as a string so you're not able to configure the headers object. Since there's no "raw" mode my only option is to drop out to the terminal and use the CLI:

Also notice that API key field isn't properly left aligned.

[clawsweeper]

Codex review: keeping this open for maintainer follow-up; there is still a little grit to resolve. Reviewed June 2, 2026, 8:00 PM ET / 00:00 UTC.

Summary
Keep open. Current main still routes object-valued config schema fields without fixed child properties through the scalar editor path, so provider headers can be staged and saved as a string instead of a JSON object.

Reproducibility: yes. from source inspection: an object-valued schema field without fixed properties falls through to the string editor and stages text for save. I did not run the WinUI app or a live Azure Foundry gateway, so this is source-reproducible rather than an executed UI repro.

Next step
This is a narrow config editor repair with clear source files and validation commands, and it does not require a new config option or product decision.

Review details

Best possible solution:

Add generic object-map editing for schema fields like headers, preserving JSON object values through validation and save while keeping existing scalar and array behavior intact.

Do we have a high-confidence way to reproduce the issue?

Yes, from source inspection: an object-valued schema field without fixed properties falls through to the string editor and stages text for save. I did not run the WinUI app or a live Azure Foundry gateway, so this is source-reproducible rather than an executed UI repro.

Is this the best way to solve the issue?

Yes, the best fix is in the existing schema config editor: support object/additionalProperties fields as JSON objects or key-value maps instead of adding provider-specific Azure-only UI or relying on the CLI workaround.

AGENTS.md: found and applied where relevant.

Remaining risk / open question:

• The exact Azure Foundry schema is not checked into this repository, so the repro is source-based against the generic object-schema path plus the issue screenshot rather than a live gateway run.

Codex review notes: model gpt-5.5, reasoning high; reviewed against bfeb3b5c90be.

Label changes

Label changes:

• add P2: This blocks configuring at least one embedding provider through the supported Config UI, but there is a CLI workaround and limited blast radius.
• add impact:auth-provider: The affected field is provider authentication/configuration data needed to route embedding requests to Azure Foundry.
• add issue-rating: 🐚 platinum hermit: Current issue advisory state selects this label.
• add clawsweeper:needs-live-repro: Current issue advisory state selects this label.
• add clawsweeper:queueable-fix: Current issue advisory state selects this label.
• add clawsweeper:fix-shape-clear: Current issue advisory state selects this label.

Label justifications:

• P2: This blocks configuring at least one embedding provider through the supported Config UI, but there is a CLI workaround and limited blast radius.
• impact:auth-provider: The affected field is provider authentication/configuration data needed to route embedding requests to Azure Foundry.

Evidence reviewed

Acceptance criteria:

• ./build.ps1
• dotnet test ./tests/OpenClaw.Shared.Tests/OpenClaw.Shared.Tests.csproj --no-restore
• dotnet test ./tests/OpenClaw.Tray.Tests/OpenClaw.Tray.Tests.csproj --no-restore

What I checked:

• Issue report: The issue body says Azure Foundry embeddings require an api-key header, the Config UI treats the header field as a string, and the current workaround is using the CLI.
• Object schema handling: SchemaConfigEditor only renders nested object sections when the schema object has fixed properties; otherwise it calls RenderField for that object-valued field. (src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Controls/SchemaConfigEditor.xaml.cs:121, bfeb3b5c90be)
• String fallback: RenderField handles enum, boolean, number, and array explicitly, then sends every other type through the string editor; RenderStringField displays non-string JSON with ToString() and stages edits as textBox.Text. (src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Controls/SchemaConfigEditor.xaml.cs:230, bfeb3b5c90be)
• Existing JSON editor precedent: Complex arrays already get a JSON text editor that parses and stages a JsonElement; there is no equivalent object editor for header maps. (src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Controls/SchemaConfigEditor.xaml.cs:431, bfeb3b5c90be)
• Save path: Config saves apply _pendingChanges to the full JSON root and call PatchConfigDetailedAsync, so a string-staged header value would be sent to the gateway as a string. (src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Pages/ConfigPage.xaml.cs:524, bfeb3b5c90be)
• Read-only JSON preview: The Config page exposes a RichTextBlock JSON preview with copy support, not an editable raw JSON mode. (src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Pages/ConfigPage.xaml:272, bfeb3b5c90be)

Likely related people:

• Régis Brid: git blame and git log --follow attribute the current SchemaConfigEditor, ConfigPage, and ConfigEditorModel implementation to commit 7d9152f427a3007cbe663513ef34c89719473a41. (role: introduced current config editor behavior; confidence: medium; commits: 7d9152f427a3; files: src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Controls/SchemaConfigEditor.xaml.cs, src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Pages/ConfigPage.xaml.cs, src/OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI/Services/ConfigEditorModel.cs)

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[github-actions]

🤖 This is an automated response from Repo Assist.

Thanks for the clear repro, @Stevenic! This is a known limitation in the embedding provider configuration UI — the headers field is currently treated as a plain string input instead of a structured key-value editor, so there's no way to set an object like {"api-key": "..."} through the GUI.

Workaround (until the UI is fixed): You've already found the right path — use the CLI directly:

openclaw config set embeddings.provider.headers '{"api-key": "YOUR_KEY"}'

For the root cause: the settings form likely needs a dedicated key-value pair editor component for header fields, similar to how environment variable editors work in other tools. A fix would involve updating the embedding provider settings page to detect object-typed fields and render a multi-row editor rather than a single text input.

The API key alignment issue (not left-aligned) appears to be a separate layout bug in the same settings panel and could be fixed alongside this.

This is a good enhancement to have on the backlog — the Azure Foundry / OpenAI-compatible embeddings path is increasingly common and headers (for api-key) are required by most providers.

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