# Qwen Code Configuration

> [!tip]
>
> **Authentication / API keys:** Authentication (API Key, Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan) and auth-related environment variables (like `OPENAI_API_KEY`) are documented in **[Authentication](../configuration/auth)**.

> [!note]
>
> **Note on New Configuration Format**: The format of the `settings.json` file has been updated to a new, more organized structure. The old format will be migrated automatically.
> Qwen Code offers several ways to configure its behavior, including environment variables, command-line arguments, and settings files. This document outlines the different configuration methods and available settings.

## Configuration layers

Configuration is applied in the following order of precedence (lower numbers are overridden by higher numbers):

| Level | Configuration Source   | Description                                                                     |
| ----- | ---------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| 1     | Default values         | Hardcoded defaults within the application                                       |
| 2     | System defaults file   | System-wide default settings that can be overridden by other settings files     |
| 3     | User settings file     | Global settings for the current user                                            |
| 4     | Project settings file  | Project-specific settings                                                       |
| 5     | System settings file   | System-wide settings that override all other settings files                     |
| 6     | Environment variables  | System-wide or session-specific variables, potentially loaded from `.env` files |
| 7     | Command-line arguments | Values passed when launching the CLI                                            |

## Settings files

Qwen Code uses JSON settings files for persistent configuration. There are four locations for these files:

| File Type             | Location                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Scope                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| --------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| System defaults file  | Linux: `/etc/qwen-code/system-defaults.json`<br>Windows: `C:\ProgramData\qwen-code\system-defaults.json`<br>macOS: `/Library/Application Support/QwenCode/system-defaults.json` <br>The path can be overridden using the `QWEN_CODE_SYSTEM_DEFAULTS_PATH` environment variable. | Provides a base layer of system-wide default settings. These settings have the lowest precedence and are intended to be overridden by user, project, or system override settings.                                         |
| User settings file    | `~/.qwen/settings.json` (where `~` is your home directory).                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Applies to all Qwen Code sessions for the current user.                                                                                                                                                                   |
| Project settings file | `.qwen/settings.json` within your project's root directory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Applies only when running Qwen Code from that specific project. Project settings override user settings.                                                                                                                  |
| System settings file  | Linux： `/etc/qwen-code/settings.json` <br>Windows: `C:\ProgramData\qwen-code\settings.json` <br>macOS: `/Library/Application Support/QwenCode/settings.json`<br>The path can be overridden using the `QWEN_CODE_SYSTEM_SETTINGS_PATH` environment variable.                    | Applies to all Qwen Code sessions on the system, for all users. System settings override user and project settings. May be useful for system administrators at enterprises to have controls over users' Qwen Code setups. |

> [!note]
>
> **Note on environment variables in settings:** String values within your `settings.json` files can reference environment variables using either `$VAR_NAME` or `${VAR_NAME}` syntax. These variables will be automatically resolved when the settings are loaded. For example, if you have an environment variable `MY_API_TOKEN`, you could use it in `settings.json` like this: `"apiKey": "$MY_API_TOKEN"`.

### The `.qwen` directory in your project

In addition to a project settings file, a project's `.qwen` directory can contain other project-specific files related to Qwen Code's operation, such as:

- [Custom sandbox profiles](../features/sandbox) (e.g. `.qwen/sandbox-macos-custom.sb`, `.qwen/sandbox.Dockerfile`).
- [Agent Skills](../features/skills) under `.qwen/skills/` (each Skill is a directory containing a `SKILL.md`).

### Configuration migration

Qwen Code automatically migrates legacy configuration settings to the new format. Old settings files are backed up before migration. The following settings have been renamed from negative (`disable*`) to positive (`enable*`) naming:

| Old Setting                              | New Setting                                 | Notes                              |
| ---------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------- |
| `disableAutoUpdate` + `disableUpdateNag` | `general.enableAutoUpdate`                  | Consolidated into a single setting |
| `disableLoadingPhrases`                  | `ui.accessibility.enableLoadingPhrases`     |                                    |
| `disableFuzzySearch`                     | `context.fileFiltering.enableFuzzySearch`   |                                    |
| `disableCacheControl`                    | `model.generationConfig.enableCacheControl` |                                    |

> [!note]
>
> **Boolean value inversion:** When migrating, boolean values are inverted (e.g., `disableAutoUpdate: true` becomes `enableAutoUpdate: false`).

#### Consolidation policy for `disableAutoUpdate` and `disableUpdateNag`

When both legacy settings are present with different values, the migration follows this policy: if **either** `disableAutoUpdate` **or** `disableUpdateNag` is `true`, then `enableAutoUpdate` becomes `false`:

| `disableAutoUpdate` | `disableUpdateNag` | Migrated `enableAutoUpdate` |
| ------------------- | ------------------ | --------------------------- |
| `false`             | `false`            | `true`                      |
| `false`             | `true`             | `false`                     |
| `true`              | `false`            | `false`                     |
| `true`              | `true`             | `false`                     |

### Available settings in `settings.json`

Settings are organized into categories. Most settings should be placed within their corresponding top-level category object in your `settings.json` file. A few top-level settings like `proxy` and `plansDirectory` remain direct root keys for compatibility.

#### general

| Setting                                    | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Default     |
| ------------------------------------------ | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `general.preferredEditor`                  | string  | The preferred editor to open files in.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `undefined` |
| `general.vimMode`                          | boolean | Enable Vim keybindings.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `false`     |
| `general.enableAutoUpdate`                 | boolean | Enable automatic update checks and installations on startup.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `true`      |
| `general.showSessionRecap`                 | boolean | Auto-show a one-line "where you left off" recap when returning to the terminal after being away. Off by default. Use `/recap` to trigger manually regardless of this setting.                                                                                                                                   | `false`     |
| `general.sessionRecapAwayThresholdMinutes` | number  | Minutes the terminal must be blurred before an auto-recap fires on focus-in. Only used when `showSessionRecap` is enabled.                                                                                                                                                                                      | `5`         |
| `general.gitCoAuthor.commit`               | boolean | Add a Co-authored-by trailer to git commit messages AND attach a per-file AI-attribution git note (`refs/notes/ai-attribution`) for commits made through Qwen Code. Disabling skips both.                                                                                                                       | `true`      |
| `general.gitCoAuthor.pr`                   | boolean | Append a Qwen Code attribution line to pull request descriptions when running `gh pr create`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `true`      |
| `general.defaultFileEncoding`              | string  | Default encoding for new files. Use `"utf-8"` (default) for UTF-8 without BOM, or `"utf-8-bom"` for UTF-8 with BOM. Only change this if your project specifically requires BOM.                                                                                                                                 | `"utf-8"`   |
| `general.cleanupPeriodDays`                | number  | Days to retain `~/.qwen/file-history/` session backups used by `/rewind`. Backups older than this are removed by a background pass that runs at most once per day. `0` = minimum retention (~1 hour): keeps sessions touched in the last hour plus the currently active one. Changes take effect after restart. | `30`        |
| `general.language`                         | enum    | Language for the user interface. Use `"auto"` to detect from system settings, or a language code (e.g. `"zh-CN"`, `"fr"`). Custom codes can be added by placing JS locale files in `~/.qwen/locales/`. See [i18n](../features/language). Requires restart.                                                      | `"auto"`    |
| `general.outputLanguage`                   | string  | Language for model output. Use `"auto"` to detect from system settings, or set a specific language. Requires restart.                                                                                                                                                                                           | `"auto"`    |
| `general.dynamicCommandTranslation`        | boolean | Enable AI translation of dynamic slash-command descriptions. When disabled, dynamic commands keep their original descriptions and skip translation model calls.                                                                                                                                                 | `false`     |
| `general.terminalBell`                     | boolean | Play a terminal bell sound when a response completes or needs approval.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `true`      |
| `general.preventSystemSleep`               | boolean | Prevent the system from sleeping while Qwen Code is streaming a model response or executing tools. Idle prompt time and permission prompts do not inhibit sleep. Read once at startup, so changes take effect after restart.                                                                                    | `true`      |
| `general.chatRecording`                    | boolean | Save chat history to disk. Disabling this also prevents `--continue` and `--resume` from working. Requires restart.                                                                                                                                                                                             | `true`      |

#### output

| Setting                 | Type    | Description                                                    | Default  | Possible Values    |
| ----------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- | ------------------ |
| `output.format`         | string  | The format of the CLI output.                                  | `"text"` | `"text"`, `"json"` |
| `output.showTimestamps` | boolean | Show an `[HH:MM:SS]` timestamp before each assistant response. | `false`  |                    |

#### ui

| Setting                                 | Type             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Default       |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------- |   | ------------- |
| `ui.theme`                              | string           | The color theme for the UI. See [Themes](../configuration/themes) for available options.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `"Qwen Dark"` |
| `ui.customThemes`                       | object           | Custom theme definitions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `{}`          |
| `ui.statusLine`                         | object           | Custom status line configuration. Supports `command`, `refreshInterval`, `respectUserColors`, and `hideContextIndicator` options. See [Status Line](../features/status-line).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `undefined`   |
| `ui.hideWindowTitle`                    | boolean          | Hide the window title bar.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `false`       |
| `ui.hideTips`                           | boolean          | Hide all tips (startup and post-response) in the UI. See [Contextual Tips](../features/tips).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `false`       |
| `ui.hideBanner`                         | boolean          | Hide the startup ASCII logo and info panel. Tips and chat input still render unless `ui.hideTips` is also set.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | `false`       |
| `ui.customBannerTitle`                  | string           | Replace the default `>_ Qwen Code` title in the banner info panel. The `(vX.Y.Z)` version suffix is always appended; auth, model, and path lines are not affected. Sanitized; capped at 80 characters.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `""`          |
| `ui.customBannerSubtitle`               | string           | Optional subtitle line rendered between the banner title and the auth/model line, in place of the blank spacer row. Sanitized; capped at 160 characters. Empty (default) keeps the original blank spacer.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `""`          |
| `ui.customAsciiArt`                     | string \| object | Replace the QWEN ASCII logo in the banner. Accepts an inline string (used for both width tiers), `{ "path": "./brand.txt" }` (relative paths resolve against the owning settings file's directory; read once at startup with `O_NOFOLLOW` on POSIX, capped at 64 KB), or `{ "small": ..., "large": ... }` for width-aware selection. Sanitized; capped at 200 lines × 200 columns per tier.                                                                                                                                                        | `undefined`   |
| `ui.showLineNumbers`                    | boolean          | Show line numbers in code blocks in the CLI output.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `true`        |
| `ui.renderMode`                         | string           | Default Markdown display mode. Use `"render"` for rich visual previews or `"raw"` to show source-oriented Markdown by default. Toggle during a session with `Alt/Option+M`; on macOS the terminal must send Option as Meta. See [Markdown Rendering](../features/markdown-rendering).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | `"render"`    |
| `ui.showCitations`                      | boolean          | Show citations for generated text in the chat.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | `false`       |
| `ui.history.collapseOnResume`           | boolean          | Whether to collapse history by default when resuming a session. Can be toggled via `/history collapse-on-resume` and `/history expand-on-resume`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | `false`       |
| `ui.history.collapsePreviewCount`       | number           | Number of most recent user turns to keep visible when `ui.history.collapseOnResume` is enabled. `0` collapses all restored history by default; `-1` shows all restored history.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `0`           |
| `ui.compactMode`                        | boolean          | Hide tool output and thinking for a cleaner view. Toggle with `Ctrl+O` during a session or via the Settings dialog. Tool approval prompts are never hidden, even in compact mode. The setting persists across sessions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | `false`       |
| `ui.shellOutputMaxLines`                | number           | Max number of shell output lines shown inline. Set to `0` to disable the cap and show full output. Hidden lines are surfaced via the `+N lines` indicator. Errors, `!`-prefix user-initiated commands, confirming tools, and focused embedded shells always show full output.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `5`           |
| `ui.enableWelcomeBack`                  | boolean          | Show welcome back dialog when returning to a project with conversation history. When enabled, Qwen Code will automatically detect if you're returning to a project with a previously generated project summary (`.qwen/PROJECT_SUMMARY.md`) and show a dialog allowing you to continue your previous conversation or start fresh. If you choose **Start new chat session**, that choice is remembered for the current project until the project summary changes. This feature integrates with the `/summary` command and quit confirmation dialog. | `true`        |
| `ui.accessibility.enableLoadingPhrases` | boolean          | Enable loading phrases (disable for accessibility).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `true`        |
| `ui.accessibility.screenReader`         | boolean          | Enables screen reader mode, which adjusts the TUI for better compatibility with screen readers.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `false`       |
| `ui.customWittyPhrases`                 | array of strings | A list of custom phrases to display during loading states. When provided, the CLI will cycle through these phrases instead of the default ones.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `[]`          |
| `ui.showResponseTokensPerSecond`        | boolean          | Show a live tokens/sec estimate next to the response token counter while the model is streaming. This is a generation-speed hint, not an ETA or completion percentage. Takes effect in the next session.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `false`       |
| `ui.enableFollowupSuggestions`          | boolean          | Enable [followup suggestions](../features/followup-suggestions) that predict what you want to type next after the model responds. Suggestions appear as placeholder text and are accepted with Tab, Enter, or Right Arrow (which fill the input — they do not auto-submit). On by default; set to `false` to opt out.                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | `true`        |
| `ui.enableCacheSharing`                 | boolean          | Use cache-aware forked queries for suggestion generation. Reduces cost on providers that support prefix caching (experimental).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `true`        |
| `ui.enableSpeculation`                  | boolean          | Speculatively execute accepted suggestions before submission. Results appear instantly when you accept (experimental).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `false`       |
| `ui.showStatusInTitle`                  | boolean          | Show the Qwen Code session name and status in the terminal window title.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `true`        |
| `ui.disableWorkflowKeywordTrigger`      | boolean          | When `true`, mentioning the word `workflow` in a prompt no longer softly steers the turn toward the Workflow tool (and the Footer `workflow active` indicator is suppressed). Only applies when workflows are enabled.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `false`       |
| `ui.enableUserFeedback`                 | boolean          | Show an optional feedback dialog after conversations to help improve Qwen performance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `true`        |
| `ui.compactInline`                      | boolean          | Compact tool display within each group instead of merging across groups. Requires `ui.compactMode` to be enabled. Requires restart.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `false`       |
| `ui.useTerminalBuffer`                  | boolean          | Render conversation history in an in-app scrollable viewport instead of the terminal scrollback buffer. Recommended if you see flicker, scroll-storm, or interface freeze on long sessions. Scroll with `Shift+↑/↓` (line), `PgUp`/`PgDn` (page), `Ctrl+Home/End` (top/bottom), or the mouse wheel. Does not use the host terminal scrollback while enabled; hold `Shift` (or `Option` on macOS) while dragging for native text selection.                                                                                                         | `false`       |
| `ui.hideBuiltinWorktreeIndicator`       | boolean          | Hide the built-in `⎇ worktree-<branch> (<slug>)` line in the Footer. The worktree state is still passed to custom statusline scripts via the stdin payload. Keep at the default unless your custom statusline renders the worktree itself.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `false`       |

#### ide

| Setting            | Type    | Description                                          | Default |
| ------------------ | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `ide.enabled`      | boolean | Enable IDE integration mode.                         | `false` |
| `ide.hasSeenNudge` | boolean | Whether the user has seen the IDE integration nudge. | `false` |

#### privacy

| Setting                          | Type    | Description                            | Default |
| -------------------------------- | ------- | -------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `privacy.usageStatisticsEnabled` | boolean | Enable collection of usage statistics. | `true`  |

#### model

| Setting                                            | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | Default     |
| -------------------------------------------------- | ------- |   | ----------- |
| `model.name`                                       | string  | The Qwen model to use for conversations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | `undefined` |
| `model.reasoningEffort`                            | enum    | How hard reasoning-capable models think, applied across all providers. Set with the [`/effort`](../features/commands) command (`low`, `medium`, `high`, `xhigh`, `max`). Each provider maps and clamps this to what the active model supports (e.g. Gemini caps at `high`; Anthropic clamps tiers a model lacks). Leave unset to use the model/provider default.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `undefined` |
| `model.baseUrl`                                    | string  | Persisted automatically by the model picker to disambiguate when multiple `modelProviders` entries share the same model id. Not intended to be set by hand — use the `/model` picker or a `modelProviders` entry instead; a stale hand-edited value can silently route requests to a different same-id provider.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `undefined` |
| `model.sessionTokenLimit`                          | number  | Maximum recorded prompt token count allowed before sending the next message. `-1` means unlimited; `0` is also treated as unlimited (unlike `model.maxToolCalls`, where `0` disallows all calls). When the recorded prompt count exceeds the limit, the next send is dropped (the session is not aborted).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `-1`        |
| `model.maxSessionTurns`                            | number  | Maximum number of user/model/tool turns to keep in a session. -1 means unlimited.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | `-1`        |
| `model.maxWallTimeSeconds`                         | number  | Wall-clock budget for headless / unattended runs, in seconds. `-1` means unlimited. Overridable per-invocation via `--max-wall-time`, which requires a positive duration (`90`, `30s`, `5m`, `1h`, `1.5h`); the minimum is 1 second — sub-second values (`500ms`, `0.5`) are rejected as typos. Omit the flag to fall back to this setting. Aborts with exit code 55 when exceeded.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `-1`        |
| `model.maxToolCalls`                               | number  | Cumulative tool-call budget for a run (counts every executed tool, success or failure; `structured_output` under `--json-schema` is exempt). `-1` means unlimited; `0` means "no tool calls allowed". Capped at 1,000,000 to catch typos. Overridable via `--max-tool-calls`. Aborts with exit code 55 when exceeded.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `-1`        |
| `model.maxSubagentDepth`                           | number  | Maximum sub-agent nesting depth (1-based levels: a top-level sub-agent is level 1). `1` keeps sub-agents available but disables nesting — the pre-nesting behavior. Values clamp to the range 1–100; non-finite values fall back to the default. Teammates, forks, and workflow-spawned agents never nest regardless of this setting. Overridable via `--max-subagent-depth`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `5`         |
| `model.generationConfig`                           | object  | Advanced overrides passed to the underlying content generator. Supports request controls such as `timeout`, `maxRetries`, `enableCacheControl`, `splitToolMedia` (default `true`; splits tool-returned media — including images read by the built-in read_file — into a follow-up user message instead of the spec-violating `role: "tool"` message, so strict OpenAI-compatible servers like doubao / new-api / LM Studio can see it; set `false` to restore the legacy embed-in-tool behavior), `toolResultContentFormat` (default `"parts"`; set `"string"` only for legacy OpenAI-compatible runtimes whose tool templates ignore text content parts), `contextWindowSize` (override model's context window size), `modalities` (override auto-detected input modalities), `customHeaders` (custom HTTP headers for API requests), and `extra_body` (additional body parameters for OpenAI-compatible API requests only), along with fine-tuning knobs under `samplingParams` (for example `temperature`, `top_p`, `max_tokens`). Leave unset to rely on provider defaults. | `undefined` |
| `model.chatCompression.contextPercentageThreshold` | number  | **REMOVED.** Replaced by `context.autoCompactThreshold` (see `#### context` section below). Auto-compaction now uses a three-tier threshold ladder (warn / auto / hard) computed internally from the model's context window via the `computeThresholds()` function. The old setting is silently ignored (no startup warning). See PR #4345 / `docs/design/auto-compaction-threshold-redesign.md` for the redesign rationale.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `N/A`       |
| `model.chatCompression.maxRecentFilesToRetain`     | number  | Number of most-recently-touched files whose current content is restored (embedded if small, otherwise referenced by path) into history after auto-compaction. `0` restores none. Env override: `QWEN_COMPACT_MAX_RECENT_FILES`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | `5`         |
| `model.chatCompression.maxRecentImagesToRetain`    | number  | Number of most-recent images (tool screenshots / user pastes) restored into history after auto-compaction. `0` restores none. Env override: `QWEN_COMPACT_MAX_RECENT_IMAGES`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `3`         |
| `model.chatCompression.enableScreenshotTrigger`    | boolean | When `true`, auto-compaction also fires once the number of tool-returned images accumulated in history reaches `screenshotTriggerThreshold`, independent of token usage — aimed at computer-use sessions where frequent screenshots dilute model attention. Counts only images returned inside tool results, not user-pasted images. Env override: `QWEN_COMPACT_SCREENSHOT_TRIGGER` (`1`/`true`/`0`/`false`).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | `true`      |
| `model.chatCompression.screenshotTriggerThreshold` | number  | Tool-returned image count at or above which the screenshot trigger fires (only when `enableScreenshotTrigger`). Compaction resets the count — surviving images are re-embedded as top-level parts, which the trigger doesn't count — so it won't immediately re-fire. Env override: `QWEN_COMPACT_SCREENSHOT_THRESHOLD`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | `50`        |
| `model.skipNextSpeakerCheck`                       | boolean | Skip the next speaker check.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `true`      |
| `model.skipLoopDetection`                          | boolean | Disables streaming loop detection checks. Defaults to `true` (loop detection is skipped) to avoid false positives interrupting legitimate workflows. Set to `false` to re-enable streaming loop detection — useful as a guardrail in headless / non-interactive runs where stuck repetition can otherwise waste budget.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `true`      |
| `model.skipStartupContext`                         | boolean | Skips sending the startup workspace context (environment summary and acknowledgement) at the beginning of each session. Enable this if you prefer to provide context manually or want to save tokens on startup.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `false`     |
| `model.enableOpenAILogging`                        | boolean | Enables logging of OpenAI API calls for debugging and analysis. When enabled, API requests and responses are logged to JSON files.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | `false`     |
| `model.openAILoggingDir`                           | string  | Custom directory path for OpenAI API logs. If not specified, defaults to `logs/openai` in the current working directory. Supports absolute paths, relative paths (resolved from current working directory), and `~` expansion (home directory).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | `undefined` |

**Example model.generationConfig:**

```json
{
  "model": {
    "generationConfig": {
      "timeout": 60000,
      "contextWindowSize": 128000,
      "modalities": {
        "image": true
      },
      "enableCacheControl": true,
      "toolResultContentFormat": "parts",
      "customHeaders": {
        "X-Client-Request-ID": "req-123"
      },
      "extra_body": {
        "enable_thinking": true
      },
      "samplingParams": {
        "temperature": 0.2,
        "top_p": 0.8,
        "max_tokens": 1024
      }
    }
  }
}
```

**max_tokens (output token limit):**

When neither `samplingParams.max_tokens` nor `QWEN_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS` is set, Qwen Code generally uses the selected model's declared output limit as the request's default output limit. If the response still hits that limit, Qwen Code may retry with an escalated limit (using a 64K floor) and then recover across continuation turns.

For OpenAI-compatible providers, `samplingParams` is also a wire-shape escape hatch: when it is set, its keys are passed through verbatim and Qwen Code does not synthesize a `max_tokens` default. Use this for provider-specific parameters such as `max_completion_tokens`.

To force a fixed output limit, set `samplingParams.max_tokens` in your settings or use the `QWEN_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS` environment variable. Explicit limits disable automatic output-token escalation.

**toolResultContentFormat:**

Controls how text-only tool results are serialized in OpenAI-compatible requests. The default `"parts"` keeps the standard content-part array shape. Set `"string"` only for legacy OpenAI-compatible runtimes whose tool templates ignore text content parts, such as older GLM-5.1 vLLM/SGLang templates. Tool-returned media is still controlled by `splitToolMedia`.

**contextWindowSize:**

Overrides the default context window size for the selected model. Qwen Code determines the context window using built-in defaults based on model name matching, with a constant fallback value. Use this setting when a provider's effective context limit differs from Qwen Code's default. This value defines the model's assumed maximum context capacity, not a per-request token limit.

When the selected model is defined in `modelProviders`, set
`contextWindowSize` in that provider entry's `generationConfig` instead of the
top-level `model.generationConfig`. Provider model entries are sealed, so
top-level generation settings do not fill missing provider fields.

**modalities:**

Overrides the auto-detected input modalities for the selected model. Qwen Code automatically detects supported modalities (image, PDF, audio, video) based on model name pattern matching. Use this setting when the auto-detection is incorrect — for example, to enable `pdf` for a model that supports it but isn't recognized. Format: `{ "image": true, "pdf": true, "audio": true, "video": true }`. Omit a key or set it to `false` for unsupported types.

**customHeaders:**

Allows you to add custom HTTP headers to all API requests. This is useful for request tracing, monitoring, API gateway routing, or when different models require different headers. For provider models, define `customHeaders` in `modelProviders[].generationConfig.customHeaders`. For runtime models without a matching provider entry, define it in `model.generationConfig.customHeaders`. No merging occurs between the two levels.

The `extra_body` field allows you to add custom parameters to the request body sent to the API. This is useful for provider-specific options that are not covered by the standard configuration fields. **Note: This field is only supported for OpenAI-compatible providers (`openai`, `qwen-oauth`). It is ignored for Anthropic and Gemini providers.** For provider models, define `extra_body` in `modelProviders[].generationConfig.extra_body`. For runtime models without a matching provider entry, define it in `model.generationConfig.extra_body`.

**model.openAILoggingDir examples:**

- `"~/qwen-logs"` - Logs to `~/qwen-logs` directory
- `"./custom-logs"` - Logs to `./custom-logs` relative to current directory
- `"/tmp/openai-logs"` - Logs to absolute path `/tmp/openai-logs`

#### fastModel

| Setting     | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Default |
| ----------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `fastModel` | string | Model used for generating [prompt suggestions](../features/followup-suggestions) and speculative execution. Leave empty to use the main model. A smaller/faster model (e.g., `qwen3-coder-flash`) reduces latency and cost. Can also be set via `/model --fast`. | `""`    |

#### visionModel

| Setting       | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Default |
| ------------- | ------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `visionModel` | string | Image-capable model used as the vision bridge: when a text-only main model receives an image, it is transcribed by this model first. Leave empty to auto-pick a same-provider vision model. Can also be set via `/model --vision`. | `""`    |

#### voiceModel

| Setting      | Type   | Description                                                                                                                                             | Default |
| ------------ | ------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `voiceModel` | string | Model used for voice transcription. Leave empty to keep voice dictation disabled until a voice model is selected. Can also be set via `/model --voice`. | `""`    |

#### context

| Setting                                                     | Type                       | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Default                         |
| ----------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `context.fileName`                                          | string or array of strings | The name of the context file(s).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | `undefined`                     |
| `context.autoCompactThreshold`                              | number                     | Fraction of the context window at which auto-compaction triggers. Must be greater than 0 and at most 1. Default is `0.7` (70%). For large context windows (>110K tokens), the absolute branch of the three-tier threshold system dominates, so values below ~0.7 may have no visible effect. Custom thresholds primarily affect small-window models (≤128K). Replaces the old `model.chatCompression.contextPercentageThreshold`. | `undefined` (uses internal 0.7) |
| `context.importFormat`                                      | string                     | The format to use when importing memory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `undefined`                     |
| `context.includeDirectories`                                | array                      | Additional directories to include in the workspace context. Specifies an array of additional absolute or relative paths to include in the workspace context. Missing directories will be skipped with a warning by default. Paths can use `~` to refer to the user's home directory. This setting can be combined with the `--include-directories` command-line flag.                                                             | `[]`                            |
| `context.loadFromIncludeDirectories`                        | boolean                    | Controls the behavior of the `/memory refresh` command. If set to `true`, `QWEN.md` files should be loaded from all directories that are added. If set to `false`, `QWEN.md` should only be loaded from the current directory.                                                                                                                                                                                                    | `false`                         |
| `context.fileFiltering.respectGitIgnore`                    | boolean                    | Respect .gitignore files when searching.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `true`                          |
| `context.fileFiltering.respectQwenIgnore`                   | boolean                    | Respect .qwenignore and configured custom ignore files when searching.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | `true`                          |
| `context.fileFiltering.customIgnoreFiles`                   | array                      | Project-root-relative ignore files to use instead of the default compatibility files (`.agentignore`, `.aiignore`) when `respectQwenIgnore` is enabled. `.qwenignore` is always included.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | `[".agentignore", ".aiignore"]` |
| `context.fileFiltering.enableRecursiveFileSearch`           | boolean                    | Whether to enable searching recursively for filenames under the current tree when completing `@` prefixes in the prompt.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `true`                          |
| `context.fileFiltering.enableFuzzySearch`                   | boolean                    | When `true`, enables fuzzy search capabilities when searching for files. Set to `false` to improve performance on projects with a large number of files.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | `true`                          |
| `context.clearContextOnIdle.toolResultsThresholdMinutes`    | number                     | Minutes of inactivity before clearing old tool result content. Use `-1` to disable the idle trigger.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | `60`                            |
| `context.clearContextOnIdle.toolResultsNumToKeep`           | integer                    | Integer number of most-recent compactable tool results to preserve when clearing. Values below 1 are floored to 1.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `5`                             |
| `context.clearContextOnIdle.toolResultsTotalCharsThreshold` | number                     | Total compactable tool result output characters allowed in history before clearing oldest results. Use `-1` to disable the size trigger. This is a soft threshold: protected recent tool results may keep the total above it.                                                                                                                                                                                                     | `500000`                        |

#### Troubleshooting File Search Performance

If you are experiencing performance issues with file searching (e.g., with `@` completions), especially in projects with a very large number of files, here are a few things you can try in order of recommendation:

1. **Use an ignore file:** Create a `.qwenignore` or configured custom ignore file in your project root to exclude directories that contain a large number of files that you don't need to reference (e.g., build artifacts, logs, `node_modules`). Reducing the total number of files crawled is the most effective way to improve performance.
2. **Disable Fuzzy Search:** If ignoring files is not enough, you can disable fuzzy search by setting `enableFuzzySearch` to `false` in your `settings.json` file. This will use a simpler, non-fuzzy matching algorithm, which can be faster.
3. **Disable Recursive File Search:** As a last resort, you can disable recursive file search entirely by setting `enableRecursiveFileSearch` to `false`. This will be the fastest option as it avoids a recursive crawl of your project. However, it means you will need to type the full path to files when using `@` completions.

#### tools

| Setting                               | Type              | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Default     | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| ------------------------------------- | ----------------- |   | ----------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `tools.sandbox`                       | boolean or string | Sandbox execution environment (can be a boolean or a path string).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.sandboxImage`                  | string            | Sandbox image URI used by Docker/Podman when `--sandbox-image` and `QWEN_SANDBOX_IMAGE` are not set.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.shell.enableInteractiveShell`  | boolean           | Use `node-pty` for an interactive shell experience. Fallback to `child_process` still applies.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | `true`      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.core`                          | array of strings  | **Deprecated.** Will be removed in next version. Use `permissions.allow` + `permissions.deny` instead. Restricts built-in tools to an allowlist. All tools not in the list are disabled.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.exclude`                       | array of strings  | **Deprecated.** Use `permissions.deny` instead. Tool names to exclude from discovery. Automatically migrated to the `permissions` format on first load.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.allowed`                       | array of strings  | **Deprecated.** Use `permissions.allow` instead. Tool names that bypass the confirmation dialog. Automatically migrated to the `permissions` format on first load.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.approvalMode`                  | string            | Sets the default approval mode for tool usage.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | `default`   | Possible values: `plan` (analyze only, do not modify files or execute commands), `default` (require approval before file edits or shell commands run), `auto-edit` (automatically approve file edits), `auto` (LLM classifier auto-approves safe actions, blocks risky ones), `yolo` (automatically approve all tool calls) |
| `tools.discoveryCommand`              | string            | Command to run for tool discovery.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.callCommand`                   | string            | Defines a custom shell command for calling a specific tool that was discovered using `tools.discoveryCommand`. The shell command must meet the following criteria: It must take function `name` (exactly as in [function declaration](https://ai.google.dev/gemini-api/docs/function-calling#function-declarations)) as first command line argument. It must read function arguments as JSON on `stdin`, analogous to [`functionCall.args`](https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/model-reference/inference#functioncall). It must return function output as JSON on `stdout`, analogous to [`functionResponse.response.content`](https://cloud.google.com/vertex-ai/generative-ai/docs/model-reference/inference#functionresponse). | `undefined` |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.useRipgrep`                    | boolean           | Use ripgrep for file content search instead of the fallback implementation. Provides faster search performance.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `true`      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.useBuiltinRipgrep`             | boolean           | Use the bundled ripgrep binary. When set to `false`, the system-level `rg` command will be used instead. This setting is only effective when `tools.useRipgrep` is `true`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `true`      |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             |
| `tools.truncateToolOutputThreshold`   | number            | Truncate tool output if it is larger than this many characters. Applies to Shell, Grep, Glob, ReadFile and ReadManyFiles tools.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | `25000`     | Requires restart: Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| `tools.truncateToolOutputLines`       | number            | Maximum lines or entries kept when truncating tool output. Applies to Shell, Grep, Glob, ReadFile and ReadManyFiles tools.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `1000`      | Requires restart: Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| `tools.computerUse.enabled`           | boolean           | Enable the built-in Computer Use tools (cua-driver native desktop automation). When `true` (default), the `computer_use__*` tools are registered as deferred built-ins; the first invocation downloads the pinned, signed cua-driver binary into `~/.qwen/computer-use/` and walks through macOS Accessibility / Screen Recording permissions.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | `true`      | Requires restart: Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |
| `tools.computerUse.maxImageDimension` | number            | Longest-edge pixel cap applied to cua-driver screenshots (via `set_config`'s `max_image_dimension`). `-1` (default) keeps cua-driver's built-in default (1568); `0` disables resizing (full resolution); a positive value caps the longest edge. Lower caps cut vision-token cost at the expense of fine detail.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     | `-1`        | Requires restart: Yes. Env override: `QWEN_COMPUTER_USE_MAX_IMAGE_DIMENSION` (a non-negative integer; takes precedence over this setting)                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| `tools.toolSearch.enabled`            | boolean           | Load MCP tools on demand via ToolSearch to reduce prompt size. Disable this for models that rely on prefix-based KV caching (e.g. DeepSeek) to keep the prompt prefix stable and maximize cache hit rates.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `true`      | Requires restart: Yes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |

> [!note]
>
> **Migrating from `tools.core` / `tools.exclude` / `tools.allowed`:** These legacy settings are **deprecated** and automatically migrated to the new `permissions` format on first load. Prefer configuring `permissions.allow` / `permissions.deny` directly. Use `/permissions` to manage rules interactively.

#### memory

| Setting                          | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                           | Default |
| -------------------------------- | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `memory.enableManagedAutoMemory` | boolean | Enable background extraction of memories from conversations.                                                                                                                                          | `true`  |
| `memory.enableManagedAutoDream`  | boolean | Enable automatic consolidation (deduplication and cleanup) of collected memories.                                                                                                                     | `true`  |
| `memory.enableAutoSkill`         | boolean | Enable background review for reusable project skills after tool-heavy sessions.                                                                                                                       | `true`  |
| `memory.autoSkillConfirm`        | boolean | Ask for confirmation before auto-generated skills are added to the skill library. When off, auto-skills are saved immediately.                                                                        | `true`  |
| `memory.enableTeamMemory`        | boolean | Enable a project memory tier shared with collaborators via the git-tracked `.qwen/team-memory/` directory. Writes to it are secret-scanned and reviewable in the git diff.                            | `false` |
| `memory.enableTeamMemorySync`    | boolean | When team memory is enabled, automatically commit, fast-forward-pull, and push the `.qwen/team-memory/` directory at session start so collaborators stay in sync. Requires a configured git upstream. | `false` |

See [Memory](../features/memory) for details on how auto-memory works and how to use the `/memory`, `/remember`, and `/dream` commands.

#### permissions

The permissions system provides fine-grained control over which tools can run, which require confirmation, and which are blocked.

**Decision priority (highest first): `deny` > `ask` > `allow` > _(default/interactive mode)_**

The first matching rule wins. Rules use the format `"ToolName"` or `"ToolName(specifier)"`.

| Setting             | Type             | Description                                                                                                      | Default     |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `permissions.allow` | array of strings | Rules for auto-approved tool calls (no confirmation needed). Merged across all scopes (user + project + system). | `undefined` |
| `permissions.ask`   | array of strings | Rules for tool calls that always require user confirmation. Takes priority over `allow`.                         | `undefined` |
| `permissions.deny`  | array of strings | Rules for blocked tool calls. Highest priority — overrides both `allow` and `ask`.                               | `undefined` |

**Tool name aliases (any of these work in rules):**

| Alias                 | Canonical tool      | Notes                     |
| --------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------------- |
| `Bash`, `Shell`       | `run_shell_command` |                           |
| `Read`, `ReadFile`    | `read_file`         | Meta-category — see below |
| `Edit`, `EditFile`    | `edit`              | Meta-category — see below |
| `Write`, `WriteFile`  | `write_file`        |                           |
| `NotebookEdit`        | `notebook_edit`     |                           |
| `NotebookEditTool`    | `notebook_edit`     |                           |
| `Grep`, `SearchFiles` | `grep_search`       |                           |
| `Glob`, `FindFiles`   | `glob`              |                           |
| `ListFiles`           | `list_directory`    |                           |
| `WebFetch`            | `web_fetch`         |                           |
| `Agent`               | `task`              |                           |
| `Skill`               | `skill`             |                           |

**Meta-categories:**

Some rule names automatically cover multiple tools:

| Rule name | Tools covered                                        |
| --------- | ---------------------------------------------------- |
| `Read`    | `read_file`, `grep_search`, `glob`, `list_directory` |
| `Edit`    | `edit`, `write_file`, `notebook_edit`                |

> [!important]
> `Read(/path/**)` matches **all four** read tools (file read, grep, glob, and directory listing).
> To restrict only file reading, use `ReadFile(/path/**)` or `read_file(/path/**)`.

**Rule syntax examples:**

| Rule                          | Meaning                                                        |
| ----------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `"Bash"`                      | All shell commands                                             |
| `"Bash(git *)"`               | Shell commands starting with `git` (word boundary: NOT `gitk`) |
| `"Bash(git push *)"`          | Shell commands like `git push origin main`                     |
| `"Bash(npm run *)"`           | Any `npm run` script                                           |
| `"Read"`                      | All file read operations (read, grep, glob, list)              |
| `"Read(./secrets/**)"`        | Read any file under `./secrets/` recursively                   |
| `"Edit(/src/**/*.ts)"`        | Edit TypeScript files under project root `/src/`               |
| `"WebFetch(api.example.com)"` | Fetch from `api.example.com` and all its subdomains            |
| `"mcp__puppeteer"`            | All tools from the puppeteer MCP server                        |

**Path pattern prefixes:**

| Prefix | Meaning                               | Example             |
| ------ | ------------------------------------- | ------------------- |
| `//`   | Absolute path from filesystem root    | `//etc/passwd`      |
| `~/`   | Relative to home directory            | `~/Documents/*.pdf` |
| `/`    | Relative to project root              | `/src/**/*.ts`      |
| `./`   | Relative to current working directory | `./secrets/**`      |
| (none) | Same as `./`                          | `secrets/**`        |

**Shell command bypass prevention:**

Permission rules for `Read`, `Edit`, and `WebFetch` are also enforced when the agent runs equivalent shell commands. For example, if `Read(./.env)` is in `deny`, the agent cannot bypass it via `cat .env` in a shell command. Supported shell commands include `cat`, `grep`, `curl`, `wget`, `cp`, `mv`, `rm`, `chmod`, and many more. Unknown/safe commands (e.g. `git`) are unaffected by file/network rules.

**Migrating from legacy settings:**

| Legacy setting  | Equivalent `permissions` rule   | Notes                                                        |
| --------------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ |
| `tools.allowed` | `permissions.allow`             | Auto-migrated on first load                                  |
| `tools.exclude` | `permissions.deny`              | Auto-migrated on first load                                  |
| `tools.core`    | `permissions.allow` (allowlist) | Auto-migrated; unlisted tools are disabled at registry level |

**Example configuration:**

```json
{
  "permissions": {
    "allow": ["Bash(git *)", "Bash(npm run *)", "Read(//Users/alice/code/**)"],
    "ask": ["Bash(git push *)", "Edit"],
    "deny": ["Bash(rm -rf *)", "Read(.env)", "WebFetch(malicious.com)"]
  }
}
```

> [!tip]
> Use `/permissions` in the interactive CLI to view, add, and remove rules without editing `settings.json` directly.

#### slashCommands

Controls which slash commands are available in the CLI. Useful for locking down
the command surface in multi-tenant or enterprise deployments.

| Setting                  | Type             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Default     |
| ------------------------ | ---------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `slashCommands.disabled` | array of strings | Slash command names to hide and refuse to execute. Matched case-insensitively against the final command name (for extension commands this is the disambiguated form, e.g. `myext.deploy`). **Merged as a union across scopes**, so workspace settings can add to but not remove entries defined in user or system settings. | `undefined` |

The same denylist can also be provided via the `--disabled-slash-commands` CLI
flag (comma-separated or repeated) and the `QWEN_DISABLED_SLASH_COMMANDS`
environment variable; values from all three sources are unioned together.

**Example — lock down built-ins for a sandboxed deployment:**

```json
{
  "slashCommands": {
    "disabled": ["auth", "mcp", "extensions", "ide", "quit"]
  }
}
```

With these values in a system-level `settings.json` (`/etc/qwen-code/settings.json`
or `QWEN_CODE_SYSTEM_SETTINGS_PATH`), users cannot shrink the denylist from
their own scope, and the disabled commands will not appear in autocomplete or
execute when typed.

> [!note]
> This setting only gates slash commands (e.g. `/auth`, `/mcp`). It does not
> affect tool permissions — see `permissions.deny` for that. It also does not
> intercept keyboard shortcuts such as `Ctrl+C` or `Esc`.

#### mcp

| Setting             | Type             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Default     |
| ------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `mcp.serverCommand` | string           | Command to start an MCP server.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | `undefined` |
| `mcp.allowed`       | array of strings | An allowlist of MCP servers to allow. Allows you to specify a list of MCP server names that should be made available to the model. This can be used to restrict the set of MCP servers to connect to. Supports glob patterns (`*` matches any sequence, `?` matches a single character — e.g. `"*puppeteer*"`); entries without glob characters are matched exactly. Note that this will be ignored if `--allowed-mcp-server-names` is set. | `undefined` |
| `mcp.excluded`      | array of strings | A denylist of MCP servers to exclude. A server listed in both `mcp.excluded` and `mcp.allowed` is excluded. Supports glob patterns (`*`, `?`) the same way as `mcp.allowed`. Note that this will be ignored if `--allowed-mcp-server-names` is set.                                                                                                                                                                                         | `undefined` |

> [!note]
>
> **Security Note for MCP servers:** These settings use simple string matching on MCP server names, which can be modified. If you're a system administrator looking to prevent users from bypassing this, consider configuring the `mcpServers` at the system settings level such that the user will not be able to configure any MCP servers of their own. This should not be used as an airtight security mechanism.

#### lsp

> [!warning]
> **Experimental Feature**: LSP support is currently experimental and disabled by default. Enable it using the `--experimental-lsp` command line flag.

Language Server Protocol (LSP) provides code intelligence features like go-to-definition, find references, and diagnostics.

LSP server configuration is done through `.lsp.json` files in your project root directory, not through `settings.json`. See the [LSP documentation](../features/lsp) for configuration details and examples.

#### security

| Setting                        | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                 | Default     |
| ------------------------------ | ------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------- |
| `security.folderTrust.enabled` | boolean | Setting to track whether Folder trust is enabled.                                                                                                           | `false`     |
| `security.auth.selectedType`   | string  | The currently selected authentication type.                                                                                                                 | `undefined` |
| `security.auth.enforcedType`   | string  | The required auth type (useful for enterprises).                                                                                                            | `undefined` |
| `security.auth.useExternal`    | boolean | Whether to use an external authentication flow.                                                                                                             | `undefined` |
| `security.auth.apiKey`         | string  | **Deprecated.** API key for OpenAI-compatible authentication. Migrate to `modelProviders` with `envKey` instead — see [Model Providers](./model-providers). | `undefined` |
| `security.auth.baseUrl`        | string  | **Deprecated.** Base URL for the OpenAI-compatible API. Migrate to `modelProviders` instead — see [Model Providers](./model-providers).                     | `undefined` |

#### advanced

| Setting                        | Type             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Default                  |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| `advanced.autoConfigureMemory` | boolean          | Automatically configure Node.js memory limits.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | `false`                  |
| `advanced.dnsResolutionOrder`  | string           | The DNS resolution order.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                | `undefined`              |
| `advanced.excludedEnvVars`     | array of strings | Environment variables to exclude from project context. Specifies environment variables that should be excluded from being loaded from project `.env` files. This prevents project-specific environment variables (like `DEBUG=true`) from interfering with the CLI behavior. Variables from `.qwen/.env` files are never excluded.       | `["DEBUG","DEBUG_MODE"]` |
| `advanced.bugCommand`          | object           | Configuration for the bug report command. Overrides the default URL for the `/bug` command. Properties: `urlTemplate` (string): A URL that can contain `{title}` and `{info}` placeholders. Example: `"bugCommand": { "urlTemplate": "https://bug.example.com/new?title={title}&info={info}" }`                                          | `undefined`              |
| `plansDirectory`               | string           | Custom directory for approved Plan Mode files. Relative paths are resolved from the project root, and the resolved path must stay within the project root. If unset, plan files are stored in `~/.qwen/plans`. **Requires restart.** If the directory is inside the project root, add it to `.gitignore` to avoid committing plan files. | `undefined`              |

#### experimental

> [!warning]
>
> **Experimental features.** These toggles gate in-development capabilities and may change or be removed in future releases.

| Setting                                | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Default |
| -------------------------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------- |
| `experimental.cron`                    | boolean | Enable in-session cron/loop tools (`cron_create`, `cron_list`, `cron_delete`) so the model can create recurring prompts. Can be disabled via the `QWEN_CODE_DISABLE_CRON=1` environment variable. Requires restart.                                                                                                                                                          | `true`  |
| `experimental.cronRecurringMaxAgeDays` | number  | Days a recurring cron/loop job lives before auto-expiring (it fires one final time, then is deleted). Set to `0` to disable expiry so jobs run until deleted — useful for long-running daemon deployments. Can be overridden via the `QWEN_CODE_CRON_MAX_AGE_DAYS` environment variable. Requires restart.                                                                   | `7`     |
| `experimental.agentTeam`               | boolean | Enable agent-team collaboration tools (`team_create`, `task_create`, `task_update`, `send_message`, etc.) for multi-agent coordination. Can also be enabled via `QWEN_CODE_ENABLE_AGENT_TEAM=1`. Requires restart.                                                                                                                                                           | `false` |
| `experimental.artifact`                | boolean | Enable the Artifact tool, letting the model publish a self-contained HTML page and open it in the browser. Interactive, non-SDK sessions only. `QWEN_CODE_ENABLE_ARTIFACT=1` enables metadata-only `record_artifact` for non-SDK daemon sessions and also enables the Artifact tool in interactive sessions; `QWEN_CODE_DISABLE_ARTIFACT=1` disables both. Requires restart. | `false` |
| `experimental.emitToolUseSummaries`    | boolean | Generate a short LLM-based label after each tool-call batch completes. See [Tool-Use Summaries](../features/tool-use-summaries). Requires a fast model to be configured (`fastModel`); silently skipped otherwise. Can be overridden per-session with `QWEN_CODE_EMIT_TOOL_USE_SUMMARIES=0` or `=1`.                                                                         | `true`  |

#### mcpServers

Configures connections to one or more Model-Context Protocol (MCP) servers for discovering and using custom tools. Qwen Code attempts to connect to each configured MCP server to discover available tools. If multiple MCP servers expose a tool with the same name, the tool names will be prefixed with the server alias you defined in the configuration (e.g., `serverAlias__actualToolName`) to avoid conflicts. Note that the system might strip certain schema properties from MCP tool definitions for compatibility. At least one of `command`, `url`, or `httpUrl` must be provided. If multiple are specified, the order of precedence is `httpUrl`, then `url`, then `command`.

| Property                                | Type             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | Optional |
| --------------------------------------- | ---------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | -------- |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.command`      | string           | The command to execute to start the MCP server via standard I/O.                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.args`         | array of strings | Arguments to pass to the command.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.env`          | object           | Environment variables to set for the server process.                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.cwd`          | string           | The working directory in which to start the server.                                                                                                                                                                                                                | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.url`          | string           | The URL of an MCP server that uses Server-Sent Events (SSE) for communication.                                                                                                                                                                                     | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.httpUrl`      | string           | The URL of an MCP server that uses streamable HTTP for communication.                                                                                                                                                                                              | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.headers`      | object           | A map of HTTP headers to send with requests to `url` or `httpUrl`.                                                                                                                                                                                                 | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.timeout`      | number           | Timeout in milliseconds for requests to this MCP server.                                                                                                                                                                                                           | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.trust`        | boolean          | Trust this server and bypass all tool call confirmations.                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.description`  | string           | A brief description of the server, which may be used for display purposes.                                                                                                                                                                                         | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.includeTools` | array of strings | List of tool names to include from this MCP server. When specified, only the tools listed here will be available from this server (allowlist behavior). If not specified, all tools from the server are enabled by default.                                        | Yes      |
| `mcpServers.<SERVER_NAME>.excludeTools` | array of strings | List of tool names to exclude from this MCP server. Tools listed here will not be available to the model, even if they are exposed by the server. **Note:** `excludeTools` takes precedence over `includeTools` - if a tool is in both lists, it will be excluded. | Yes      |

#### telemetry

Configures logging and metrics collection for Qwen Code. For more information, see [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md).

| Setting                                     | Type    | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              | Default   |
| ------------------------------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------- |
| `telemetry.enabled`                         | boolean | Whether or not telemetry is enabled.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |           |
| `telemetry.target`                          | string  | Informational label for the telemetry destination (`local` or `gcp`). Does not control exporter routing; set `telemetry.otlpEndpoint` or `telemetry.outfile` to configure where data is sent.                                                                                            |           |
| `telemetry.otlpEndpoint`                    | string  | The endpoint for the OTLP Exporter.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |           |
| `telemetry.otlpProtocol`                    | string  | The protocol for the OTLP Exporter (`grpc` or `http`).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |           |
| `telemetry.logPrompts`                      | boolean | Whether or not to include the content of user prompts in the logs.                                                                                                                                                                                                                       |           |
| `telemetry.includeSensitiveSpanAttributes`  | boolean | When enabled, attaches verbatim user prompts, system prompts, tool inputs/outputs, and model responses to native OTel span attributes (in addition to log-to-span bridge spans). ⚠️ Streams sensitive data — file contents, shell commands, conversation history — to your OTLP backend. | `false`   |
| `telemetry.sensitiveSpanAttributeMaxLength` | number  | Maximum JavaScript string length for each sensitive native OTel span attribute content payload. Must be between `1` and `104857600` (100 MiB). Set lower if your collector or backend rejects large attributes.                                                                          | `1048576` |
| `telemetry.outfile`                         | string  | Path to write telemetry to a file. When set, overrides OTLP export.                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |           |

### Example `settings.json`

Here is an example of a `settings.json` file with the nested structure, new as of v0.3.0:

```
{
  "proxy": "http://localhost:7890",
  "plansDirectory": "./.qwen/plans",
  "general": {
    "vimMode": true,
    "preferredEditor": "code"
  },
  "ui": {
    "theme": "GitHub",
    "hideTips": false,
    "customWittyPhrases": [
      "You forget a thousand things every day. Make sure this is one of 'em",
      "Connecting to AGI"
    ]
  },
  "tools": {
    "approvalMode": "yolo",
    "sandbox": "docker",
    "sandboxImage": "ghcr.io/qwenlm/qwen-code:0.14.1",
    "discoveryCommand": "bin/get_tools",
    "callCommand": "bin/call_tool",
    "exclude": ["write_file"]
  },
  "mcpServers": {
    "mainServer": {
      "command": "bin/mcp_server.py"
    },
    "anotherServer": {
      "command": "node",
      "args": ["mcp_server.js", "--verbose"]
    }
  },
  "telemetry": {
    "enabled": true,
    "target": "local",
    "otlpEndpoint": "http://localhost:4317",
    "logPrompts": true,
    "includeSensitiveSpanAttributes": false,
    "sensitiveSpanAttributeMaxLength": 1048576
  },
  "privacy": {
    "usageStatisticsEnabled": true
  },
  "model": {
    "name": "qwen3-coder-plus",
    "maxSessionTurns": 10,
    "enableOpenAILogging": false,
    "openAILoggingDir": "~/qwen-logs",
  },
  "context": {
    "fileName": ["CONTEXT.md", "QWEN.md"],
    "includeDirectories": ["path/to/dir1", "~/path/to/dir2", "../path/to/dir3"],
    "loadFromIncludeDirectories": true,
    "fileFiltering": {
      "respectGitIgnore": false
    }
  },
  "advanced": {
    "excludedEnvVars": ["DEBUG", "DEBUG_MODE", "NODE_ENV"]
  }
}
```

## Shell History

The CLI keeps a history of shell commands you run. To avoid conflicts between different projects, this history is stored in a project-specific directory within your user's home folder.

- **Location:** `~/.qwen/tmp/<project_hash>/shell_history`
  - `<project_hash>` is a unique identifier generated from your project's root path.
  - The history is stored in a file named `shell_history`.

## Environment Variables & `.env` Files

Environment variables are a common way to configure applications, especially for sensitive information (like tokens) or for settings that might change between environments.

Qwen Code can automatically load environment variables from `.env` files.
For authentication-related variables (like `OPENAI_*`) and the recommended `.qwen/.env` approach, see **[Authentication](../configuration/auth)**.

> [!tip]
>
> **Environment Variable Exclusion:** Some environment variables (like `DEBUG` and `DEBUG_MODE`) are automatically excluded from project `.env` files by default to prevent interference with the CLI behavior. Variables from `.qwen/.env` files are never excluded. You can customize this behavior using the `advanced.excludedEnvVars`setting in your `settings.json` file.

### Environment Variables Table

| Variable                                             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ---------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `QWEN_HOME`                                          | Customizes the global configuration directory (default: `~/.qwen`). Accepts an absolute or relative path (relative paths are resolved from the current working directory). Leading `~` is expanded to the user's home directory.                                                                                                                                                                                 | Stores credentials, settings, memory, skills, and other global state. When set, project-level `.qwen/` directories are unaffected. An empty string is treated as unset.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| `QWEN_RUNTIME_DIR`                                   | Overrides the runtime output directory (conversations, logs, todos). When unset, defaults to the `QWEN_HOME` directory.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Use this to separate ephemeral runtime data from persistent config. Useful when `QWEN_HOME` is on a shared/slow filesystem.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_ENABLED`                             | Set to `true` or `1` to enable telemetry. Any other value is treated as disabling it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | Overrides the `telemetry.enabled` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_TARGET`                              | Sets an informational label for the telemetry destination (`local` or `gcp`). Does not control routing; use `QWEN_TELEMETRY_OTLP_ENDPOINT` or `QWEN_TELEMETRY_OUTFILE` to configure where data is sent.                                                                                                                                                                                                          | Overrides the `telemetry.target` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_OTLP_ENDPOINT`                       | Sets the OTLP endpoint for telemetry.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            | Overrides the `telemetry.otlpEndpoint` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_OTLP_PROTOCOL`                       | Sets the OTLP protocol (`grpc` or `http`).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Overrides the `telemetry.otlpProtocol` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_LOG_PROMPTS`                         | Set to `true` or `1` to enable or disable logging of user prompts. Any other value is treated as disabling it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   | Overrides the `telemetry.logPrompts` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_INCLUDE_SENSITIVE_SPAN_ATTRIBUTES`   | Set to `true` or `1` to attach verbatim user prompts, system prompts, tool I/O, and model responses to native OTel span attributes (and keep `prompt` / `function_args` / `response_text` on log-to-span bridge spans). Any other value disables it.                                                                                                                                                             | Overrides the `telemetry.includeSensitiveSpanAttributes` setting. ⚠️ Streams sensitive data to your OTLP backend.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_SENSITIVE_SPAN_ATTRIBUTE_MAX_LENGTH` | Sets the maximum JavaScript string length for each sensitive native OTel span attribute content payload. Must be a positive integer no greater than `104857600` (100 MiB).                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Overrides the `telemetry.sensitiveSpanAttributeMaxLength` setting. Default is `1048576` (1 MiB); lower it if your collector or backend rejects large span attributes.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `QWEN_TELEMETRY_OUTFILE`                             | Sets the file path to write telemetry to. When set, overrides OTLP export.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       | Overrides the `telemetry.outfile` setting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| `QWEN_SANDBOX`                                       | Alternative to the `sandbox` setting in `settings.json`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         | Accepts `true`, `false`, `docker`, `podman`, or a custom command string.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| `QWEN_SANDBOX_IMAGE`                                 | Overrides sandbox image selection for Docker/Podman.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Takes precedence over `tools.sandboxImage`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `SEATBELT_PROFILE`                                   | (macOS specific) Switches the Seatbelt (`sandbox-exec`) profile on macOS.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        | `permissive-open`: (Default) Restricts writes to the project folder (and a few other folders, see `packages/cli/src/utils/sandbox-macos-permissive-open.sb`) but allows other operations. `strict`: Uses a strict profile that declines operations by default. `<profile_name>`: Uses a custom profile. To define a custom profile, create a file named `sandbox-macos-<profile_name>.sb` in your project's `.qwen/` directory (e.g., `my-project/.qwen/sandbox-macos-custom.sb`). |
| `DEBUG` or `DEBUG_MODE`                              | (often used by underlying libraries or the CLI itself) Set to `true` or `1` to enable verbose debug logging, which can be helpful for troubleshooting.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           | **Note:** These variables are automatically excluded from project `.env` files by default to prevent interference with the CLI behavior. Use `.qwen/.env` files if you need to set these for Qwen Code specifically.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `NO_COLOR`                                           | Set to any value to disable all color output in the CLI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `FORCE_HYPERLINK`                                    | Override the OSC 8 clickable-link detection in the markdown renderer. Set to `1` (or any non-zero integer, or empty string) to force-enable; set to `0` or a non-numeric value such as `false` / `off` to force-disable. Honors `NO_COLOR` / `QWEN_DISABLE_HYPERLINKS` opt-outs above it.                                                                                                                        | Use this to opt into OSC 8 inside `tmux` / GNU `screen` (auto-detection refuses by default because the host terminal's capabilities are hidden behind the multiplexer). Requires `set -g allow-passthrough on` on tmux 3.3+. Also enables Hyper, which isn't auto-detected.                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `QWEN_DISABLE_HYPERLINKS`                            | Set to `1` to hard-disable OSC 8 clickable hyperlinks in the markdown renderer even on terminals that auto-detect as capable.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Useful when a terminal advertises support but breaks on long URLs, or when piping output through an intermediary that mangles escape sequences. The renderer falls back to plain `label (url)` rendering.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `CLI_TITLE`                                          | Set to a string to customize the title of the CLI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `CODE_ASSIST_ENDPOINT`                               | Specifies the endpoint for the code assist server.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | This is useful for development and testing.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| `QWEN_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS`                        | Overrides the default maximum output tokens per response. When not set, Qwen Code defaults to the model's declared output limit and, if a response is truncated, automatically escalates (64K floor) and recovers across turns. Set this to a specific value (e.g., `16000`) to use a fixed limit instead — useful for capacity-constrained self-hosted backends that want a lower per-request slot reservation. | Takes precedence over the model-limit default but is overridden by `samplingParams.max_tokens` in settings. Disables automatic escalation when set. Example: `export QWEN_CODE_MAX_OUTPUT_TOKENS=16000`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| `QWEN_CODE_UNATTENDED_RETRY`                         | Set to `true` or `1` to enable persistent retry mode. When enabled, transient API capacity errors (HTTP 429 Rate Limit and 529 Overloaded) are retried indefinitely with exponential backoff (capped at 5 minutes per retry) and heartbeat keepalives every 30 seconds on stderr.                                                                                                                                | Designed for CI/CD pipelines and background automation where long-running tasks should survive temporary API outages. Must be set explicitly — `CI=true` alone does **not** activate this mode. See [Headless Mode](../features/headless#persistent-retry-mode) for details. Example: `export QWEN_CODE_UNATTENDED_RETRY=1`                                                                                                                                                        |
| `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP`                          | Set to `1` to enable startup performance profiling. Writes a JSON timing report to `~/.qwen/startup-perf/` with per-phase durations.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             | Only active inside the sandbox child process (or with `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP_OUTER=1`). Zero overhead when not set. Example: `export QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP=1`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP_OUTER`                    | Set to `1` together with `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP=1` to also collect a startup profile in the outer (pre-sandbox) process. Outer-process reports get an `outer-` filename prefix to keep them distinct from the sandbox child's report.                                                                                                                                                                        | Off by default — only the sandbox child collects, to avoid duplicate reports. Useful for local development where the cli isn't relaunched into a sandbox.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP_NO_HEAP`                  | Set to `1` together with `QWEN_CODE_PROFILE_STARTUP=1` to skip the per-checkpoint `process.memoryUsage()` snapshots. Useful when measuring the profiler's own Heisenberg overhead.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               | Off by default. Heap snapshots cost ~50 µs each (well below 1% of total startup) so most users should leave this alone.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            |
| `QWEN_CODE_LEGACY_MCP_BLOCKING`                      | Set to `1` to restore the pre-progressive-MCP behavior where `Config.initialize()` waits synchronously for every configured MCP server's discover handshake before returning.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    | Off by default. Modern qwen-code lets MCP servers come online in the background while the UI is already interactive; the model sees each batch of new tools within ~16 ms of the server settling. This flag is kept as a rollback escape hatch for ≥ 1 release. Example: `export QWEN_CODE_LEGACY_MCP_BLOCKING=1`                                                                                                                                                                  |

When both user-level `.env` files define the same variable, the Qwen-specific
file wins: `<QWEN_HOME>/.env` (or `~/.qwen/.env` when `QWEN_HOME` is unset) is
loaded before `~/.env`, and existing environment values are not overwritten.

## Command-Line Arguments

Arguments passed directly when running the CLI can override other configurations for that specific session.

For sandbox image selection, precedence is:
`--sandbox-image` > `QWEN_SANDBOX_IMAGE` > `tools.sandboxImage` > built-in default image.

### Command-Line Arguments Table

| Argument                     | Alias | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Possible Values                                | Notes                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| ---------------------------- | ----- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |   |
| `--model`                    | `-m`  | Specifies the Qwen model to use for this session.                                                                                                                                                                                            | Model name                                     | Example: `npm start -- --model qwen3-coder-plus`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `--prompt`                   | `-p`  | Used to pass a prompt directly to the command. This invokes Qwen Code in a non-interactive mode.                                                                                                                                             | Your prompt text                               | For scripting examples, use the `--output-format json` flag to get structured output.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
| `--prompt-interactive`       | `-i`  | Starts an interactive session with the provided prompt as the initial input.                                                                                                                                                                 | Your prompt text                               | The prompt is processed within the interactive session, not before it. Cannot be used when piping input from stdin. Example: `qwen -i "explain this code"`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `--system-prompt`            |       | Overrides the built-in main session system prompt for this run.                                                                                                                                                                              | Your prompt text                               | Loaded context files such as `QWEN.md` are still appended after this override. Can be combined with `--append-system-prompt`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
| `--append-system-prompt`     |       | Appends extra instructions to the main session system prompt for this run.                                                                                                                                                                   | Your prompt text                               | Applied after the built-in prompt and loaded context files. Can be combined with `--system-prompt`. See [Headless Mode](../features/headless) for examples.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| `--output-format`            | `-o`  | Specifies the format of the CLI output for non-interactive mode.                                                                                                                                                                             | `text`, `json`, `stream-json`                  | `text`: (Default) The standard human-readable output. `json`: A machine-readable JSON output emitted at the end of execution. `stream-json`: Streaming JSON messages emitted as they occur during execution. For structured output and scripting, use the `--output-format json` or `--output-format stream-json` flag. See [Headless Mode](../features/headless) for detailed information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
| `--input-format`             |       | Specifies the format consumed from standard input.                                                                                                                                                                                           | `text`, `stream-json`                          | `text`: (Default) Standard text input from stdin or command-line arguments. `stream-json`: JSON message protocol via stdin for bidirectional communication. Requirement: `--input-format stream-json` requires `--output-format stream-json` to be set. When using `stream-json`, stdin is reserved for protocol messages. See [Headless Mode](../features/headless) for detailed information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| `--include-partial-messages` |       | Include partial assistant messages when using `stream-json` output format. When enabled, emits stream events (message_start, content_block_delta, etc.) as they occur during streaming.                                                      |                                                | Default: `false`. Requirement: Requires `--output-format stream-json` to be set. See [Headless Mode](../features/headless) for detailed information about stream events.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `--sandbox`                  | `-s`  | Enables sandbox mode for this session.                                                                                                                                                                                                       |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--sandbox-image`            |       | Sets the sandbox image URI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--debug`                    | `-d`  | Enables debug mode for this session, providing more verbose output.                                                                                                                                                                          |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--help`                     | `-h`  | Displays help information about command-line arguments.                                                                                                                                                                                      |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--yolo`                     |       | Enables YOLO mode, which automatically approves all tool calls.                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--approval-mode`            |       | Sets the approval mode for tool calls.                                                                                                                                                                                                       | `plan`, `default`, `auto-edit`, `auto`, `yolo` | Supported modes: `plan`: Analyze only—do not modify files or execute commands. `default`: Require approval for file edits or shell commands (default behavior). `auto-edit`: Automatically approve edit tools (`edit`, `write_file`, `notebook_edit`) while prompting for others. `auto`: LLM classifier auto-approves safe actions and blocks risky ones. `yolo`: Automatically approve all tool calls (equivalent to `--yolo`). Cannot be used together with `--yolo`. Use `--approval-mode=yolo` instead of `--yolo` for the new unified approach. Example: `qwen --approval-mode auto-edit`<br>See more about [Approval Mode](../features/approval-mode). |
| `--allowed-tools`            |       | A comma-separated list of tool names that will bypass the confirmation dialog.                                                                                                                                                               | Tool names                                     | Example: `qwen --allowed-tools "Shell(git status)"`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| `--disabled-slash-commands`  |       | Slash command names to hide/disable (comma-separated or repeated). Unioned with the `slashCommands.disabled` setting and the `QWEN_DISABLED_SLASH_COMMANDS` environment variable. Matched case-insensitively against the final command name. | Command names                                  | Example: `qwen --disabled-slash-commands "auth,mcp,extensions"`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--telemetry`                |       | Enables [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md).                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--telemetry-target`         |       | Sets the telemetry target.                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |                                                | See [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md) for more information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `--telemetry-otlp-endpoint`  |       | Sets the OTLP endpoint for telemetry.                                                                                                                                                                                                        |                                                | See [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md) for more information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `--telemetry-otlp-protocol`  |       | Sets the OTLP protocol for telemetry (`grpc` or `http`).                                                                                                                                                                                     |                                                | Defaults to `grpc`. See [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md) for more information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |
| `--telemetry-log-prompts`    |       | Enables logging of prompts for telemetry.                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                | See [telemetry](../../developers/development/telemetry.md) for more information.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| `--acp`                      |       | Enables ACP mode (Agent Client Protocol). Useful for IDE/editor integrations like [Zed](../integration-zed).                                                                                                                                 |                                                | Stable. Replaces the deprecated `--experimental-acp` flag.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
| `--experimental-lsp`         |       | Enables experimental [LSP (Language Server Protocol)](../features/lsp) feature for code intelligence (go-to-definition, find references, diagnostics, etc.).                                                                                 |                                                | Experimental. Requires language servers to be installed.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `--extensions`               | `-e`  | Specifies a list of extensions to use for the session.                                                                                                                                                                                       | Extension names                                | If not provided, all available extensions are used. Use the special term `qwen -e none` to disable all extensions. Example: `qwen -e my-extension -e my-other-extension`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      |
| `--list-extensions`          | `-l`  | Lists all available extensions and exits.                                                                                                                                                                                                    |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--proxy`                    |       | Sets the proxy for the CLI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                  | Proxy URL                                      | Example: `--proxy http://localhost:7890`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| `--include-directories`      |       | Includes additional directories in the workspace for multi-directory support.                                                                                                                                                                | Directory paths                                | Can be specified multiple times or as comma-separated values. 5 directories can be added at maximum. Example: `--include-directories /path/to/project1,/path/to/project2` or `--include-directories /path/to/project1 --include-directories /path/to/project2`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| `--screen-reader`            |       | Enables screen reader mode, which adjusts the TUI for better compatibility with screen readers.                                                                                                                                              |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--version`                  |       | Displays the version of the CLI.                                                                                                                                                                                                             |                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| `--openai-logging`           |       | Enables logging of OpenAI API calls for debugging and analysis.                                                                                                                                                                              |                                                | This flag overrides the `enableOpenAILogging` setting in `settings.json`.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     |
| `--openai-logging-dir`       |       | Sets a custom directory path for OpenAI API logs.                                                                                                                                                                                            | Directory path                                 | This flag overrides the `openAILoggingDir` setting in `settings.json`. Supports absolute paths, relative paths, and `~` expansion. Example: `qwen --openai-logging-dir "~/qwen-logs" --openai-logging`                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |

## Context Files (Hierarchical Instructional Context)

While not strictly configuration for the CLI's _behavior_, context files (defaulting to `QWEN.md` but configurable via the `context.fileName` setting) are crucial for configuring the _instructional context_ (also referred to as "memory"). This powerful feature allows you to give project-specific instructions, coding style guides, or any relevant background information to the AI, making its responses more tailored and accurate to your needs. The CLI includes UI elements, such as an indicator in the footer showing the number of loaded context files, to keep you informed about the active context.

- **Purpose:** These Markdown files contain instructions, guidelines, or context that you want the Qwen model to be aware of during your interactions. The system is designed to manage this instructional context hierarchically.

### Example Context File Content (e.g. `QWEN.md`)

Here's a conceptual example of what a context file at the root of a TypeScript project might contain:

```
# Project: My Awesome TypeScript Library

## General Instructions:
- When generating new TypeScript code, please follow the existing coding style.
- Ensure all new functions and classes have JSDoc comments.
- Prefer functional programming paradigms where appropriate.
- All code should be compatible with TypeScript 5.0 and Node.js 22+.

## Coding Style:
- Use 2 spaces for indentation.
- Interface names should be prefixed with `I` (e.g., `IUserService`).
- Private class members should be prefixed with an underscore (`_`).
- Always use strict equality (`===` and `!==`).

## Specific Component: `src/api/client.ts`
- This file handles all outbound API requests.
- When adding new API call functions, ensure they include robust error handling and logging.
- Use the existing `fetchWithRetry` utility for all GET requests.

## Regarding Dependencies:
- Avoid introducing new external dependencies unless absolutely necessary.
- If a new dependency is required, please state the reason.
```

This example demonstrates how you can provide general project context, specific coding conventions, and even notes about particular files or components. The more relevant and precise your context files are, the better the AI can assist you. Project-specific context files are highly encouraged to establish conventions and context.

- **Hierarchical Loading and Precedence:** The CLI implements a hierarchical memory system by loading context files (e.g., `QWEN.md`) from several locations. Content from files lower in this list (more specific) typically overrides or supplements content from files higher up (more general). The exact concatenation order and final context can be inspected from the `/memory` dialog. The typical loading order is:
  1. **Global Context File:**
     - Location: `~/.qwen/<configured-context-filename>` (e.g., `~/.qwen/QWEN.md` in your user home directory).
     - Scope: Provides default instructions for all your projects.
  2. **Project Root & Ancestors Context Files:**
     - Location: The CLI searches for the configured context file in the current working directory and then in each parent directory up to either the project root (identified by a `.git` folder) or your home directory.
     - Scope: Provides context relevant to the entire project or a significant portion of it.
- **Concatenation & UI Indication:** The contents of all found context files are concatenated (with separators indicating their origin and path) and provided as part of the system prompt. The CLI footer displays the count of loaded context files, giving you a quick visual cue about the active instructional context.
- **Importing Content:** You can modularize your context files by importing other Markdown files using the `@path/to/file.md` syntax. For more details, see the [Memory documentation](../features/memory.md).
- **Commands for Memory Management:**
  - Use `/memory` to open the memory management dialog.
  - Refresh memory from the dialog to re-scan and reload context files from all configured locations.
  - See the [Commands documentation](../features/commands.md) for full details on the `/memory` command.

By understanding and utilizing these configuration layers and the hierarchical nature of context files, you can effectively manage the AI's memory and tailor Qwen Code's responses to your specific needs and projects.

## Sandbox

Qwen Code can execute potentially unsafe operations (like shell commands and file modifications) within a sandboxed environment to protect your system.

[Sandbox](../features/sandbox) is disabled by default, but you can enable it in a few ways:

- Using `--sandbox` or `-s` flag.
- Setting `QWEN_SANDBOX` environment variable.
- Setting `tools.sandbox` in settings.

> ⚠️ **`--yolo` does _not_ automatically enable a sandbox.** YOLO mode only auto-approves tool calls; sandboxing must still be opted into via `--sandbox`, `QWEN_SANDBOX`, or `tools.sandbox`. In headless / non-interactive runs with `--yolo` (or `--approval-mode=yolo`) and no sandbox, the model can execute shell, write, and edit tools at the current process's privilege level — Qwen Code prints a warning to stderr in that case. Suppress with `QWEN_CODE_SUPPRESS_YOLO_WARNING=1` once you've reviewed the trade-off.

By default, it uses a pre-built `qwen-code-sandbox` Docker image.

For project-specific sandboxing needs, you can create a custom Dockerfile at `.qwen/sandbox.Dockerfile` in your project's root directory. This Dockerfile can be based on the base sandbox image:

```
FROM qwen-code-sandbox
# Add your custom dependencies or configurations here
# For example:
# RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y some-package
# COPY ./my-config /app/my-config
```

When `.qwen/sandbox.Dockerfile` exists, you can use `BUILD_SANDBOX` environment variable when running Qwen Code to automatically build the custom sandbox image:

```
BUILD_SANDBOX=1 qwen -s
```

## Usage Statistics

To help us improve Qwen Code, we collect anonymized usage statistics. This data helps us understand how the CLI is used, identify common issues, and prioritize new features.

**What we collect:**

- **Tool Calls:** We log the names of the tools that are called, whether they succeed or fail, and how long they take to execute. We do not collect the arguments passed to the tools or any data returned by them.
- **API Requests:** We log the model used for each request, the duration of the request, and whether it was successful. We do not collect the content of the prompts or responses.
- **Session Information:** We collect information about the configuration of the CLI, such as the enabled tools and the approval mode.

**What we DON'T collect:**

- **Personally Identifiable Information (PII):** We do not collect any personal information, such as your name, email address, or API keys.
- **Prompt and Response Content:** We do not log the content of your prompts or the responses from the model.
- **File Content:** We do not log the content of any files that are read or written by the CLI.

**How to opt out:**

You can opt out of usage statistics collection at any time by setting the `usageStatisticsEnabled` property to `false` under the `privacy` category in your `settings.json` file:

```
{
  "privacy": {
    "usageStatisticsEnabled": false
  }
}
```

> [!note]
>
> When usage statistics are enabled, events are sent to an Alibaba Cloud RUM collection endpoint.
