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Global Preferences

Configure system-wide settings for Dexto that apply across all agents and sessions.

Complete Reference

For complete field documentation, validation rules, and API specifications, see agent.yml → Global Preferences.

Overview​

Global preferences are stored in ~/.dexto/preferences.yml and provide system-wide defaults for LLM configuration, default agents, and setup status.

Key features:

  • System-wide LLM configuration (provider, model, API key)
  • Default agent management
  • Automatic preference injection into new agents
  • Setup completion tracking

Preferences Structure​

llm:
  provider: anthropic
  model: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
  apiKey: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

defaults:
  defaultAgent: default-agent
  defaultMode: web  # web | cli | server | discord | telegram | mcp

setup:
  completed: true

Configuration Sections​

LLM Section​

Global AI provider configuration used as defaults for all agents:

llm:
  provider: openai          # openai, anthropic, google, groq, cohere
  model: gpt-5-mini         # Valid model for provider
  apiKey: $OPENAI_API_KEY   # Environment variable reference (required)

Required fields:

  • provider - LLM provider name
  • model - Model identifier for the provider
  • apiKey - Must be environment variable reference ($VAR_NAME)

API key format:

  • Must start with $
  • Uppercase letters, numbers, underscores only
  • Pattern: ^\$[A-Z_][A-Z0-9_]*$

Valid: $OPENAI_API_KEY, $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY Invalid: sk-proj-..., openai_key, $lowercase

Defaults Section​

Default CLI behavior and mode selection:

defaults:
  defaultAgent: default-agent  # Agent to use when none specified
  defaultMode: web             # Run mode when --mode flag not specified

Fields:

  • defaultAgent - Agent name to use when no --agent flag is provided
  • defaultMode - Run mode when no --mode flag is provided (default: web)
    • cli - Interactive terminal mode
    • web - Web UI mode (default)
    • server - API server mode
    • discord - Discord bot mode
    • telegram - Telegram bot mode
    • mcp - MCP server mode

Setup Section​

Setup completion tracking:

setup:
  completed: true  # Whether initial setup has run

Setup Command​

Create or update preferences:

Interactive Setup​

dexto setup

Guides you through provider selection, model choice, and API key configuration.

Non-Interactive Setup​

dexto setup --provider anthropic --model claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929

Options:

  • --provider - AI provider
  • --model - Model name
  • --default-agent - Default agent name
  • --force - Overwrite existing setup
  • --interactive - Enable/disable interactive mode

How Preferences Work​

Agent Resolution Flow​

  1. Explicit agent specified - Uses the specified agent
  2. Project context - Looks for project-local agents
  3. Global CLI context - Uses defaults.defaultAgent
  4. No preferences - Prompts to run dexto setup

Preference Injection​

When installing agents, global preferences are automatically injected:

dexto install code-helper
# Agent receives your LLM provider, model, and API key

Preference Precedence​

Highest to lowest:

  1. CLI arguments - Explicit overrides
  2. Agent configuration - Agent's YAML file
  3. Global preferences - ~/.dexto/preferences.yml

Common Configurations​

OpenAI​

llm:
  provider: openai
  model: gpt-5-mini
  apiKey: $OPENAI_API_KEY

Anthropic​

llm:
  provider: anthropic
  model: claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929
  apiKey: $ANTHROPIC_API_KEY

Google​

llm:
  provider: google
  model: gemini-2.0-flash
  apiKey: $GOOGLE_GENERATIVE_AI_API_KEY

Best Practices​

  1. Keep API keys in environment - Never store literal keys
  2. Use consistent naming - Follow provider conventions
  3. Run setup after changes - Re-run when switching providers
  4. Verify after edits - Run a command to validate changes
  5. Set reliable default agent - For predictable CLI behavior
  6. Configure default mode - Set defaultMode: cli if you prefer terminal interaction, or keep defaultMode: web for UI-first workflows

File Location​

Always at: ~/.dexto/preferences.yml

Updating Preferences​

Manual Editing​

Edit ~/.dexto/preferences.yml directly, ensuring:

  • Valid YAML syntax
  • API keys are environment variable references
  • Provider and model are compatible
  • All required fields present

Re-run Setup​

dexto setup

See Also​