Settings files

Both files are YAML and reload when you save them. Most settings can also be changed on your parent page.

openbuddies.yaml

The household’s settings, in the root of the household folder.

parent:
  name: David
  title: Dad              # what your children call you
  pin_hash: …             # your PIN, hashed (argon2id)
models:                   # provider/model
  tutor: anthropic/claude-sonnet-5-5
  check: anthropic/claude-haiku-5-5
port: 4747
budget:
  daily_tokens_per_child: 400000
session_idle_minutes: 30  # a new sitting starts after this long without a message
apps:
  catalogues: []          # https links to app catalogues

Setting	Default	What it does
`models.tutor`	chosen in `init`	The model that talks with your child, as `provider/model`: `anthropic/claude-sonnet-5-5`, `openai/gpt-5.5`, `openrouter/google/gemini-3.5-flash`…
`models.check`	chosen in `init`	The smaller model used for the safety checks: `anthropic/claude-haiku-5-5`, `openai/gpt-5.4-mini`…

The two models can come from different providers. Each provider needs its key in .env (see Environment variables). OpenBuddies is tuned for the Anthropic and OpenAI models above. With any other model, openbuddies status shows a warning: the safety checks depend on the check model, so try it with the evals in a copy of the OpenBuddies repo (pnpm eval -- --tutor <model> --check <model>) before your child uses it. | port | 4747 | The port the server listens on. | | budget.daily_tokens_per_child | 400000 | Each child’s daily allowance, unless their rules.yaml sets one. | | session_idle_minutes | 30 | Minutes without a message before a new sitting starts. | | apps.catalogues | none | App catalogues you’ve added. |

rules.yaml

One per child, in children/<child>/rules.yaml.

default_mode: strict
subjects:
  history:
    mode: relaxed
hint_ladder: [ask, nudge, worked_example, check]
max_leak_retries: 2
alerts:
  welfare:
    sensitivity: high
hours:
  weekdays: "16:00-19:30"
  weekends: "09:00-18:00"
daily_tokens: 300000
web:
  mode: trusted
  sites: [bbc.co.uk]
  blocked: []
  daily_lookups: 30
apps:
  spelling-bee: on
pictures:
  daily: 6
heartbeat:
  mode: on
  at: "16:30"

Setting	Default	What it does
`default_mode`	chosen in `init`	The child’s help level: `strict`, `balanced` or `relaxed`.
`subjects.<subject>.mode`	the child’s level	A help level for one subject. Subjects not listed use `default_mode`.
`hint_ladder`	`[ask, nudge, worked_example, check]`	The steps of help, in order.
`max_leak_retries`	`2`	How many times a reply that gives the answer away is rewritten before a safe fallback is sent.
`alerts.welfare.sensitivity`	`high`	How readily worrying messages alert you: `high`, `medium` or `low`.
`hours.weekdays` / `hours.weekends`	any time	When the child can use OpenBuddies, as `HH:MM-HH:MM`.
`daily_tokens`	the household budget	This child’s daily AI allowance. At least 10,000.
`web.mode`	`open`	Looking things up: `off`, `trusted` or `open`.
`web.sites`	none	Extra trusted sites.
`web.blocked`	none	Sites that are never used.
`web.daily_lookups`	`30`	Lookups a day.
`apps.<app>`	off for added apps	Turns an added app `on` or `off` for this child. Built-in apps are on.
`pictures.daily`	`6`	Pictures a day in Picture Studio.
`heartbeat.mode` / `heartbeat.at`	`on`, `16:30`	The daily check-in, when a buddy may say something useful (a test tomorrow, say).