config

View and modify global configurations and strategy parameters

Overview

The config command allows you to view and modify both global Hummingbot settings and strategy-specific parameters. It provides an interactive way to customize bot behavior without manually editing configuration files.

Basic Usage

View All Configurations

config

Displays all configurable settings organized into:

• Global Configurations: System-wide settings
• Color Settings: Terminal UI customization
• Strategy Configurations: Active strategy parameters (if a strategy is loaded)

Example output:

Global Configurations:
    Key                              Value
    kill_switch_mode                 False
    kill_switch_rate                 -100
    mqtt_bridge                      False
    gateway_api_host                 localhost
    gateway_api_port                 15888
    rate_oracle_source               binance
    global_token_symbol              USD
    tables_format                    psql

Color Settings:
    Key               Value
    top_pane          #000000
    bottom_pane       #000000
    output_pane       #262626
    ...

Modifying Configuration

Interactive Mode

config [key]

Enter the configuration key you want to modify, and Hummingbot will:

1. Show the current value
2. Prompt for a new value
3. Validate the input
4. Save the change

Example:

config kill_switch_rate
# Prompt: "What is the threshold for the kill switch rate? >>> "
# Enter: -5
# Result: Kill switch will trigger if portfolio drops 5%

Direct Mode

config [key] [value]

key · string · required

The configuration parameter name

value · string · required

The new value to set

Example:

config global_token_symbol EUR
config kill_switch_rate -10

Global Configuration Options

Trading Controls

kill_switch_mode · boolean · default: "False"

Enable automatic shutdown when portfolio value drops below threshold

kill_switch_rate · decimal · default: "-100"

Percentage loss threshold for kill switch (e.g., -5 for 5% loss)

rate_limits_share_pct · decimal · default: "100"

Percentage of exchange rate limits to use (100 = full limits)

Gateway Configuration

gateway_api_host · string · default: "localhost"

Gateway server hostname

gateway_api_port · integer · default: "15888"

Gateway server port

gateway_use_ssl · boolean · default: "False"

Use SSL/TLS for Gateway connection

Rate Oracle

rate_oracle_source · string · default: "binance"

Data source for asset price conversions (binance, coingecko, etc.)

global_token_symbol · string · default: "USD"

Reference currency for portfolio valuation

MQTT Integration

mqtt_bridge · boolean · default: "False"

Enable MQTT message broker integration

mqtt_host · string

MQTT broker hostname

mqtt_port · integer · default: "1883"

MQTT broker port

mqtt_username · string

MQTT authentication username

mqtt_password · string

MQTT authentication password (secure)

Display Options

tables_format · string · default: "psql"

Table formatting style (psql, simple, grid, etc.)

tick_size · integer · default: "1"

Update frequency for live displays (in seconds)

Timeouts

create_command_timeout · decimal · default: "30"

Timeout for strategy creation in seconds

other_commands_timeout · decimal · default: "30"

Timeout for other network operations in seconds

Strategy Configuration

When a strategy is loaded, you can modify its parameters:

config order_amount 0.5
config bid_spread 0.5
config ask_spread 0.5

Hot Reload (No Restart Required)

For Pure Market Making and Perpetual Market Making strategies, certain parameters can be changed while the bot is running:

Percentage-based parameters:

• bid_spread
• ask_spread
• order_level_spread
• inventory_target_base_pct

Other hot-reload parameters:

• order_amount
• order_levels
• filled_order_delay
• inventory_skew_enabled
• price_ceiling / price_floor
• Order optimization settings

When you modify these parameters, the running strategy automatically updates without requiring a restart.

Parameters Requiring Restart

Most other strategy parameters require you to stop and restart the bot:

stop
config exchange binance
start

Special Configuration Prompts

Inventory Target Base Percentage

config inventory_target_base_pct

This triggers a special prompt that:

1. Fetches your current balances
2. Calculates your current asset ratio
3. Asks if you want to maintain this ratio
4. Allows you to set a custom ratio if desired

Inventory Price

config inventory_price

Prompts for your asset acquisition cost to calculate accurate P&L.

Color Settings

Customize the terminal UI colors:

config top_pane
config bottom_pane
config output_pane
config input_pane
config logs_pane
config terminal_primary

Enter hex color codes (e.g., #FF5733) or color names.

Implementation Details

The config command is implemented in /hummingbot/client/command/config_command.py:99 and provides:

• Dual mode support: Works with both legacy ConfigVar and modern ClientConfigAdapter
• Type validation: Ensures values match expected types (bool, decimal, string, etc.)
• Secure handling: Passwords and API keys are hidden during input
• Persistent storage: Changes are saved to YAML configuration files
• Hot reload: Certain strategy parameters update without restart

Configuration Files

Changes are saved to:

• Global settings: conf/conf_client.yml
• Strategy settings: conf/strategies/<strategy_file>.yml

Manually editing configuration files while the bot is running may cause conflicts. Always use the config command or stop the bot before editing files.

Common Use Cases

Enable Kill Switch Protection

config kill_switch_mode True
config kill_switch_rate -5

Bot will automatically stop if portfolio drops by 5%.

Configure Gateway for DEX Trading

config gateway_api_host localhost
config gateway_api_port 15888
config gateway_use_ssl False

Change Portfolio Display Currency

config global_token_symbol EUR

All balance displays will show values in EUR.

Increase Network Timeouts

config other_commands_timeout 60

Useful if you have a slower network connection.

Troubleshooting

Invalid Key Error

If you see “Invalid key, please choose from the list”:

1. Run config without arguments to see all available keys
2. Check spelling and capitalization
3. Ensure a strategy is loaded for strategy-specific configs

Validation Errors

If input validation fails:

1. Check the expected type (boolean, decimal, string)
2. Ensure numeric values are in valid ranges
3. For booleans, use True/False or Yes/No

Changes Not Applied

If configuration changes don’t take effect:

1. Check if the parameter requires a restart
2. Stop and start the bot
3. Verify the change was saved in the config file

Related Commands

• create - Set initial strategy configuration
• balance - Configure balance limits (also saves to config)
• connect - Configure exchange API keys