Configuration

Lookout reads lookout.yaml (override with --config or LOOKOUT_CONFIG). Start from lookout.example.yaml. Errors name the file, the key and the expected form.

Secrets never go in the file: set LOOKOUT_LLM_API_KEY in the environment if your endpoint needs a key. LOOKOUT_DATABASE and LOOKOUT_DASHBOARD_DIR give defaults for database and dashboard_dir (the container image sets them); a key in the file wins.

Keys

channels (your categories) and sources only seed the dashboard on the first start (see sources and categories); everything else below is read at every start.

Key	Default	What
database	data/lookout.db	The SQLite file. A copy is the whole backup.
llm	Ollama on localhost	base_url, model, daily_limit (model calls per day, default 200; with a local model that costs nothing, raise it, for example to 2000), summary_chars (default 400).
interests	empty	A sentence told to the model so scores reflect you.
channels	only Other	The topics you look at, each with a name and a one-line description the model uses. Other always exists. See channels.
stack	empty	What you depend on: name, optional ecosystem, aliases and version (quote it). Drives the priority rules.
thresholds	p0 90, p1 70, p2 40	Lowest score of each band. Must satisfy p0 > p1 > p2.
retention	30, 30 days; expiry p0 never, p1 30, p2 14, p3 7	How long things stay (see keeping the inbox small): max_age_days (entries older than this are not stored, per source override), rules_window_days (older items get no rule floor) and expire_after_days per level p0 to p3 (0 = never).
personalization	30 days, 5 signals	half_life_days and minimum_signals. See personalization.
github	auto	via: auto (your gh login if you have one, else LOOKOUT_GITHUB_TOKEN or GITHUB_TOKEN), gh or token. See sources.
schedule	60	interval_minutes between runs while serving; 0 turns the schedule off.
dashboard_dir	frontend/dist	The built dashboard that lookout serve serves.
body_limit	4000	Characters of an item's text kept and sent to the model.
sources	empty	See sources.

Using another model

Any OpenAI-compatible endpoint works:

llm:
  base_url: https://openrouter.ai/api/v1
  model: anthropic/claude-haiku-5-5
  daily_limit: 100

export LOOKOUT_LLM_API_KEY=...

Then check it with lookout doctor.