How the Claude Video Config File (~/.config/watch/.env) Is Loaded and Parsed

The Claude Video skill loads user settings from ~/.config/watch/.env by parsing it line-by-line in skills/watch/scripts/config.py, resolving the WATCH_DETAIL variable through a priority chain of environment variables, file values, and safe defaults.

The bradautomates/claude-video repository externalizes user-specific settings to keep secrets out of source control while allowing control over video processing behavior. Understanding exactly how the Claude Video config file is loaded and parsed helps you debug invalid settings and securely manage API credentials.

Where the Claude Video Config File Is Located

The configuration path is constructed using Python’s pathlib module. In skills/watch/scripts/config.py (lines 9‑10), the code defines the expected location as:

CONFIG_DIR = Path.home() / ".config" / "watch"
CONFIG_FILE = CONFIG_DIR / ".env"

This resolves to $HOME/.config/watch/.env on Unix-like systems and the equivalent user profile location on Windows. The skill expects this file to contain lowercase environment-style variables, though the parser is resilient to missing files or malformed entries.

Parsing the .env File with read_env_file

The core parsing logic resides in the read_env_file function (lines 17‑45). This implementation reads the file line-by-line and performs the following sanitization:

• Empty lines and comments — Lines starting with # or containing only whitespace are skipped.
• Key-value splitting — Valid entries are split on the first = into KEY and VALUE.
• Quote unwrapping — Values wrapped in single or double quotes have the quotes removed.
• Comment stripping — Inline comments (e.g., KEY=value # note) are stripped only when the # follows whitespace and the value is unquoted, protecting secrets that legitimately contain # characters.

The function returns a flat dictionary of raw string key-value pairs.

Resolving Configuration Values with get_config

After parsing, the get_config function (lines 48‑62) resolves the final configuration using a strict precedence order:

file_values = read_env_file()
detail = (
    os.environ.get("WATCH_DETAIL")
    or file_values.get("WATCH_DETAIL")
    or DEFAULT_DETAIL
)
if detail not in DETAILS:
    detail = DEFAULT_DETAIL

The priority chain works as follows:

1. Environment variable — Checks os.environ for WATCH_DETAIL first, allowing temporary overrides.
2. File value — Falls back to the value loaded from ~/.config/watch/.env.
3. Default — If neither is present or the value is invalid, defaults to "balanced".

The function returns a dictionary containing the resolved detail mode and the absolute config_file path (lines 59‑62), which is then imported by watch.py (line 71) and setup.py (line 32) to drive frame-extraction behavior.

Practical Usage Examples

To retrieve the current configuration programmatically:

from skills.watch.scripts.config import get_config

cfg = get_config()
print("Detail mode:", cfg["detail"])
print("Config file path:", cfg["config_file"])

To override the detail mode for a single execution without modifying the .env file:

export WATCH_DETAIL=efficient
python -m skills.watch.scripts.watch <video-url>

A valid ~/.config/watch/.env file looks like this:

WATCH_DETAIL="balanced"

# Lines starting with # are ignored

Summary

• The Claude Video config file is expected at ~/.config/watch/.env as defined in skills/watch/scripts/config.py lines 9‑10.
• The read_env_file function (lines 17‑45) parses the file with safeguards for comments and quoted values containing #.
• get_config (lines 48‑62) resolves WATCH_DETAIL using the priority: environment variable → file value → default "balanced".
• Downstream scripts like watch.py and setup.py import get_config to apply user settings without hardcoding secrets.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens if WATCH_DETAIL is not set anywhere?

If the environment variable is unset and the .env file is missing or empty, get_config falls back to the DEFAULT_DETAIL constant (set to "balanced"). If the provided value is not in the allowed DETAILS list, it also defaults to "balanced".

How does the parser handle values containing # characters?

The read_env_file logic only strips inline comments when the # follows whitespace and the value is unquoted. This means SECRET_KEY=abc#123 keeps the #, while SECRET_KEY=abc #123 truncates at the space. Quoted values like SECRET_KEY="abc#123" preserve the # regardless of spacing.

Where is the config file located on Windows?

Because the code uses Path.home(), the directory resolves to %USERPROFILE%\.config\watch\.env on Windows systems. The pathlib abstraction ensures cross-platform compatibility without manual path separators.

Can I override settings temporarily without editing the .env file?

Yes. According to the implementation in get_config, setting the WATCH_DETAIL environment variable takes precedence over the file value. Export the variable in your shell session or prepend it to a single command to override the config file for that execution only.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}