Where Is the bradautomates/claude-video Configuration File? A Complete Guide to Settings

The configuration for the watch skill in bradautomates/claude-video lives in ~/.config/watch/.env, a dot-env file that stores API keys and detail preferences and is automatically created by the installer if missing.

The bradautomates/claude-video repository provides a Claude-powered video analysis skill called watch that requires persistent configuration for API credentials and processing modes. Understanding where this configuration lives and how it is parsed is essential for customizing the tool's behavior.

Configuration File Location and Structure

The bradautomates/claude-video configuration file uses the standard dot-env format and resides in a dedicated XDG-compatible directory.

Default Path: ~/.config/watch/.env

The configuration file is stored at ~/.config/watch/.env on your local filesystem. This location is not inside the repository directory but in the user's home configuration folder, ensuring that sensitive API keys and personal preferences persist across repository updates and are excluded from version control.

This path is constructed at runtime in skills/watch/scripts/config.py where the constant CONFIG_FILE is defined as follows:

# From skills/watch/scripts/config.py (lines 9-11)

import os
CONFIG_DIR = os.path.expanduser("~/.config/watch")
CONFIG_FILE = os.path.join(CONFIG_DIR, ".env")

Directory Creation and Permissions

The installer at skills/watch/scripts/setup.py automatically creates the ~/.config/watch/ directory if it does not exist during the first run. It also enforces strict file permissions, setting the .env file to 600 (read/write for owner only) to protect sensitive API keys from other system users.

What the Configuration File Contains

The bradautomates/claude-video configuration file stores user-editable defaults and authentication credentials required by the watch skill.

Core Settings

• WATCH_DETAIL: Controls the analysis verbosity level. Valid options include balanced (default), efficient, token-burner, and transcript.
• GROQ_API_KEY: Your API key for Groq's Whisper implementation.
• OPENAI_API_KEY: Your API key for OpenAI's Whisper implementation (only one provider is required).

Configuration Hierarchy

When the watch skill runs, get_config() in skills/watch/scripts/config.py merges three sources of configuration (lines 48-61):

1. Environment variables (highest priority)
2. The .env file at ~/.config/watch/.env
3. Built-in defaults (lowest priority, balanced mode)

This hierarchy allows you to temporarily override settings via environment variables without editing the file.

How the Configuration Is Read and Parsed

The bradautomates/claude-video repository includes robust parsing logic in skills/watch/scripts/config.py that handles the dot-env file format, including comments and quoted values.

The get_config() Function

The primary interface for reading configuration is the get_config() function:

# Example: reading the current configuration

from skills.watch.scripts import config

cfg = config.get_config()
print(cfg)

# → {'detail': 'balanced', 'config_file': '/home/you/.config/watch/.env'}

Parsing Implementation Details

According to the source code in skills/watch/scripts/config.py, the parser processes the file line-by-line to strip comments (lines beginning with #) and handle quoted strings. This ensures that values like "token-burner" or 'balanced' are correctly unwrapped before being stored in the configuration dictionary.

Creating and Editing the Configuration File

You can manually create or edit the bradautomates/claude-video configuration file, or let the installer scaffold it automatically.

Manual Configuration

Create the file manually to set your preferred defaults and API keys:

# Create the config directory and file

mkdir -p ~/.config/watch

# Write configuration

cat > ~/.config/watch/.env <<EOF

# Preferred frame detail mode (balanced, efficient, token-burner, transcript)

WATCH_DETAIL=efficient

# Whisper API keys (only one is required)

GROQ_API_KEY=your-groq-key-here
#OPENAI_API_KEY=your-openai-key-here
EOF

# Set secure permissions (enforced by the installer)

chmod 600 ~/.config/watch/.env

Automatic Creation via setup.py

The installer script at skills/watch/scripts/setup.py (lines 130-135) automatically creates the .env file with placeholder comments if it detects the file is missing. Run the setup check to scaffold the configuration:

# Let the installer scaffold the file (run once)

python3 skills/watch/scripts/setup.py --check

# → scaffolds ~/.config/watch/.env with placeholder comments and SETUP_COMPLETE=true if missing

Security Best Practices

Since the bradautomates/claude-video configuration file contains sensitive API keys:

• Never commit the .env file to version control. The repository's .gitignore should exclude ~/.config/watch/ or any .env files.
• Restrict permissions: The installer automatically runs chmod 600 ~/.config/watch/.env, but verify this if you create the file manually.
• Use environment variables for temporary overrides when sharing systems or running in CI/CD pipelines to avoid writing credentials to disk.

Summary

• The bradautomates/claude-video configuration file is located at ~/.config/watch/.env, defined as CONFIG_FILE in skills/watch/scripts/config.py.
• It stores persistent settings including WATCH_DETAIL mode and Whisper API keys (GROQ_API_KEY, OPENAI_API_KEY).
• The get_config() function in skills/watch/scripts/config.py merges environment variables, the dot-env file, and built-in defaults.
• The setup.py installer automatically creates the file with secure permissions (600) if it does not exist.
• All temporary data (downloads, frames, transcripts) lives in per-run temporary folders that are cleaned up automatically; the .env file is the only persistent state.

Frequently Asked Questions

Where exactly is the bradautomates/claude-video configuration file stored?

The configuration file is stored at ~/.config/watch/.env in your home directory. This path is constructed in skills/watch/scripts/config.py and is independent of where you cloned the repository.

What happens if I delete the ~/.config/watch/.env file?

If you delete the configuration file, the watch skill will still function using built-in defaults (WATCH_DETAIL=balanced). However, you must recreate it to use custom API keys or detail settings. Running python3 skills/watch/scripts/setup.py --check will safely recreate the file with placeholder content.

Can I use environment variables instead of the .env file?

Yes. The get_config() function in skills/watch/scripts/config.py checks environment variables first, so you can export GROQ_API_KEY or WATCH_DETAIL in your shell to override the file without editing ~/.config/watch/.env.

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