Every option

Every option has a default, so a factory that sets nothing runs the default profile. This page is generated from factory/options.tsv, the same registry the onboarding reads, so it cannot disagree with it.

Scope says where an option is set: in each service repo’s .xal/factory.conf, or in the ops repo’s, which is also the factory profile every new service starts from. A value set in a reviewed file, not a settings page, is the point: see ADR-0009.

xal-factory config explain <key> prints any row below in the terminal.

factory

`factory.ops_repo`

The owner/name of the ops repo: admitted specs, the spend ledger, the idea inbox. No script can guess it.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`required`	any text	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set factory.ops_repo <owner>/<name>

`factory.process_repo`

The factory repo services vendor the spec from and the reader is pinned in. Change it only if you run a fork.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`xodeeq/xal-factory`	any text	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set factory.process_repo <owner>/<name>

`factory.escalation_label`

The label a stopped pull request gets when the pipeline hands it to a person.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`needs-human`	any text	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set factory.escalation_label <label>

stack

`stack.default_lang`

The language xal-factory seed pre-selects. The service’s stack ADR is still required: this is a fallback, not a decision.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`go`	go	ops	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set stack.default_lang <lang>

models

`models.driver`

The model that builds plan sessions. The strongest is the default because the gate cannot see a test that proves nothing.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`claude-opus-5-5`	any text	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set models.driver <model-id>

`models.reader`

The model that reads every session PR on Spec and Standards before it can merge.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`claude-opus-5-5`	any text	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set models.reader <model-id>

budget

`budget.driver_max_turns`

Turn cap per driver run: a loop guard, not a budget.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`200`	a positive whole number	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set budget.driver_max_turns <n>

`budget.reader_max_turns`

Turn cap per reader run.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`80`	a positive whole number	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set budget.reader_max_turns <n>

plan

`plan.spend_ceiling_usd`

Dollar ceiling per plan, checked against the ledger before every session. Spend is bounded to ceiling + one session.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`600`	a positive whole number	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set plan.spend_ceiling_usd <n> (applies to plans emitted after)

`plan.session_ceiling_usd`

Dollar ceiling per session across its retries.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`70`	a positive whole number	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set plan.session_ceiling_usd <n> (applies to plans emitted after)

`plan.retry_cap`

Retries per session before it is escalated to a person.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`2`	a positive whole number	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set plan.retry_cap <n> (applies to plans emitted after)

reader

`reader.ref`

The plugin release the reader is read from. Pinned, so an unreleased edit never changes the merge gate.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`xal-factory--v0.2.0`	any text	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set reader.ref xal-factory--v<version>

ops

`ops.ledger_path`

Where in the ops repo the spend ledger lives.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`status/costs.jsonl`	any text	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set ops.ledger_path <path>

pipeline

`pipeline.driver`

The driver: builds one plan session headless when dispatched (/run-session). Off means sessions are built by hand.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory enable driver / xal-factory disable driver

`pipeline.chain`

The chain: after a session merges, dispatches the next; retries a failure, then escalates. Off means every session is dispatched by a person.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`off`	on, off	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory enable chain / xal-factory disable chain

`pipeline.auto_merge`

What may merge with no person present. off disables merge.yml; the others set the plan’s autonomy_level. infra, billing, public-surface and delete never merge unattended.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`off`	off, code-only, code-and-tests-pre-deployment	service	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set pipeline.auto_merge <level> (a plan's own autonomy_level is the owner's approval)

`pipeline.reader`

The reader on every session PR. Auto-merge requires it.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory enable reader / xal-factory disable reader

claude

`claude.mention_workflow`

@claude in issues and PRs.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory enable mention / xal-factory disable mention

`claude.pr_review`

The generic review bot on non-session PRs.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory enable review / xal-factory disable review

ci

`ci.runner`

Where every workflow runs. self-hosted needs a registered runner; unset means hosted minutes.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`ubuntu-latest`	ubuntu-latest, self-hosted	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set ci.runner self-hosted

deploy

`deploy.target`

Where deploy.yml deploys. none refuses loudly. Turning one on is a person’s act (docs/deploy.md).

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`none`	none, fly	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set deploy.target fly

`deploy.url`

The live base URL the smoke gate drives after a deploy.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`none`	any text	service	no

Change it later: xal-factory config set deploy.url https://<host>

ops

`ops.status_nudge`

The weekday nudge: status/current.md rendered into a pinned issue.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	ops	yes

Change it later: xal-factory enable nudge / xal-factory disable nudge

`ops.idea_inbox`

The idea inbox: an open issue labelled ideas that /idea posts to.

Default	Choices	Scope	Onboarding asks
`on`	on, off	ops	yes

Change it later: xal-factory config set ops.idea_inbox on\|off