# Configuration Guide
`macot` supports YAML-based configuration passed via `--config`.
```bash
macot start -c ./config/macot.yaml
macot tower --config ./config/macot.yaml
```
## Example config
```yaml
experts:
- name: Linda
role: architect
- name: James
role: planner
- name: John
role: general
- name: Sarah
role: debugger
runtime:
startup_timeout_seconds: 30
graceful_shutdown_timeout_seconds: 10
paths:
instructions_dir: ./instructions
```
## Guidance
- Keep expert names stable for predictable task routing.
- Keep startup/shutdown timeouts realistic for your machine.
- Store custom instruction files in a versioned directory.