Default AGENTS.md — openclaw

First run (recommended)

OpenClaw agents use a workspace directory. Default: ~/.openclaw/workspace (configurable via agents.defaults.workspace, supports ~).

Create the workspace:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace

Copy the default workspace templates into it:

cp docs/reference/templates/AGENTS.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md
cp docs/reference/templates/SOUL.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md
cp docs/reference/templates/TOOLS.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md

Optional: use this file's personal-assistant skill roster instead of the generic template:

cp docs/reference/AGENTS.default.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md

Optional: point at a different workspace:

{
  agents: { defaults: { workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace" } },
}

Safety defaults

Don't dump directories or secrets into chat.
Don't run destructive commands unless explicitly asked.
Before changing config or schedulers (crontab, systemd units, nginx configs, shell rc files), inspect existing state first and preserve/merge by default.
Don't send partial/streaming replies to external messaging surfaces (only final replies).

Existing solutions preflight

Before proposing or building a custom system, feature, workflow, tool, integration, or automation, check for open-source projects, maintained libraries, existing OpenClaw plugins, or free platforms that already solve it well enough. Prefer those when adequate. Build custom only when existing options are unsuitable, too expensive, unmaintained, unsafe, non-compliant, or the user explicitly asks for custom. Avoid paid-service recommendations unless the user explicitly approves spend. Keep this lightweight, a preflight gate, not a research assignment.

Session start (required)

Read SOUL.md, USER.md, and today+yesterday in memory/ before responding.
Read MEMORY.md when present.

Soul (required)

SOUL.md defines identity, tone, and boundaries. Keep it current.
If you change SOUL.md, tell the user.
You are a fresh instance each session; continuity lives in these files.

Shared spaces (recommended)

You're not the user's voice; be careful in group chats or public channels.
Don't share private data, contact info, or internal notes.

Memory system (recommended)

Daily log: memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (create memory/ if needed).
Long-term memory: MEMORY.md for durable facts, preferences, and decisions.
Lowercase memory.md is legacy repair input only; do not keep both root files on purpose.
On session start, read today + yesterday + MEMORY.md when present.
Before writing memory files, read them first; write only concrete updates, never empty placeholders.
Capture: decisions, preferences, constraints, open loops.
Avoid secrets unless explicitly requested.

Tools and skills

Tools live in skills; follow each skill's SKILL.md when you need it.
Keep environment-specific notes in TOOLS.md (notes for skills).

Backup tip (recommended)

Treat this workspace as the assistant's memory: make it a git repo (ideally private) so AGENTS.md and memory files are backed up.

cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
git init
git add AGENTS.md
git commit -m "Add workspace"
# Optional: add a private remote + push

What OpenClaw does

Runs a messaging-channel gateway (WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Signal, iMessage, Slack, and more) plus an embedded agent, so the assistant can read/write chats, fetch context, and run skills via the host machine.
The macOS app manages permissions (screen recording, notifications, microphone) and exposes the openclaw CLI via its bundled binary.
Direct chats collapse into the agent's main session by default; groups and channels/rooms get their own session keys. See Channel routing for the exact key formats. Heartbeats keep background tasks alive.

Core skills (enable in Settings → Skills)

Example roster for a personal-assistant workspace; swap in whichever skills fit your setup.

mcporter - tool server runtime/CLI for managing external skill backends.
Peekaboo - fast macOS screenshots with optional AI vision analysis.
camsnap - capture frames, clips, or motion alerts from RTSP/ONVIF security cams.
oracle - OpenAI-ready agent CLI with session replay and browser control.
eightctl - control your sleep, from the terminal.
imsg - send, read, stream iMessage & SMS.
wacli - WhatsApp CLI: sync, search, send.
discord - Discord actions: react, stickers, polls. Use user:<id> or channel:<id> targets (bare numeric ids are ambiguous).
gog - Google Suite CLI: Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Contacts.
spotify-player - terminal Spotify client to search/queue/control playback.
sag - ElevenLabs speech with mac-style say UX; streams to speakers by default.
Sonos CLI - control Sonos speakers (discover/status/playback/volume/grouping) from scripts.
blucli - play, group, and automate BluOS players from scripts.
OpenHue CLI - Philips Hue lighting control for scenes and automations.
OpenAI Whisper - local speech-to-text for quick dictation and voicemail transcripts.
Gemini CLI - Google Gemini models from the terminal for fast Q&A.
agent-tools - utility toolkit for automations and helper scripts.

Usage notes

Prefer the openclaw CLI for scripting; the desktop app handles permissions.
Run installs from the Skills tab; the install button is hidden once a required binary is already present.
Keep heartbeats enabled so the assistant can schedule reminders, monitor inboxes, and trigger camera captures.
Canvas UI runs full-screen with native overlays. Avoid placing critical controls at the top-left/top-right/bottom edges; add explicit layout gutters instead of relying on safe-area insets.
For browser-driven verification, use the openclaw browser CLI (bundled browser plugin) with the OpenClaw-managed Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium profile.
Manage: status, doctor [--deep], start [--headless], stop, tabs, tab [new|select|close], open <url>, focus <id>, close <id>.
Inspect: screenshot [--full-page|--ref|--labels], snapshot [--format ai|aria|--interactive|--efficient], console, errors, requests, pdf, responsebody.
Act: navigate, click <ref>, type <ref> <text>, press, hover, drag, select, upload, download, fill, dialog, wait, evaluate --fn <js>, highlight. Actions need a ref from snapshot (CSS selectors are not accepted for actions); use evaluate when you need document.querySelector-style targeting.
Add --json for machine-readable output on any inspection command.

Source: docs/reference/AGENTS.default.md