fix(hooks): use local timezone for session-memory filenames (#72408)

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai
 
 ### Fixes
 
+- Hooks/session-memory: use the host local timezone for memory filenames, fallback timestamp slugs, and markdown headers instead of UTC dates. Fixes #46703. (#46721) Thanks @Astro-Han.
 - Feishu: extract quoted/replied interactive-card text across schema 1.0, schema 2.0, i18n, template-variable, and post-format fallback shapes without carrying broad generated/config churn from related parser experiments. (#38776, #60383, #42218, #45936) Thanks @lishuaigit, @lskun, @just2gooo, and @Br1an67.
 - Exec approvals: accept a symlinked `OPENCLAW_HOME` as the trusted approvals root while still rejecting symlinked `.openclaw` path components below it. (#64663) Thanks @FunJim.
 - Logging: add top-level `hostname`, flattened `message`, and available `agent_id`, `session_id`, and `channel` fields to file-log JSONL records for multi-agent filtering without removing existing structured log arguments. Fixes #51075. Thanks @stevengonsalvez.

docs/automation/hooks.md

@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ openclaw hooks enable <hook-name>
 
 ### session-memory details
 
-Extracts the last 15 user/assistant messages, generates a descriptive filename slug via LLM, and saves to `<workspace>/memory/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md`. Requires `workspace.dir` to be configured.
+Extracts the last 15 user/assistant messages, generates a descriptive filename slug via LLM, and saves to `<workspace>/memory/YYYY-MM-DD-slug.md` using the host local date. Requires `workspace.dir` to be configured.
 
 <a id="bootstrap-extra-files"></a>
 

src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/HOOK.md

@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ When you run `/new` or `/reset` to start a fresh session:
 Memory files are created with the following format:
 
 ```markdown
-# Session: 2026-01-16 14:30:00 UTC
+# Session: 2026-01-16 14:30:00 EST
 
 - **Session Key**: agent:main:main
 - **Session ID**: abc123def456
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ The LLM generates descriptive slugs based on your conversation:
 - `2026-01-16-vendor-pitch.md` - Discussion about vendor evaluation
 - `2026-01-16-api-design.md` - API architecture planning
 - `2026-01-16-bug-fix.md` - Debugging session
-- `2026-01-16-1430.md` - Fallback timestamp if slug generation fails
+- `2026-01-16-1430.md` - Fallback local timestamp if slug generation fails
 
 ## Requirements
 

src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.test.ts

@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import path from "node:path";
 import { afterAll, beforeAll, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest";
 import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../../config/config.js";
 import { writeWorkspaceFile } from "../../../test-helpers/workspace.js";
+import { withEnvAsync } from "../../../test-utils/env.js";
 import { createHookEvent } from "../../hooks.js";
 import {
   findPreviousSessionFile,
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ async function runNewWithPreviousSessionEntry(params: {
   action?: "new" | "reset";
   sessionKey?: string;
   workspaceDirOverride?: string;
+  timestamp?: Date;
 }): Promise<{ files: string[]; memoryContent: string }> {
   const event = createHookEvent(
     "command",
@@ -86,6 +88,9 @@ async function runNewWithPreviousSessionEntry(params: {
       ...(params.workspaceDirOverride ? { workspaceDir: params.workspaceDirOverride } : {}),
     },
   );
+  if (params.timestamp) {
+    event.timestamp = params.timestamp;
+  }
 
   await handler(event);
 
@@ -247,6 +252,24 @@ describe("session-memory hook", () => {
     expect(memoryContent).toContain("assistant: Captured before reset");
   });
 
+  it("uses local timezone date and fallback time in memory filenames and headers", async () => {
+    await withEnvAsync({ TZ: "America/New_York" }, async () => {
+      const tempDir = await createCaseWorkspace("workspace");
+
+      const { files, memoryContent } = await runNewWithPreviousSessionEntry({
+        tempDir,
+        timestamp: new Date("2026-01-01T04:30:15.000Z"),
+        previousSessionEntry: {
+          sessionId: "local-time-session",
+        },
+      });
+
+      expect(files).toEqual(["2025-12-31-2330.md"]);
+      expect(memoryContent).toMatch(/^# Session: 2025-12-31 23:30:15(?: EST| GMT-5)?/);
+      expect(memoryContent).not.toContain("# Session: 2026-01-01 04:30:15 UTC");
+    });
+  });
+
   it("prefers workspaceDir from hook context when sessionKey points at main", async () => {
     const mainWorkspace = await createCaseWorkspace("workspace-main");
     const naviWorkspace = await createCaseWorkspace("workspace-navi");

src/hooks/bundled/session-memory/handler.ts

@@ -28,6 +28,63 @@ import { findPreviousSessionFile, getRecentSessionContentWithResetFallback } fro
 
 const log = createSubsystemLogger("hooks/session-memory");
 
+function pickDateTimePart(
+  parts: Intl.DateTimeFormatPart[],
+  type: Intl.DateTimeFormatPartTypes,
+): string | undefined {
+  return parts.find((part) => part.type === type)?.value;
+}
+
+function resolveLocalTimeZone(): string | undefined {
+  const timeZone = process.env.TZ?.trim();
+  if (!timeZone) {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+  try {
+    new Intl.DateTimeFormat("en-US", { timeZone }).format(new Date());
+    return timeZone;
+  } catch {
+    return undefined;
+  }
+}
+
+function formatLocalSessionTimestamp(date: Date): {
+  date: string;
+  time: string;
+  timeSlug: string;
+  timeZoneName?: string;
+} {
+  const parts = new Intl.DateTimeFormat("en-US", {
+    timeZone: resolveLocalTimeZone(),
+    year: "numeric",
+    month: "2-digit",
+    day: "2-digit",
+    hour: "2-digit",
+    minute: "2-digit",
+    second: "2-digit",
+    hourCycle: "h23",
+    timeZoneName: "short",
+  }).formatToParts(date);
+
+  const year = pickDateTimePart(parts, "year") ?? String(date.getFullYear()).padStart(4, "0");
+  const month = pickDateTimePart(parts, "month") ?? String(date.getMonth() + 1).padStart(2, "0");
+  const day = pickDateTimePart(parts, "day") ?? String(date.getDate()).padStart(2, "0");
+  const hour = pickDateTimePart(parts, "hour") ?? String(date.getHours()).padStart(2, "0");
+  const minute = pickDateTimePart(parts, "minute") ?? String(date.getMinutes()).padStart(2, "0");
+  const second = pickDateTimePart(parts, "second") ?? String(date.getSeconds()).padStart(2, "0");
+  const timeZoneName = [...parts]
+    .toReversed()
+    .find((part) => part.type === "timeZoneName")
+    ?.value?.trim();
+
+  return {
+    date: `${year}-${month}-${day}`,
+    time: `${hour}:${minute}:${second}`,
+    timeSlug: `${hour}${minute}`,
+    timeZoneName,
+  };
+}
+
 function resolveDisplaySessionKey(params: {
   cfg?: OpenClawConfig;
   workspaceDir?: string;
@@ -80,9 +137,10 @@ const saveSessionToMemory: HookHandler = async (event) => {
     const memoryDir = path.join(workspaceDir, "memory");
     await fs.mkdir(memoryDir, { recursive: true });
 
-    // Get today's date for filename
+    // Use the user's local timezone for memory artifact names and headings.
     const now = new Date(event.timestamp);
-    const dateStr = now.toISOString().split("T")[0]; // YYYY-MM-DD
+    const localTimestamp = formatLocalSessionTimestamp(now);
+    const dateStr = localTimestamp.date;
 
     // Generate descriptive slug from session using LLM
     // Prefer previousSessionEntry (old session before /new) over current (which may be empty)
@@ -160,8 +218,7 @@ const saveSessionToMemory: HookHandler = async (event) => {
 
     // If no slug, use timestamp
     if (!slug) {
-      const timeSlug = now.toISOString().split("T")[1].split(".")[0].replace(/:/g, "");
-      slug = timeSlug.slice(0, 4); // HHMM
+      slug = localTimestamp.timeSlug;
       log.debug("Using fallback timestamp slug", { slug });
     }
 
@@ -173,8 +230,8 @@ const saveSessionToMemory: HookHandler = async (event) => {
       path: memoryFilePath.replace(os.homedir(), "~"),
     });
 
-    // Format time as HH:MM:SS UTC
-    const timeStr = now.toISOString().split("T")[1].split(".")[0];
+    const timeStr = localTimestamp.time;
+    const timeZoneSuffix = localTimestamp.timeZoneName ? ` ${localTimestamp.timeZoneName}` : "";
 
     // Extract context details
     const sessionId = (sessionEntry.sessionId as string) || "unknown";
@@ -182,7 +239,7 @@ const saveSessionToMemory: HookHandler = async (event) => {
 
     // Build Markdown entry
     const entryParts = [
-      `# Session: ${dateStr} ${timeStr} UTC`,
+      `# Session: ${dateStr} ${timeStr}${timeZoneSuffix}`,
       "",
       `- **Session Key**: ${displaySessionKey}`,
       `- **Session ID**: ${sessionId}`,