openclaw/docs/reference/AGENTS.default.md

summary, title, read_when

summary	title	read_when
Default OpenClaw agent instructions and skills roster for the personal assistant setup	Default AGENTS.md	Starting a new OpenClaw agent session Enabling or auditing default skills

First run (recommended)

OpenClaw uses a dedicated workspace directory for the agent. Default: ~/.openclaw/workspace (configurable via agents.defaults.workspace).

1. Create the workspace (if it doesn't already exist):

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace

2. Copy the default workspace templates into the workspace:

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

3. Optional: if you want the personal assistant skill roster, replace AGENTS.md with this file:

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

4. Optional: choose a different workspace by setting agents.defaults.workspace (supports ~):

{
  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 (for example crontab, systemd units, nginx configs, or 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).

Session start (required)

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

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)

If you treat this workspace as Clawd's "memory", make it a git repo (ideally private) so AGENTS.md and your memory files are backed up.

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

What OpenClaw does

• Runs WhatsApp gateway + embedded OpenClaw agent so the assistant can read/write chats, fetch context, and run skills via the host Mac.
• 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 stay isolated as agent:<agentId>:<channel>:group:<id> (rooms/channels: agent:<agentId>:<channel>:channel:<id>); heartbeats keep background tasks alive.

Core skills (enable in Settings → Skills)

• 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; mac app handles permissions.
• Run installs from the Skills tab; it hides the button if a 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 in the top-left/top-right/bottom edges; add explicit gutters in the layout and don't rely on safe-area insets.
• For browser-driven verification, use openclaw browser (tabs/status/screenshot) with the OpenClaw-managed Chrome profile.
• For DOM inspection, use openclaw browser eval|query|dom|snapshot (and --json/--out when you need machine output).
• For interactions, use openclaw browser click|type|hover|drag|select|upload|press|wait|navigate|back|evaluate|run (click/type require snapshot refs; use evaluate for CSS selectors).

Related

• Agent workspace
• Agent runtime