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openclaw-skill/openclaw-knowhow-skill/docs/reference/concepts/memory.md
Selig 4c966a3ad2 Initial commit: OpenClaw Skill Collection
6 custom skills (assign-task, dispatch-webhook, daily-briefing,
task-capture, qmd-brain, tts-voice) with technical documentation.
Compatible with Claude Code, OpenClaw, Codex CLI, and OpenCode.
2026-03-13 10:58:30 +08:00

1.7 KiB

Memory

OpenClaw's memory system uses plain Markdown in the agent workspace as the foundational approach. Files serve as the authoritative source rather than RAM-based storage.

Memory File Structure

The system organizes information across two layers:

Daily logs (memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md)

Append-only daily entries, with today's and yesterday's files loaded at session start.

Long-term memory (MEMORY.md)

Curated persistent information, loaded only in private sessions.

Writing to Memory

Recommended storage patterns:

  • Decisions, preferences, and durable facts go to MEMORY.md
  • Ephemeral notes and contextual information in daily logs
  • Explicit requests to remember something should be written immediately

Automatic Memory Management

When sessions approach token limits, OpenClaw triggers a silent agentic turn prompting memory consolidation before context compaction occurs.

This flush mechanism can be configured via agents.defaults.compaction.memoryFlush settings:

{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      compaction: {
        memoryFlush: {
          enabled: true,
          softThresholdTokens: 4000,
          prompt: "...",
          systemPrompt: "..."
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Search Capabilities

The system supports vector-based semantic search across memory files, with configurable backends including:

Backend Description
Built-in SQLite Optional vector acceleration
QMD sidecar Local-first search combining BM25 + vectors + reranking
Hybrid search Merges both keyword and semantic signals

Tools

  • memory_search - Semantic queries across memory files
  • memory_get - Direct file retrieval