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OpenClaw Workspace Import

This page covers moving an OpenClaw workspace into MindRoom: where to put the files, a starting agent config, the openclaw_compat tool preset, and what does not carry over. MindRoom reuses OpenClaw's file-based workspace (SOUL.md, AGENTS.md, USER.md, MEMORY.md, daily notes, and skills); it is not a clone of the OpenClaw gateway.

What carries over

Supported:

  • File-based identity and instruction documents, loaded through context_files
  • File-first memory (MEMORY.md plus memory/ notes) through MindRoom's file memory backend
  • OpenClaw skills, including metadata.openclaw eligibility gating
  • A matching tool bundle through the openclaw_compat preset, including Matrix messaging with matrix_message

Not included:

  • The OpenClaw gateway control plane
  • Device nodes and canvas platform tools
  • OpenClaw tool aliases such as exec, process, web_search, web_fetch, tts, and image; use MindRoom's native tools instead
  • The heartbeat runtime; schedule heartbeats with the scheduler tool instead (see Scheduling)

Import a workspace

  1. Copy or sync your OpenClaw files into the agent's workspace, agents/<agent>/workspace/ in the storage directory (mindroom_data/ by default):

    mindroom_data/
└── agents/
    └── openclaw/
        └── workspace/
            ├── SOUL.md
            ├── AGENTS.md
            ├── USER.md
            ├── IDENTITY.md
            ├── MEMORY.md
            ├── TOOLS.md
            ├── HEARTBEAT.md
            ├── memory/
            │   ├── YYYY-MM-DD.md
            │   └── topic-notes.md
            └── skills/
                └── transcribe/
                    └── SKILL.md

  2. Add an agent to config.yaml, starting from this example:

    agents:
  openclaw:
    display_name: OpenClawAgent
    role: OpenClaw-style personal assistant with persistent file-based identity and memory.
    model: default
    rooms: [personal]
    include_default_tools: false
    learning: false
    memory_backend: file

    instructions:
      - You wake up fresh each session with no memory of previous conversations. Your context files are already loaded into your system prompt.
      - Important long-term context is persisted by the configured MindRoom memory backend. If something must be preserved exactly, write/update the relevant file directly.
      - MEMORY.md is curated long-term memory; daily files are short-lived notes and logs.
      - Ask before external/public actions and destructive operations.
      - Before answering prior-history questions, search memory files first with `search_memories`.

    context_files:
      - SOUL.md
      - AGENTS.md
      - USER.md
      - IDENTITY.md
      - TOOLS.md
      - HEARTBEAT.md

    tools:
      - openclaw_compat
      - memory
      - python

memory:
  search:
    mode: semantic
  auto_flush:
    enabled: true

context_files, file memory, and search_memories all read this one workspace. context_files paths are relative to it; see File-Based Context Loading.

[openclaw_compat]

openclaw_compat is a preset that belongs in an agent's tools: list and expands to shell, coding, duckduckgo, website, browser, scheduler, and matrix_message. matrix_message also enables attachments and matrix_room, so the agent gets all nine tools. The preset has no callable functions of its own, and listing it next to one of its member tools does not create duplicates.

The preset has no configuration fields and cannot be deferred. Setting defer or initial on it fails with 'openclaw_compat' is a preset and cannot be deferred; defer/initial are only valid on individual tools. To configure or lazy-load a member tool, list that tool individually, and if you need only one or two of the tools, list them instead of the preset.

Memory

OpenClaw-style agents use the same memory backends as every other agent; see Memory System for backends, file layout, semantic search, and auto-flush. The recommended setup is memory_backend: file with memory.auto_flush.enabled: true, as in the example above.

With the file backend, MindRoom loads MEMORY.md into every reply's prompt automatically, so leave it out of context_files. If you switch the agent to mem0 and still want MEMORY.md preloaded, add it to context_files. Use knowledge bases only for non-memory documents that should be searchable as external knowledge.

Context and history

Preloaded context_files are capped by defaults.max_preload_chars (default 50000); see File-Based Context Loading for what gets dropped when a workspace exceeds it. How much conversation history each reply sees is set by num_history_runs, num_history_messages, and compaction; see History & Compaction.

Room conversations instead of threads

MindRoom replies in Matrix threads by default, while OpenClaw keeps one continuous conversation per room. To match OpenClaw, especially on mobile or through bridges (Telegram, Signal, WhatsApp), set thread_mode: room on the agent; see Threads, Replies & Participation.

Privacy

context_files and file memory load in every room the agent is in. If MEMORY.md or another workspace file is sensitive, keep the agent in private rooms only, or split it into a private and a public agent and leave the sensitive files out of the public agent's workspace.

Skills

Skills in agents/<agent>/workspace/skills/<name>/ load for that agent without being listed in skills:, so copying the OpenClaw workspace's skills/ folder keeps them portable. To share a skill across agents, install it under ~/.mindroom/skills/<name>/ and add its name to each agent's skills: allowlist:

mkdir -p ~/.mindroom/skills
cp -r /path/to/openclaw-workspace/skills/transcribe ~/.mindroom/skills/

Set any environment variables the skill's SKILL.md requires, such as WHISPER_URL. See Skill locations and precedence and metadata.openclaw eligibility gating (os, requires, always).