backup claw

Backup and restore OpenClaw configuration files. Use when the user wants to backup ~/.openclaw/ configuration (excluding workspace) to a date-stamped directory, or restore from a previous backup. Includes backup with diff-based change detection and changelog logging, and restore by date. The backup directory path ($backup_claw_dir) must be obtained from the user before first use.

Overview

Full backup and restore capability for OpenClaw configuration files. Backups are stored in date-stamped directories (YYYY-MM-DD format). Only performs backup when configuration has actually changed.

Core Operations

0. Backup Directory Management (NEW)

Configuration file:

• Location: ~/.openclaw/backup.json
• Format:

  json

  {
    "backup_location": "/path/to/backup/directory"
  }
  

Get backup directory:

1. Check if ~/.openclaw/backup.json exists
2. If exists, read "backup_location" field
3. If missing or file doesn't exist:
   • Ask user for backup directory path
   • Create ~/.openclaw/backup.json with the provided path
   • Confirm path to user

Change backup directory (changedir command): When user runs backupclaw changedir <new_path>:

1. Validate new path exists and is writable
2. Update ~/.openclaw/backup.json with new path
3. Inform user of successful change

Example changedir usage:

• "backupclaw changedir ~/backups/openclaw"
• "修改备份目录到 /mnt/backup/openclaw"

1. Backup Configuration

Backup directory setup:

• Get backup directory using the management flow above (Section 0)
• No longer store in TOOLS.md; use backup.json instead

Backup process:

1. Generate current date string in YYYY-MM-DD format
2. If backup directory has no previous backups:
   • Copy all files from ~/.openclaw/ to $backup_claw_dir/YYYY-MM-DD/, excluding workspace/
   • Record initial backup in changelog
3. If previous backups exist:
   • Find the most recent backup directory (latest date)
   • Compare files between latest backup and current ~/.openclaw/ using diff
   • If no changes detected: Tell user "配置文件没有变化，不需要备份"
   • If changes detected:
     • Create new date-stamped directory
     • Copy all files from ~/.openclaw/ to new directory, excluding workspace/
     • Update changelog with list of modified files
     • Report changes to user

Changelog format:

• Located at $backup_claw_dir/changelog.md
• Each entry includes date, time, and list of changed files
• Format example:

  markdown

  ## 2026-03-12 14:30:00
  - openclaw.json (modified)
  - extensions/feishu/skills/feishu-doc/SKILL.md (added)
  

Exclusion rules:

• Always exclude workspace/ directory from backup
• Preserve directory structure for all other files

2. Restore Configuration

Restore process:

1. Accept date parameter in YYYY-MM-DD format
2. Verify backup directory exists at $backup_claw_dir/YYYY-MM-DD/
3. If backup not found, inform user and list available dates
4. If backup found:
   • Warn user about overwriting current configuration
   • Confirm before proceeding
   • Restore files from backup to ~/.openclaw/
   • Exclude workspace/ from restoration
   • Report success and list restored files

Usage Examples

Typical user requests that trigger this skill:

• "backup my openclaw config"
• "restore openclaw backup from 2026-03-12"
• "check if config changed"
• "备份 openclaw 配置"
• "恢复 2026-03-12 的备份"
• "backupclaw changedir ~/backups/openclaw"
• "修改备份目录" (prompts for new path)

Implementation Notes

Tools to use:

• rsync or cp -r for copying files
• diff for comparing file contents
• find with sort and tail to find latest backup
• Date command: date +%Y-%m-%d
• read and write tools for managing ~/.openclaw/backup.json

Backup directory management:

• Always check ~/.openclaw/backup.json first before asking user
• Only prompt for backup path if backup_location is not set
• Validate directory exists and is writable before saving
• Use write tool to create/update backup.json

changedir command handling:

• Parse command format: backupclaw changedir <path> or equivalent Chinese phrasing
• Validate new directory exists and is writable (create if doesn't exist, ask first)
• Update backup.json with new path
• Confirm successful change to user

Backup directory structure:

text

$backup_claw_dir/
├── 2026-03-12/
│   ├── openclaw.json
│   ├── agents/
│   ├── extensions/
│   └── ...
├── 2026-03-13/
│   └── ...
└── changelog.md

Error handling:

• Always verify backup directory exists and is writable before proceeding
• Check for sufficient disk space
• Validate date format for restore operation
• Provide clear error messages in Chinese when appropriate