OpenClaw Memory Format

Manage OpenClaw's multi-layered memory system with structured, searchable markdown files for long-term, daily, and session memories, supporting hybrid semant...

Memory Format - Memory Format Guide

Overview

OpenClaw's memory system uses multi-layered storage combining semantic and keyword search.

Memory Layers

1. MEMORY.md (Long-term Memory)

• Manually maintained core memory
• Loaded into system prompt on startup
• Human-readable and editable
• Path: $WORKSPACE/MEMORY.md

2. memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (Daily Memory)

• Auto-written by memory flush
• Triggered when context is full
• Appended to the day's date file
• Path: memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md

3. Session Memory

• Only visible in current session
• Auto-cleared after session ends

Improved Daily Memory Format

Use structured format for easy later retrieval:

# 2026-04-01 Daily Memory

## Completed Today
- Researched Claw Code architecture
- Completed MCP orchestration analysis
- Started P0 improvement tasks

## Conversation Summary
- User request: Full analysis of OpenClaw vs Claw-Code
- Systems involved: Tool/Session/MCP/API/Hook/Plugin/Prompt/Skill/Memory/Sandbox/Error
- Output: Complete improvement list (22 items)

## Key Decisions
- MCP process pool needs core modification, P3
- Tool Schema supplements added to TOOLS.md
- Hook examples library created

## Follow-up Items
- [ ] Execute P0 tasks 1-6
- [ ] Verify improvement effects
- [ ] Continue P1 tasks

## Important Files
- $WORKSPACE/MEMORY.md
- $WORKSPACE/claw-code/ (cloned claw-code repository)

## Technical Notes
- Hybrid search: vector 70% + text 30%
- Compaction threshold: 4k tokens reserved space
- Sandbox: Docker network=none, capDrop=ALL

Memory Search

memory_search tool

Use semantic search to find relevant memories:
- Returns 6 results by default
- minScore: 0.35
- Supports hybrid search mode

memory_get tool

Read specific memory files:
- path: file path (MEMORY.md or memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md)
- from: start line
- lines: line limit

Flush Triggers

Condition	Threshold
softThresholdTokens	4000 tokens reserved space
forceFlushTranscriptBytes	2MB force flush
reserveTokensFloor	20000 tokens floor

Best Practices

1. Daily summary: Write end-of-day summary
2. Structured: Use headings, sections, lists
3. Searchable: Include keywords for search
4. Not excessive: Only write important, long-term memories
5. Periodic cleanup: Distill daily → MEMORY.md

Difference from Compact

	Memory Flush	Compaction
Trigger	Context full	Context full
Write	memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md	No file write
Content	Important memories	Conversation summary
Format	Structured markdown	Internal summary