self-backup

Backup OpenClaw workspace files like AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, scripts/, and configs to a GitHub repo, with token sanitization and version control.

Backup critical OpenClaw workspace files to your GitHub repository for safe keeping and version control.

Setup

1. Install GitHub CLI (if not already installed)

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install gh

# macOS
brew install gh

# Other platforms: https://cli.github.com/

2. Login to GitHub

gh auth login

3. Configure your backup repository

Edit the configuration in the backup script or set environment variables:

# Set your repository URL (replace with your repo)
export BACKUP_REPO_URL="https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_BACKUP_REPO.git"

# Or edit the script directly
nano scripts/backup.sh

4. Create your backup repository

# Create a private repository for your backups
gh repo create YOUR_USERNAME/openclaw-backup --private --description "OpenClaw workspace backup"

What Gets Backed Up

Core Configuration Files

• AGENTS.md - Workflow documentation and procedures
• SOUL.md - Personal assistant personality and behavior
• USER.md - Personal profile and preferences
• MEMORY.md - Long-term memory and important context
• IDENTITY.md - Assistant identity and emoji
• TOOLS.md - Tool configuration and local notes
• AUTOMATION.md - Cron and scheduling documentation
• openclaw.json - OpenClaw system settings (tokens sanitized for security)

Scripts & Automation

• scripts/ directory - All automation scripts
• memory/ directory - Daily memory logs (last 30 days)
• Custom configuration files

Skills Configuration

• skills/ directory - Local skill installations (metadata only)
• Skill customizations

Repository Structure

Files are organized in the backup repository as:

/
├── config/           # Core configuration files
├── scripts/          # Automation scripts  
├── memory/          # Daily memory logs
├── skills/          # Skill configurations
└── backup-info.md   # Backup metadata

Usage

First-time setup:

scripts/setup.sh

Regular backups:

scripts/backup.sh

Options:

scripts/backup.sh --force      # Force push even with conflicts
scripts/backup.sh --dry-run    # Show what would be backed up

Security Features

• Automatic token sanitization: All sensitive tokens (Discord, Telegram, API keys) are automatically redacted
• Private repository recommended: Keep your configuration private
• Structure preservation: All settings preserved, only sensitive data redacted
• Safe restore: Easy to restore and re-enter tokens

Configuration

Edit these variables in scripts/backup.sh:

# Your GitHub repository URL
REPO_URL="https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_BACKUP_REPO.git"

# Workspace directory (usually auto-detected)
WORKSPACE_DIR="$HOME/.openclaw/workspace"

Manual Backup

To backup specific files manually:

# Clone your backup repository
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_BACKUP_REPO.git /tmp/backup
cd /tmp/backup

# Copy important files
cp ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md config/
cp ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md config/
# ... etc

# Commit and push
git add .
git commit -m "Manual backup $(date)"
git push origin main

Restore Process

To restore from backup:

# Clone the backup
git clone https://github.com/YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_BACKUP_REPO.git

# Copy files back to workspace
cp backup/config/* ~/.openclaw/workspace/
cp -r backup/scripts/* ~/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/
# ... etc

# Re-enter your actual tokens in openclaw.json
nano ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Troubleshooting

GitHub Authentication Issues

# Re-login to GitHub
gh auth logout
gh auth login

Permission Denied

# Check repository exists and you have access
gh repo view YOUR_USERNAME/YOUR_BACKUP_REPO

Git Configuration

# Set git identity if needed
git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "[e-mail]"