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Cognition

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Practical memory architecture for OpenClaw agents. Helps agents remember commitments, retrieve context, prevent repeat mistakes, compile reusable procedures,...

Install

openclaw skills install cognition

Cognition

Cognition gives an OpenClaw agent a practical memory architecture: raw logs, durable knowledge, commitments, and reusable procedures.

Use it to make memory operational, not decorative.

Start Here

Install the scaffolding:

bash {baseDir}/scripts/install.sh

Then adopt it in 3 tiers.

Tier 1 — Core

Adopt this first. It is the smallest useful subset.

Core behavior

  1. Log important work to memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
  2. Keep durable facts in MEMORY.md and deeper detail in memory/bank/*.md
  3. Track commitments in memory/FUTURE_INTENTS.md
  4. Add the protocol blocks from {baseDir}/references/protocols.md to your AGENTS.md

What Core gives you

  • recent-session continuity
  • a compact durable memory index
  • fewer dropped promises
  • a default place to put important facts instead of hoping the model remembers

Tier 2 — Recommended

Adopt this once Core is part of normal use.

Add these pieces

  • nightly staged consolidation via {baseDir}/references/consolidation-prompt.md
  • reusable procedures in memory/procedures/
  • procedure registry in memory/procedures/index.yaml
  • importance tagging from {baseDir}/references/protocols.md

Safety model

  • consolidation stages proposals before durable mutation
  • daily logs stay append-only
  • uncertain items stay tagged [NEEDS_REVIEW]
  • new procedures start as draft
  • promote procedures cautiously: draft → reviewed → trusted

Tier 3 — Advanced

Only adopt this if Core and Recommended are already working.

Optional overlays

  • memory/bank/cross-references.md for linked retrieval
  • memory/KNOWLEDGE_MAP.md for coarse confidence tracking
  • memory/meta/gap_tracker.json for repeated retrieval misses
  • memory/meta/retrieval_log.json for retrieval analytics
  • weekly reflection via {baseDir}/references/weekly-reflection-prompt.md
  • hybrid retrieval tuning via {baseDir}/references/config.md

Advanced is for sharper retrieval and maintenance, not for replacing the Core system.

Core File Map

Always-on files

  • memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md — daily session log
  • MEMORY.md — durable fact index
  • memory/bank/*.md — deeper topic files
  • memory/FUTURE_INTENTS.md — commitments and deferred actions

Recommended files

  • memory/consolidation/YYYY-MM-DD-staged.md — staged memory proposals
  • memory/procedures/index.yaml — procedure registry
  • memory/procedures/*.md — reusable procedures

Advanced files

  • memory/KNOWLEDGE_MAP.md
  • memory/bank/cross-references.md
  • memory/meta/gap_tracker.json
  • memory/meta/retrieval_log.json
  • memory/summaries/YYYY-WNN.md

Reference Map

Read only what you need:

  • {baseDir}/references/protocols.md — protocol blocks to copy into AGENTS.md
  • {baseDir}/references/consolidation-prompt.md — nightly staged consolidation
  • {baseDir}/references/weekly-reflection-prompt.md — weekly reflection without direct mutation
  • {baseDir}/references/architecture.md — core systems, overlays, retrieval tiers, safety notes, file structure
  • {baseDir}/references/config.md — advanced hybrid retrieval tuning
  • {baseDir}/references/cognitive-science.md — theory appendix

Guardrails

  • Prefer staged proposals over silent durable-memory edits
  • Keep raw logs append-only
  • Keep MEMORY.md compact; move detail into memory/bank/
  • Treat procedure promotion as earned, not automatic
  • If retrieval fails, log the gap instead of inventing certainty