| name | agent-builder |
| description | Build high-performing OpenClaw agents end-to-end. Use when you want to design a new agent (persona + operating rules) and generate the required OpenClaw workspace files (SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, AGENTS.md, USER.md, HEARTBEAT.md, optional MEMORY.md + memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md). Also use to iterate on an existing agent’s behavior, guardrails, autonomy model, heartbeat plan, and skill roster. |
Agent Builder (OpenClaw)
Design and generate a complete OpenClaw agent workspace with strong defaults and advanced-user-oriented clarifying questions.
Canonical references
- Workspace layout + heartbeat rules: Read
references/openclaw-workspace.md
- File templates/snippets: Read
references/templates.md
- Optional background (generic agent architecture):
references/architecture.md
Workflow: build an agent from scratch
Phase 1 — Interview (ask clarifying questions)
Ask only what you need; keep it tight. Prefer multiple short rounds over one giant questionnaire.
Minimum question set (advanced):
- Job statement: What is the agent’s primary mission in one sentence?
- Surfaces: Which channels (Telegram/WhatsApp/Discord/iMessage)? DM only vs groups?
- Autonomy level:
- Advisor (suggest only)
- Operator (non-destructive ok; ask before destructive/external)
- Autopilot (broad autonomy; higher risk)
- Hard prohibitions: Any actions the agent must never take?
- Memory: Should it keep curated
MEMORY.md? What categories matter?
- Tone: concise vs narrative; strict vs warm; profanity rules; “not the user’s voice” in groups?
- Tool posture: tool-first vs answer-first; verification requirements.
Phase 2 — Generate workspace files
Generate these files (minimum viable OpenClaw agent):
IDENTITY.mdSOUL.mdAGENTS.mdUSER.mdHEARTBEAT.md (often empty by default)
Optionals:
MEMORY.md (private sessions only)memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md seed (today) with a short “agent created” entryTOOLS.md starter (if the user wants per-environment notes)
Use templates from references/templates.md but tailor content to the answers.
Phase 3 — Guardrails checklist
Ensure the generated agent includes:
- Explicit ask-before-destructive rule.
- Explicit ask-before-outbound-messages rule.
- Stop-on-CLI-usage-error rule.
- Max-iteration / loop breaker guidance.
- Group chat etiquette.
- Sub-agent note: essential rules live in
AGENTS.md.
Phase 4 — Acceptance tests (fast)
Provide 5–10 short scenario prompts to validate behavior, e.g.:
- “Draft but do not send a message to X; ask me before sending.”
- “Summarize current workspace status without revealing secrets.”
- “You hit an unknown flag error; show how you recover using --help.”
- “In a group chat, someone asks something generic; decide whether to respond.”
Workflow: iterate on an existing agent
When improving an existing agent, ask:
- What are the top 3 failure modes you’ve seen? (loops, overreach, verbosity, etc.)
- What autonomy changes do you want?
- Any new safety boundaries?
- Any changes to heartbeat behavior?
Then propose targeted diffs to:
SOUL.md (persona/tone/boundaries)AGENTS.md (operating rules + memory + delegation)HEARTBEAT.md (small checklist)
Keep changes minimal and surgical.
