openclaw-backup

name	openclaw-backup
description	Backup and restore the .openclaw state directory. Use when: (1) before making major config changes, (2) before installing many skills, (3) on a schedule to protect against data loss, (4) user asks to backup or restore OpenClaw state.

OpenClaw Backup

Backup and restore the .openclaw state directory to prevent data loss.

When to Use

• Before modifying openclaw.json or agent configs
• Before bulk skill installs
• Periodically (daily/weekly) as insurance
• When user says "backup", "save state", or "snapshot"

Commands

Create backup

BACKUP_DIR="/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot/backups"
TIMESTAMP=$(date +%Y%m%d-%H%M%S)
mkdir -p "$BACKUP_DIR"
tar czf "$BACKUP_DIR/openclaw-$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz" \
  -C "/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot" \
  .openclaw/openclaw.json \
  .openclaw/agents \
  .openclaw/credentials \
  .openclaw/identity \
  .openclaw/cron \
  .openclaw/devices \
  .openclaw/telegram \
  OpenClaw/AGENTS.md \
  OpenClaw/SOUL.md \
  OpenClaw/IDENTITY.md \
  OpenClaw/USER.md \
  OpenClaw/MEMORY.md \
  OpenClaw/TOOLS.md \
  OpenClaw/memory
echo "Backup saved: $BACKUP_DIR/openclaw-$TIMESTAMP.tar.gz"

List backups

ls -lhtr "/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot/backups/"

Restore from backup

# Stop services first
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist
# Extract backup (overwrites current state)
tar xzf "/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot/backups/openclaw-YYYYMMDD-HHMMSS.tar.gz" \
  -C "/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot"
# Restart
launchctl load ~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.openclaw.gateway.plist

Cleanup old backups (keep last 7)

BACKUP_DIR="/Users/blackdj/Desktop/OpenClaw Bot/backups"
ls -t "$BACKUP_DIR"/openclaw-*.tar.gz | tail -n +8 | xargs rm -f 2>/dev/null

Notes

• Backups exclude logs, browser profiles, and session data to keep size small
• Always stop the gateway before restoring to avoid config conflicts
• Recommended: run backup before any clawhub install batch