myclaw-backup

# MyClaw Backup > **Built on [MyClaw.ai](https://myclaw.ai)** — the AI personal assistant platform that gives every user a full server with complete code control, networking, and tool access. This skill is part of the MyClaw.ai open skills ecosystem. Backs up all critical OpenClaw data to a single `.tar.gz` archive and restores it to any OpenClaw instance. Includes a built-in HTTP server for browser-based backup management. ## ⚠️ Trust Boundary & Security Model This skill handles **highly sensitive data**: bot tokens, API keys, channel credentials, session history. Understand the security model before use: ### What each script does - **backup.sh** — reads `~/.openclaw/` and writes a `chmod 600` archive to disk. No network access. - **restore.sh** — overwrites `~/.openclaw/` from an archive. Requires typing `yes` to confirm. Always run `--dry-run` first. - **serve.sh / server.js** — starts a local HTTP server. Token is **mandatory** (refuses to start without one). Shell-execution endpoints (`/backup`, `/restore`) are **localhost-only** — remote access can only download and upload files, not trigger execution. - **schedule.sh** — modifies your system crontab to run backup.sh on a schedule. Prints the cron entry before adding. Use `--disable` to remove. ### Access control summary | Endpoint | Remote (token required) | Localhost only | |---|---|---| | GET /health | ✅ (no token) | — | | GET /backups | ✅ | — | | GET /download/:file | ✅ | — | | POST /upload | ✅ | — | | POST /backup | ❌ | ✅ | | POST /restore | ❌ | ✅ | ### Best practices - Never start the HTTP server without `--token` - Never expose the HTTP server to the public internet without TLS - Always run `restore.sh --dry-run` before applying a restore - Store backup archives securely — they contain all credentials ## Dependencies Requires: `node`, `rsync`, `tar`, `python3`, `openclaw` CLI (all standard on OpenClaw instances). Check: `which node rsync tar python3 openclaw` ## Scripts | Script | Purpose | |---|---| | `scripts/backup.sh [output-dir]` | Create backup (default: `/tmp/openclaw-backups/`) | | `scripts/restore.sh <archive> [--dry-run] [--overwrite-gateway-token]` | Restore — **always dry-run first** | | `scripts/serve.sh start --token TOKEN [--port 7373]` | Start HTTP server — **token required** | | `scripts/serve.sh stop\|status` | Stop/check server | | `scripts/schedule.sh [--interval daily\|weekly\|hourly]` | System cron scheduling | > **Gateway token behavior (v1.6+):** By default, `restore.sh` preserves the new server's `gateway.auth.token` after restoring `openclaw.json`. This prevents the `"gateway token mismatch"` error in Control UI / Dashboard after migration. Use `--overwrite-gateway-token` only for full disaster recovery on the same server. ## What Gets Backed Up See `references/what-gets-saved.md` for full details. **Includes:** workspace (MEMORY.md, skills, agent files), openclaw.json (bot tokens + API keys), credentials, channel pairing state, agent config + session history, devices, identity, cron jobs, guardian scripts. **Excludes:** logs, binary media, node_modules, canvas system files. ## Common Workflows ### Create backup ```bash bash scripts/backup.sh /tmp/openclaw-backups # → /tmp/openclaw-backups/openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz (chmod 600) ``` ### Restore — always dry-run first ```bash # Step 1: preview what will change bash scripts/restore.sh openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz --dry-run # Step 2: review the output, then apply bash scripts/restore.sh openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz ``` The restore script saves a pre-restore snapshot before overwriting anything. ### HTTP server — token is mandatory ```bash # Token is required — server refuses to start without one bash scripts/serve.sh start --token $(openssl rand -hex 16) --port 7373 # → http://localhost:7373/?token=<generated-token> ``` **Never share the URL on a public network without a reverse proxy + TLS.** The Web UI provides: create backup, download `.tar.gz`, upload, dry-run preview, restore. **HTTP API (all require token except /health):** - `GET /health` — Health check (unauthenticated, read-only) - `GET /backups` — List backups - `POST /backup` — Create backup - `GET /download/:filename` — Download archive - `POST /upload` — Upload archive (multipart, field: `backup`) - `POST /restore/:filename` — Restore; add `?dry_run=1` to preview ### Migrate to a new instance **Old machine:** ```bash bash scripts/serve.sh start --token MYTOKEN --port 7373 ``` **New machine (after installing OpenClaw):** ```bash # Download curl -O "http://OLD_IP:7373/download/openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz?token=MYTOKEN" # Always dry-run first bash scripts/restore.sh openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz --dry-run # Apply bash scripts/restore.sh openclaw-backup_TIMESTAMP.tar.gz # All channels reconnect automatically — no re-pairing needed ``` ### Schedule daily auto-backup (OpenClaw cron) ```json { "name": "daily-openclaw-backup", "schedule": { "kind": "cron", "expr": "0 3 * * *", "tz": "UTC" }, "payload": { "kind": "agentTurn", "message": "Run a backup using the myclaw-backup skill. Output dir: /tmp/openclaw-backups", "timeoutSeconds": 120 }, "sessionTarget": "isolated" } ``` ## Post-Restore: Automatic Recovery Report After `restore.sh` completes, it writes `workspace/.restore-complete.json`. On the next heartbeat/startup, the Agent should: 1. Check if `workspace/.restore-complete.json` exists 2. If yes: read it, send a restore report to the user, then **delete the file** (one-shot — never report twice) 3. **Send the report in the user's primary language** (read from `workspace/USER.md`) ### Report format (adapt language from USER.md) ``` ✅ [Restore complete — in user's language] 📦 Backup: {backup_name} 🤖 Agent: {agent_name} 🕐 Restored at: {restored_at} 💾 Contents restored: workspace, config, credentials, history, cron... [Channel reconnect instructions in user's language] ``` ## Future: MyClaw Cloud Backup The HTTP API is designed to be compatible with a future MyClaw cloud backup service. When available, replace the local server URL with the MyClaw API endpoint — the upload/download/restore flow stays identical.