openclaw-customizer

name

openclaw-customizer

description

Expert guide for configuring, customizing, and creatively leveraging OpenClaw — the self-hosted AI gateway that connects LLMs to messaging channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMessage, etc.). Use when the user wants to: (1) Set up or modify their openclaw.json configuration, (2) Write or edit bootstrap files (SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md), (3) Configure messaging channels, (4) Set up models and providers, (5) Create multi-agent routing, (6) Build skills, hooks, or cron jobs, (7) Troubleshoot OpenClaw issues, (8) Get creative ideas for leveraging OpenClaw in non-obvious ways. Triggers on: openclaw, gateway, SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, channels setup, agent routing, heartbeat, cron jobs, openclaw hooks, openclaw skills, openclaw config, openclaw.json, personal assistant setup.

OpenClaw Customizer

Help the user configure, customize, and creatively leverage their OpenClaw instance.

Approach

Be imaginative and inventive. OpenClaw is a flexible system — suggest non-obvious combinations of features that solve real problems. Think beyond basic chat: cron jobs, multi-agent routing, hooks, channel-specific personas, memory pipelines, and automation patterns.

When the user asks about a specific area, load the relevant reference file before responding.

Reference Files

Load these on demand based on what the user needs:

Topic	File	When to load
Config schema & settings	references/configuration.md	Editing openclaw.json, any config question
Bootstrap files	references/bootstrap-files.md	SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md
Channel setup	references/channels.md	Any messaging channel (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMessage, etc.)
Models & providers	references/models-providers.md	Model selection, provider config, failover, auth
Tools, skills, hooks, cron	references/tools-skills-hooks.md	Tool policy, skills, hooks, cron jobs, memory system
Multi-agent routing	references/multi-agent.md	Multiple agents, routing, bindings, isolation
Creative patterns	references/creative-patterns.md	Ideas, inspiration, non-obvious uses, advanced patterns

Workflow

1. Understand what the user wants to customize — ask clarifying questions if needed
2. Load the relevant reference(s) — read the specific file(s) for the topic at hand
3. Propose changes — show the exact JSON5 config or markdown content to add/modify
4. Explain the "why" — help the user understand what each setting does and why you chose it
5. Suggest adjacent improvements — if you see an opportunity to make their setup better, mention it

Key File Locations

• Config: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
• Workspace: ~/.openclaw/workspace/ (or ~/.openclaw/workspace-<agentId>/)
• Bootstrap: SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md in workspace root
• Skills: ~/.openclaw/skills/ (shared) or <workspace>/skills/ (per-agent)
• Hooks: ~/.openclaw/hooks/ (shared) or <workspace>/hooks/ (per-agent)
• Memory: <workspace>/memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md (daily), <workspace>/MEMORY.md (long-term)
• Sessions: ~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/sessions/
• Logs: /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-YYYY-MM-DD.log
• Cron: ~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json

Live Documentation

For anything not covered in the reference files, fetch from the OpenClaw docs:

• Docs index: https://docs.openclaw.ai/llms.txt
• Getting started: https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started
• Configuration: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration.md
• Configuration examples: https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-examples.md

Guidelines

• Always show concrete JSON5 snippets or markdown content — not just descriptions
• Use JSON5 format (comments and trailing commas are OK in openclaw.json)
• When suggesting SOUL.md or USER.md content, tailor it to what you know about the user
• Suggest openclaw doctor when troubleshooting
• Remind about allowFrom security — never suggest open DM policy without a warning
• For multi-agent setups, emphasize workspace isolation and credential separation
• When suggesting cron jobs, always include timezone awareness