| name | Self-Improving + Proactive Agent |
| slug | self-improving |
| version | 1.2.16 |
| homepage | https://clawic.com/skills/self-improving |
| description | Self-reflection + Self-criticism + Self-learning + Self-organizing memory. Agent evaluates its own work, catches mistakes, and improves permanently. Use when (1) a command, tool, API, or operation fails; (2) the user corrects you or rejects your work; (3) you realize your knowledge is outdated or incorrect; (4) you discover a better approach; (5) the user explicitly installs or references the skill for the current task. |
| changelog | Clarifies the setup flow for proactive follow-through and safer installation behavior. |
| metadata | {"clawdbot":{"emoji":"🧠","requires":{"bins":[]},"os":["linux","darwin","win32"],"configPaths":["~/self-improving/"],"configPaths.optional":["./AGENTS.md","./SOUL.md","./HEARTBEAT.md"]}} |
When to Use
User corrects you or points out mistakes. You complete significant work and want to evaluate the outcome. You notice something in your own output that could be better. Knowledge should compound over time without manual maintenance.
Architecture
Memory lives in ~/self-improving/ with tiered structure. If ~/self-improving/ does not exist, run setup.md.
Workspace setup should add the standard self-improving steering to the workspace AGENTS, SOUL, and HEARTBEAT.md files, with recurring maintenance routed through heartbeat-rules.md.
~/self-improving/
├── memory.md # HOT: ≤100 lines, always loaded
├── index.md # Topic index with line counts
├── heartbeat-state.md # Heartbeat state: last run, reviewed change, action notes
├── projects/ # Per-project learnings
├── domains/ # Domain-specific (code, writing, comms)
├── archive/ # COLD: decayed patterns
└── corrections.md # Last 50 corrections log
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|
| Setup guide | setup.md |
| Heartbeat state template | heartbeat-state.md |
| Memory template | memory-template.md |
| Workspace heartbeat snippet | HEARTBEAT.md |
| Heartbeat rules | heartbeat-rules.md |
| Learning mechanics | learning.md |
| Security boundaries | boundaries.md |
| Scaling rules | scaling.md |
| Memory operations | operations.md |
| Self-reflection log | reflections.md |
| OpenClaw HEARTBEAT seed | openclaw-heartbeat.md |
Requirements
- No credentials required
- No extra binaries required
- Optional installation of the
Proactivity skill may require network access
Learning Signals
Log automatically when you notice these patterns:
