OpenClaw Encyclopedia

Overview

Use a docs-first workflow for OpenClaw work. Prefer the official OpenClaw documentation at https://docs.openclaw.ai/, consult cached local copies under .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/ before re-fetching, and record useful official-doc excerpts plus environment-specific operational learnings so future work gets faster and safer.

This skill is for OpenClaw product/runtime/config semantics. It should trigger for real OpenClaw behavior, configuration, and operational questions — not for generic agent-writing, generic prompt design, or generic host-admin work that just happens to be happening on an OpenClaw machine.

Workflow

1. Classify the task
• Decide whether the task is an OpenClaw question, troubleshooting task, command-planning task, config review, automation/design task, or live operational task.
• Use this skill when the request is specifically about OpenClaw product behavior, configuration, commands, session/channel/node behavior, automation, pairings, or skill loading/configuration.
• Do not use this skill for generic skill-writing, generic prompt/instruction design, generic markdown/config editing, or generic Linux/systemd admin unless the question is specifically about OpenClaw behavior.

1. Check local cache first
• Use .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/ as the local knowledge/cache root.
• Check these locations first when relevant:
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.openclaw.ai/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/inventory/...
• If a cached page or note already answers the question well enough, use it.

1. Consult official OpenClaw docs before answering or touching the system
• Before answering direct or indirect OpenClaw questions that depend on product behavior, command syntax, feature boundaries, configuration semantics, or version-sensitive details, consult the official docs unless the answer is already well-supported by the local cache.
• Before performing direct OpenClaw CLI/configuration/operational work, consult the relevant docs first when:
• the exact command path matters
• configuration keys or feature semantics are easy to misremember
• the action could affect gateway behavior, sessions, channels, automation, pairing, security posture, tool exposure, or messaging behavior
• Do not improvise high-impact OpenClaw commands or config changes from memory when the docs are easy to check.

1. Cache consulted docs locally
• When you consult an OpenClaw doc page, save a normalized markdown/text cache copy under .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.openclaw.ai/....
• Mirror the official docs path structure as much as practical.
• Cache only pages actually consulted; do not try to mirror the whole docs site eagerly.
• Use scripts/cache_doc.py when appropriate.

1. Separate official documentation from local observations
• Store official-doc-derived material under .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/....
• Store environment-specific operational knowledge under:
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/components/
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/inventory/
• Distinguish clearly between:
• official documented behavior
• observed local configuration/state
• inferred best-practice guidance

1. Record useful local learnings
• After useful live work, save durable notes such as:
• deployment layout and component roles
• gateway/runtime access methods
• discovered workflow relationships
• automation boundaries and operating patterns
• repeated gotchas or command/config patterns
• safe/unsafe operational boundaries for the environment
• Prefer concise durable notes over re-learning the same topology later.

Live Work Rules

• Treat official docs lookup as the default preflight for non-trivial OpenClaw work.
• Prefer read/inspect first when entering an OpenClaw area you have not recently reviewed.
• Treat gateway config, auth/security, pairing, messaging/channel behavior, automation, and skill/plugin behavior as high-sensitivity areas.
• When uncertainty remains after checking cache + docs, say so and avoid bluffing.
• When answering a question, mention when useful whether the answer comes from cached official docs, a fresh official docs lookup, or live observed environment state.

Data Root

Use this workspace-local root for cache and notes:

• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/

Expected structure:

• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.openclaw.ai/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/components/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/...
• .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/inventory/...

Use scripts/init_workspace.py to create or repair the expected directory structure.

Note Destinations

• Component-specific observations → .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/components/.md
• Reusable OpenClaw patterns/gotchas → .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/notes/patterns/.md
• Environment-wide deployment/access info → .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/inventory/*.md
• Cached official docs → .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/docs.openclaw.ai/...

Secrets / Sensitive Data

• Do not store plaintext credentials, API keys, session tokens, private URLs, recovery codes, or other secrets in the encyclopedia notes/inventory tree.
• If a note needs to mention access details, keep it high-level and redact or omit secret material.
• Treat these workspace notes as operational memory, not as a secrets vault.

Resources

• scripts/init_workspace.py — create or repair the .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/ directory tree.
• scripts/cache_doc.py — fetch and cache a consulted official OpenClaw docs page under .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/docs/....
• references/workflow.md — detailed operating workflow and evidence-handling rules.
• references/cache-layout.md — canonical .OpenClaw-Encyclopedia/ directory structure.
• references/topic-map.md — useful OpenClaw topic groupings for faster doc lookup.

Good Outcomes

• Answer an OpenClaw question using cached or freshly checked official docs instead of guesswork.
• Inspect a live OpenClaw deployment after checking the relevant docs and record any new local operational knowledge.
• Build a growing local OpenClaw knowledge cache that makes later work faster, safer, and more grounded.
• Turn one-off OpenClaw discoveries into durable notes so future work does not rediscover them from scratch.

Avoid

• Answering OpenClaw-specific questions purely from memory when docs are easy to consult.
• Treating local observed behavior as if it were guaranteed official documented behavior.
• Dumping large amounts of low-value docs into the workspace without a reason.
• Writing component-specific observations into the official-doc cache tree.
• Making high-impact live changes before checking the relevant docs when exact behavior matters.