openclaw-backup

> See CHANGELOG.md for version history.

Automated daily backup skill using OpenClaw's built-in backup create command.

Backup Destination

~/openclaw_backups/ — timestamped .tar.gz archives.

Quick Commands

# Run backup now
python3 scripts/backup.py

# Run backup with verification
python3 scripts/backup.py --verify

# Verify latest backup
python3 scripts/health_check.py

# Cleanup old backups (dry-run, then --execute to delete)
python3 scripts/cleanup_old_backups.py --days 90
python3 scripts/cleanup_old_backups.py --days 90 --execute

# Setup daily cron at 4 AM
python3 scripts/setup_cron.py

First-Time Setup on New Machine

1. Test backup:

```bash

cd skills/openclaw-backup

python3 scripts/backup.py --verify

```

1. Verify health:

```bash

python3 scripts/health_check.py

```

1. Setup cron (important — do this!):

```bash

python3 scripts/setup_cron.py

```

This schedules daily 4 AM HKT backup via OpenClaw cron.

Without this, backups only run when you manually trigger them.

1. Verify cron:

```bash

openclaw cron list

```

Cron Setup (Already Configured)

The daily cron job runs automatically at 04:00 HKT.

Trigger message: backup openclaw

Session: isolated

Manage cron:

# List
openclaw cron list

# Remove
openclaw cron remove openclaw-backup:daily

# Re-add
python3 scripts/setup_cron.py

What Gets Backed Up

• Config files (~/.openclaw/*.json)
• Credentials (encrypted by OpenClaw)
• Session history
• Workspace files
• Skills and settings

Retention

Backups are kept indefinitely by default. Run cleanup periodically:

# Preview old backups
python3 scripts/cleanup_old_backups.py --days 90

# Delete if looks good
python3 scripts/cleanup_old_backups.py --days 90 --execute

Suggested schedule: quarterly.

Portable — Copy to New Machine

Copy the entire openclaw-backup/ skill folder to a new machine, then:

cd skills/openclaw-backup
python3 scripts/backup.py --verify    # test
python3 scripts/setup_cron.py          # schedule daily
python3 scripts/health_check.py        # verify

No extra dependencies — uses OpenClaw's built-in backup create.