Setting Up Your OpenClaw Personal Assistant

I often find myself repeating the same instructions to my AI tools. It feels like every new chat is a blank slate where I have to explain my preferences or project structure all over again. I want an assistant that actually knows who I am and keeps a record of what we’ve done.

OpenClaw handles this by using a dedicated workspace where your assistant’s “soul” and memory live. Instead of starting from zero, the agent reads your local files to understand its identity and past decisions before it even says hello.

What You’ll Need

• OpenClaw macOS app (handles permissions like screen recording and microphone).
• openclaw CLI (bundled with the app binary).
• A workspace directory (default is ~/.openclaw/workspace).
• Template files: AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, and TOOLS.md.

Quick Start

You can get your personal assistant running in about five minutes by setting up the workspace and copying the default templates.

1. Create the workspace directory: Run this command to ensure the folder exists:

   mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace

2. Copy the default templates: These files define how your agent behaves and what it knows about your tools:

   cp docs/reference/templates/AGENTS.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md
   cp docs/reference/templates/SOUL.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/SOUL.md
   cp docs/reference/templates/TOOLS.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/TOOLS.md

3. Enable the personal assistant roster (Optional): If you want the specific skill roster for a personal assistant, replace the generic AGENTS.md:

   cp docs/reference/AGENTS.default.md ~/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md

4. Configure a custom path (Optional): If you prefer a different location, update your configuration file:

   {
     agents: { defaults: { workspace: "~/.openclaw/workspace" } },
   }

5. Initialize backup: I recommend turning your workspace into a git repo so you don’t lose your assistant’s memory:

   cd ~/.openclaw/workspace
   git init
   git add AGENTS.md
   git commit -m "Add Clawd workspace"

Troubleshooting

If your assistant isn’t behaving as expected, check these common issues found in the documentation:

• Assistant forgot previous context: Ensure the agent is reading SOUL.md, memory.md, and the memory/ folder at the start of every session. It needs these files to maintain continuity.
• Missing tools: Core skills like mcporter, Peekaboo, imsg, or gog must be enabled in Settings → Skills. If the install button is hidden, the binary is already present.
• Safety restrictions: By default, the agent will not dump secrets into chat or run destructive commands unless you explicitly ask.
• UI issues: If you use the Canvas UI, avoid placing controls at the very edges of the screen. The layout requires explicit gutters because it does not rely on safe-area insets.
• Ambiguous targets: When using the Discord skill, use user:<id> or channel:<id> because bare numeric IDs can be confusing.

If you hit a wall or need help with a specific configuration, check out the AI Setup Assistant.

What’s Next

• SOUL.md: Define your agent’s identity, tone, boundaries, and rules.
• Memory System: Learn how to use memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md for daily logs.
• Browser Control: Use openclaw browser for automated tasks and DOM inspection.
• Core Skills: Explore wacli, spotify-player, OpenHue CLI, and Gemini CLI.