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name: openclaw-backup description: Automatically backup OpenClaw configuration to a private GitHub repository. Features API key sanitization, activity detection, and smart backup frequency (hourly when active, daily when inactive). One-click recovery support.

OpenClaw Backup

Overview

Automatically backup your complete OpenClaw configuration to a private GitHub repository. Features:

• 🔐 API Key Sanitization - Automatically replaces sensitive keys before committing
• 🔄 Smart Backup Frequency - Hourly when active, daily when inactive
• 📦 Complete Backup - Agents, extensions, workspace, memory, and more
• 🔧 One-Click Recovery - Comprehensive recovery guide included

When to Use

• After initial OpenClaw setup, establish a backup mechanism
• Periodic backup status checks
• System migration or disaster recovery

Quick Start

1. Prerequisites

• Git installed
• GitHub SSH Key configured (recommended) or Personal Access Token
• GitHub private repository created (e.g., openclaw-backup)

2. Install Skill

Copy this skill to your OpenClaw workspace:

# Ensure skills directory exists
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills

# Copy skill (assuming downloaded to current directory)
cp -r openclaw-backup ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/

3. Run Installation Script

# One-click configuration
bash ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/openclaw-backup/scripts/install.sh

Follow the prompts to enter:

• GitHub repository URL (e.g., git@github.com:yourname/openclaw-backup.git)
• Git username and email

4. Configure Auto Backup

After installation, a cron job will be created in OpenClaw to check for backup needs every hour.

Usage

Manual Backup

~/.openclaw/backup.sh backup

Auto Backup (Based on Activity)

~/.openclaw/backup.sh auto

Check Activity Status

~/.openclaw/check-activity.sh
# Output: active or inactive

Restore from Backup

~/.openclaw/backup.sh restore

Follow the prompts:

1. Clone the backup repository
2. Edit openclaw.json to fill in real API keys
3. Restart Gateway

Backup Contents

Included	Description
✅ openclaw.json	Main configuration (API keys sanitized)
✅ agents/	All agent session history
✅ extensions/	All plugins
✅ workspace-*/	Agent workspaces
✅ memory/	Agent memory databases
✅ credentials/	Credential configurations
✅ feishu/	Feishu configurations
✅ wecom/	WeChat Work configurations

Excluded	Reason
❌ logs/	Log files, can be regenerated

Smart Backup Strategy

Status	Condition	Backup Frequency
🟢 Active	Activity within last hour	Every 1 hour
🔴 Inactive	No new activity	Every 24 hours

Security Notes

⚠️ Important Security Warnings:

1. Must use a private repository - Backups contain sensitive configurations
2. API Keys are sanitized - But other configs may still contain sensitive info
3. Manual API key entry required on restore - Keys are replaced in backup files

File Structure

~/.openclaw/
├── backup.sh              # Main backup script
├── check-activity.sh      # Activity status checker
├── .gitignore             # Git ignore configuration
└── workspace/
    └── memory/
        └── heartbeat-state.json  # Records backup state

Troubleshooting

Push Failed

# Check SSH connection
ssh -T git@github.com

# Force push (use with caution)
cd ~/.openclaw && git push origin main --force

Configuration Lost After Restore

Ensure:

1. Edit openclaw.json to fill in real API keys
2. Restart Gateway: openclaw gateway restart

Customization

Custom Backup Frequency

Edit heartbeat-state.json:

{
  "backup": {
    "activeInterval": 3600000,
    "inactiveInterval": 86400000
  }
}

Add More Exclusions

Edit ~/.openclaw/.gitignore:

# Custom exclusions
secrets/
*.pem

Author

OpenClaw Community

Version

• v1.0.0 - Initial release with auto backup and smart frequency