home / skills / petekp / claude-code-setup / openclaw-customizer
This skill helps you configure and customize OpenClaw, enabling creative routing, bot channels, and automation patterns across your setup.
npx playbooks add skill petekp/claude-code-setup --skill openclaw-customizerReview the files below or copy the command above to add this skill to your agents.
---
name: openclaw-customizer
description: >
Expert guide for configuring, customizing, and creatively leveraging OpenClaw — the self-hosted AI gateway
that connects LLMs to messaging channels (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMessage, etc.).
Use when the user wants to: (1) Set up or modify their openclaw.json configuration, (2) Write or edit
bootstrap files (SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md), (3) Configure messaging channels,
(4) Set up models and providers, (5) Create multi-agent routing, (6) Build skills, hooks, or cron jobs,
(7) Troubleshoot OpenClaw issues, (8) Get creative ideas for leveraging OpenClaw in non-obvious ways.
Triggers on: openclaw, gateway, SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, channels setup, agent routing,
heartbeat, cron jobs, openclaw hooks, openclaw skills, openclaw config, openclaw.json, personal assistant setup.
---
# OpenClaw Customizer
Help the user configure, customize, and creatively leverage their OpenClaw instance.
## Approach
Be imaginative and inventive. OpenClaw is a flexible system — suggest non-obvious combinations
of features that solve real problems. Think beyond basic chat: cron jobs, multi-agent routing,
hooks, channel-specific personas, memory pipelines, and automation patterns.
When the user asks about a specific area, load the relevant reference file before responding.
## Reference Files
Load these on demand based on what the user needs:
| Topic | File | When to load |
|-------|------|-------------|
| Config schema & settings | [references/configuration.md](references/configuration.md) | Editing openclaw.json, any config question |
| Bootstrap files | [references/bootstrap-files.md](references/bootstrap-files.md) | SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md |
| Channel setup | [references/channels.md](references/channels.md) | Any messaging channel (Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, iMessage, etc.) |
| Models & providers | [references/models-providers.md](references/models-providers.md) | Model selection, provider config, failover, auth |
| Tools, skills, hooks, cron | [references/tools-skills-hooks.md](references/tools-skills-hooks.md) | Tool policy, skills, hooks, cron jobs, memory system |
| Multi-agent routing | [references/multi-agent.md](references/multi-agent.md) | Multiple agents, routing, bindings, isolation |
| Creative patterns | [references/creative-patterns.md](references/creative-patterns.md) | Ideas, inspiration, non-obvious uses, advanced patterns |
## Workflow
1. **Understand what the user wants to customize** — ask clarifying questions if needed
2. **Load the relevant reference(s)** — read the specific file(s) for the topic at hand
3. **Propose changes** — show the exact JSON5 config or markdown content to add/modify
4. **Explain the "why"** — help the user understand what each setting does and why you chose it
5. **Suggest adjacent improvements** — if you see an opportunity to make their setup better, mention it
## Key File Locations
- Config: `~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`
- Workspace: `~/.openclaw/workspace/` (or `~/.openclaw/workspace-<agentId>/`)
- Bootstrap: `SOUL.md`, `USER.md`, `AGENTS.md`, `IDENTITY.md`, `TOOLS.md` in workspace root
- Skills: `~/.openclaw/skills/` (shared) or `<workspace>/skills/` (per-agent)
- Hooks: `~/.openclaw/hooks/` (shared) or `<workspace>/hooks/` (per-agent)
- Memory: `<workspace>/memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md` (daily), `<workspace>/MEMORY.md` (long-term)
- Sessions: `~/.openclaw/agents/<agentId>/sessions/`
- Logs: `/tmp/openclaw/openclaw-YYYY-MM-DD.log`
- Cron: `~/.openclaw/cron/jobs.json`
## Live Documentation
For anything not covered in the reference files, fetch from the OpenClaw docs:
- Docs index: `https://docs.openclaw.ai/llms.txt`
- Getting started: `https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started`
- Configuration: `https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration.md`
- Configuration examples: `https://docs.openclaw.ai/gateway/configuration-examples.md`
## Guidelines
- Always show concrete JSON5 snippets or markdown content — not just descriptions
- Use JSON5 format (comments and trailing commas are OK in openclaw.json)
- When suggesting SOUL.md or USER.md content, tailor it to what you know about the user
- Suggest `openclaw doctor` when troubleshooting
- Remind about `allowFrom` security — never suggest `open` DM policy without a warning
- For multi-agent setups, emphasize workspace isolation and credential separation
- When suggesting cron jobs, always include timezone awareness
This skill is an expert guide for configuring, customizing, and creatively leveraging OpenClaw — the self-hosted AI gateway that connects LLMs to messaging channels. I provide concrete JSON5 and markdown snippets, step-by-step edits for bootstrap files, and practical patterns for agents, channels, hooks, cron jobs, and multi-agent routing. Use it to turn OpenClaw into a secure, automated assistant platform tailored to your workflows.
I inspect and edit the relevant OpenClaw files (openclaw.json, SOUL.md, USER.md, AGENTS.md, IDENTITY.md, TOOLS.md), channel configs, skill and hook code, and cron entries. I produce ready-to-paste JSON5 or markdown snippets, explain each change, and suggest adjacent improvements like failover providers, memory pipelines, and persona bindings. I also recommend diagnostic steps (openclaw doctor, logs, heartbeat) and security checks (allowFrom policies, credential isolation).
What diagnostic steps should I run first when something breaks?
Run openclaw doctor, check /tmp/openclaw/openclaw-YYYY-MM-DD.log, verify heartbeat, and confirm channel webhooks and provider credentials. Share those logs for targeted fixes.
How do I safely allow public messaging channels?
Use allowFrom to restrict trusted user IDs or group IDs, add rate limits, require explicit identity verification in USER.md, and never set open DM policy without authentication and audit hooks.