A robust configuration management utility for OpenClaw that automates versioned backups with change detection and restoration capabilities.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install backupclaw
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install backupclaw using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is backupclaw?
The backupclaw skill is an essential utility designed for the Openclaw Skills ecosystem to ensure the safety and persistence of AI agent configurations. It automates the process of creating date-stamped snapshots of the ~/.openclaw/ directory, specifically excluding bulky workspace data to remain lightweight and efficient.
This skill is particularly valuable for developers who frequently modify agent behaviors, extensions, or global settings. By utilizing diff-based change detection, backupclaw avoids redundant snapshots, only creating a new backup when actual configuration changes are detected. This ensures a clean, manageable history of your environment without wasting disk space.
backupclaw Use Cases
- Creating a safety net before making major changes to OpenClaw agent configurations.
- Restoring a known working state after a configuration error or extension failure.
- Tracking the history of configuration changes through an automated changelog.
- Migrating OpenClaw settings between different environments by utilizing the backup directory.
- Managing multiple backup locations using simple CLI commands.
How backupclaw Works
- The skill first identifies the designated backup directory by reading the ~/.openclaw/backup.json configuration file.
- When a backup is triggered, it generates a current date string and compares the current configuration against the most recent existing backup using diff.
- If changes are detected, it creates a new YYYY-MM-DD directory and copies the configuration files while preserving the directory structure.
- A central changelog.md is updated with the timestamp and a specific list of modified or added files.
- For restoration, the skill verifies the requested date, warns the user about overwriting current settings, and replaces the active configuration with the snapshot data.
backupclaw Setup
To initialize the backupclaw skill within your Openclaw Skills environment, ensure you have rsync or cp installed. Set your preferred backup location with the following command:
# Set or change your backup directory
backupclaw changedir /path/to/your/backup/folder
The skill will automatically create a backup.json file in your OpenClaw root to store this preference.
backupclaw Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill maintains a structured backup repository and a local configuration pointer:
| File/Folder | Description |
|---|---|
~/.openclaw/backup.json |
Stores the backup_location path. |
$backup_claw_dir/YYYY-MM-DD/ |
Contains the full snapshot of config files (excluding workspace). |
$backup_claw_dir/changelog.md |
A Markdown file tracking all backup events and file-level changes. |
All backups exclude the workspace/ directory to ensure portability and speed.
backupclaw Advanced Features
- Smart Diff Detection: Automatically skips the backup process if no file changes are found, preventing directory clutter.
- Granular Changelogs: Maintains a detailed Markdown-based history of exactly which files were modified, added, or removed in each version.
- Directory Management: Includes built-in path validation and writable-checks to ensure backup integrity before execution.
- Seamless Restoration: Offers an interactive restoration flow that lists available backup dates if the specified one is not found.
SKILL.md
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