What can I do with an OpenClaw agent?

OpenClaw agents can handle a wide range of tasks: monitor your email inbox and draft responses, track SEO rankings and generate reports, manage social media content and scheduling, review code and pull requests, monitor server health and uptime, track trading positions and send alerts, manage project tasks and deadlines, and much more. They run 24/7 and can integrate with tools like GitHub, Google Analytics, email (IMAP/SMTP), and databases.

How do I deploy an OpenClaw agent?

Deploying an OpenClaw agent takes just a few steps: 1) Install OpenClaw on your machine (Mac, Linux VPS, Raspberry Pi, or Docker). 2) Unzip your agent workspace into the OpenClaw directory. 3) Configure your AI model API key and messaging channel (Telegram, Discord, etc.). 4) Start the OpenClaw gateway. Your agent is now live and running 24/7. Each workspace includes a detailed README.md with step-by-step instructions.

What files are included in an AutoClaw agent workspace?

Every AutoClaw agent workspace includes 9 production-ready files: SOUL.md (agent identity and rules), HEARTBEAT.md (automated checks and monitoring), MEMORY.md (persistent memory structure), TOOLS.md (tool and integration config), AGENTS.md (workspace conventions), IDENTITY.md (name, role, and model settings), USER.md (your preferences), BOOTSTRAP.md (first-run setup), and README.md (deployment guide for Mac, VPS, and Raspberry Pi).

What's the difference between AutoClaw and other AI agent builders?

AutoClaw agents are battle-tested production templates, not theoretical configs. Every template has been refined through 20+ days of continuous 24/7 operation handling real tasks. You get a complete workspace (9 files), not just a prompt. Agents run on your own hardware with no monthly hosting fees, no cloud lock-in, and full data privacy. It's a one-time purchase — you own the configs forever.

Do I need coding experience to use an OpenClaw agent?

No coding experience is required. AutoClaw agents come with a visual builder wizard where you pick a role, customize personality and settings, and download a ready-to-deploy workspace. The included README.md has copy-paste terminal commands for installation. If you can follow step-by-step instructions, you can deploy an agent.

How is an OpenClaw agent different from ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is reactive — you open a tab, ask a question, get an answer, close the tab. OpenClaw agents are proactive. They run continuously, check things before you ask, and alert you when something needs attention. They also have persistent memory across all sessions (ChatGPT's memory resets), can connect to your real tools (email, GitHub, databases, APIs), and run on your own hardware so your data stays local.

What is SOUL.md in OpenClaw?

SOUL.md is the most important configuration file for an OpenClaw agent. It defines the agent's identity — its personality, expertise, behavioral rules, and guidelines. Think of it as who your agent is. Every response the agent gives, every decision it makes, flows through the rules defined in SOUL.md. You can customize it to create specialized agents: a DevOps engineer, a content writer, a trading monitor, or a personal assistant.

What is HEARTBEAT.md and how does it make agents proactive?

HEARTBEAT.md defines automated checks that run on a schedule — typically every 30 minutes. This is what makes OpenClaw agents proactive rather than reactive. You can configure your agent to check your email, monitor server uptime, track keyword rankings, scan for market-moving news, or review any metrics you care about. The agent runs these checks automatically and only messages you when something needs attention.

What hardware do I need to run an OpenClaw agent?

You can run an OpenClaw agent on almost any hardware: a Mac Mini (starting at $99 for older models), a $5/month VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or a Docker container. Since the agent uses cloud AI models (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini) through your own API keys, local compute requirements are minimal. Most people use a Mac Mini or small Linux server that stays on 24/7.

What Are OpenClaw Agents? The Complete Guide for 2026

Q: What is an OpenClaw agent?

An OpenClaw agent is an AI assistant that runs 24/7 on your own hardware (Mac, VPS, Raspberry Pi, or any server). It connects to messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, or Slack, and uses a set of configuration files (SOUL.md, HEARTBEAT.md, MEMORY.md, etc.) to define its personality, skills, and automated behaviors. Unlike cloud-only AI chatbots, OpenClaw agents run locally, giving you full control over your data and capabilities.

Q: How do OpenClaw agents work?

OpenClaw agents work through a workspace of configuration files. SOUL.md defines who the agent is — its personality, rules, and expertise. HEARTBEAT.md tells it what to check automatically (like monitoring emails or tracking data). MEMORY.md gives it persistent memory across sessions. The agent connects to an AI model (Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, etc.) and messaging channels to operate autonomously, handling tasks, answering questions, and proactively alerting you when needed.

What Is an OpenClaw Agent?

An OpenClaw agent is an AI assistant that runs 24/7 on your own hardware. Unlike cloud-based chatbots that only respond when you open a browser tab, OpenClaw agents are always on — monitoring, checking, and acting on your behalf around the clock.

Think of it like hiring a virtual employee who never sleeps. Your agent connects to messaging platforms like Telegram, Discord, Slack, or Signal, so you can chat with it from your phone anytime. But the real power is what it does when you're not chatting — automatically checking your email, monitoring your servers, tracking your portfolio, or publishing content on schedule.

OpenClaw agents run on your Mac Mini, a $5/month VPS, a Raspberry Pi, or even a Docker container. Your data stays on your machine. No cloud lock-in, no monthly AI hosting fees beyond your model API costs.

How Do OpenClaw Agents Work?

Every OpenClaw agent is defined by a workspace — a folder of configuration files that tell the agent who it is, what it knows, and what it should do. The key files are:

SOUL.md — The agent's identity. Defines personality, expertise, rules, and behavioral guidelines. This is the most important file — it's who your agent is.

HEARTBEAT.md — Automated checks that run on a schedule (typically every 30 minutes). This is what makes agents proactive — checking email, monitoring servers, tracking metrics without being asked.

MEMORY.md — Long-term memory that persists across sessions. Your agent remembers conversations, decisions, and context — like a human colleague who was there for every meeting.

TOOLS.md — Configuration for connected tools and integrations: email (IMAP/SMTP), GitHub, databases, APIs, SSH hosts, and more.

AGENTS.md — Workspace conventions and multi-agent coordination rules. If you run multiple agents, this tells them about each other.

The agent connects to an AI model — Claude, GPT-4, Gemini, or any model you prefer — through your own API key. The OpenClaw gateway manages the connection, schedules heartbeats, routes messages between you and the agent, and handles memory persistence.

What Can OpenClaw Agents Do?

The short answer: almost anything you'd hire an assistant for. Here are real examples of what production OpenClaw agents handle daily:

→Email management: Monitor your inbox via IMAP, categorize messages, draft responses, flag urgent items, and send approved replies automatically.
→Content creation: Write SEO-optimized blog posts, generate social media content, maintain a content calendar, and publish on schedule.
→SEO monitoring: Track keyword rankings, monitor competitors, identify content gaps, and deliver weekly performance reports.
→Code review: Watch GitHub for new PRs, review changes, suggest improvements, and flag security issues.
→Server monitoring: Check uptime, track CPU/memory/disk usage, monitor SSL certificates, and alert you before problems become outages.
→Trading: Track positions, monitor P&L, set price alerts, scan market news, and execute strategies based on predefined rules.
→Customer support: Handle incoming support tickets, draft responses using your knowledge base, escalate complex issues, and track SLAs.

Agent Teams: Delegation at Scale

One of the most powerful features in OpenClaw 2026.2.15 is sub-agent spawning. Pro agents can delegate work by spawning specialized sub-agents for specific tasks, then collect and synthesize their results.

Think of it like a manager building a team. Your Content Writer agent can spawn Research and SEO sub-agents to gather data and optimize while it focuses on writing. Your DevOps agent can spawn Deploy and Monitor sub-agents to handle different parts of a release pipeline in parallel.

Real Examples:

→Content Writer: Spawns Research sub-agent to gather sources + SEO sub-agent to find keywords while main agent drafts
→News Monitor: Spawns per-source monitoring sub-agents to track multiple feeds in parallel
→Project Manager: Spawns task-specific sub-agents for different work streams, coordinates deliverables

This isn't just parallelization — it's coordination. One agent orchestrating a team of specialists, each focused on what they do best.

Why Run Your Own Agent vs. Using ChatGPT?

ChatGPT and similar tools are reactive — you open a tab, type a question, get an answer. OpenClaw agents are proactive. They work while you sleep, check things before you ask, and alert you when something needs attention.

❌ Cloud Chatbots

Only works when you're actively chatting
No persistent memory between sessions
Can't connect to your tools/APIs
Data stored on someone else's servers
Monthly subscription fees

✅ OpenClaw Agents

Runs 24/7 autonomously
Persistent memory across all sessions
Connects to email, GitHub, databases, APIs
Data stays on your hardware
One-time setup, pay only for API usage

Getting Started

The fastest way to get started is with a pre-built agent template. AutoClaw offers 11 specialized agents and 3 team bundles, each battle-tested through 20+ days of production operation. Pick a role, customize the personality and integrations, download your workspace, and deploy.

Ready to build your first agent?

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