memory-continuity/README.md

memory-continuity

OpenClaw skill for short-term working continuity — so your agent can pick up exactly where it left off after a gateway crash, /new, model fallback, or context compaction.

What problem does this solve?

When your gateway dies mid-conversation, or you hit /new to start fresh, or the model falls back to a different provider — your agent loses its working context. Long-term memory can tell it what it knows, but not what it was doing. This skill fills that gap.

One-line summary: Long-term memory = what you know. This skill = what you are doing right now.

Quick Start

Install

# Go to your OpenClaw workspace skills directory
cd ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/

# Clone
git clone https://github.com/dtzp555-max/memory-continuity.git

# That's it. No npm install, no API keys, no database.

Test it

1. Start a conversation with your agent about a multi-step task
2. Chat for a few turns, make some decisions
3. Check: does memory/CURRENT_STATE.md exist in your workspace? Does it reflect what you were doing?
4. Type /new to start a fresh session
5. The agent should read CURRENT_STATE.md and ask: "Last session we were working on X. Want to continue?"

If step 5 works, the skill is doing its job.

Run the doctor

python3 scripts/continuity_doctor.py --workspace ~/.openclaw/workspace

Sample output:

Continuity Doctor — scanning: /Users/you/.openclaw/workspace
============================================================

[OK]        memory/CURRENT_STATE.md exists
[OK]        CURRENT_STATE.md is fresh (0.3h old)
[OK]        Template compliance: all sections present
[WARNING]   Unsurfaced Results section is not empty — review needed
[INFO]      Found 3 session archive(s), latest: 2026-03-12_14-30.md

Overall status: WARNING

How it works

The skill installs a behavioral protocol via SKILL.md. When loaded, the agent follows these rules:

1. Session start: Read memory/CURRENT_STATE.md, brief the user, wait for confirmation
2. During work: Overwrite the state file at key moments (decisions, completed steps, errors, before long tool calls, every ~10 turns)
3. Session end / /new: Final state save + archive a timestamped snapshot

The state file uses a fixed template:

# Current State
> Last updated: 2026-03-12T14:30:00Z

## Objective
Build the user authentication module

## Current Step
Completed JWT token generation, starting refresh endpoint

## Key Decisions
- Using RS256 for token signing (user approved)
- Token expiry: 15 minutes access, 7 days refresh

## Next Action
Implement POST /auth/refresh endpoint

## Blockers
None

## Unsurfaced Results
None

The entire file is designed to be read in 15 seconds. It is overwritten (not appended) on every update, keeping it permanently short.

Architecture position

This skill occupies a specific niche. Here is how it relates to other tools:

Layer	Tool	What it stores
Working state	memory-continuity (this skill)	What you are doing right now
Stable facts	OpenClaw native markdown memory	Preferences, decisions, knowledge
Retrieval	memory-lancedb-pro / similar	Searchable long-term history

These layers are complementary. This skill has zero dependency on any database or external memory plugin. It works with plain markdown files that live in your workspace and can be backed up with git or cp.

File structure

memory-continuity/
├── SKILL.md                    # Core skill (loaded by OpenClaw)
├── README.md                   # This file
├── LICENSE                     # MIT
├── references/
│   ├── template.md             # CURRENT_STATE.md blank template
│   └── doctor-spec.md          # Doctor check specifications
└── scripts/
    └── continuity_doctor.py    # Diagnostic tool (reports only, no auto-repair)

At runtime, the skill creates these files in your workspace:

$WORKSPACE/
└── memory/
    ├── CURRENT_STATE.md         # Live workbench (overwritten each update)
    └── session_archive/         # Timestamped snapshots from past sessions
        ├── 2026-03-12_14-30.md
        └── ...

Design principles

1. Zero dependencies. No database, no API, no npm packages. Just files.
2. Backup = copy. The entire state is in memory/. Back it up however you back up your workspace.
3. Overwrite, don't append. CURRENT_STATE.md is a workbench, not a journal. It stays short because it is replaced on every update.
4. Diagnose, don't auto-repair. The doctor script flags problems for you to fix. Automated repair of state files is too risky at this stage.
5. Complement, don't compete. This skill does not replace long-term memory. It solves a different problem (crash recovery vs knowledge retrieval).

Current status

v0.2 — Draft / early version

What works:

• SKILL.md protocol with discipline rules
• CURRENT_STATE.md template
• Continuity doctor diagnostic script
• Session archive on /new

Planned:

• Plugin version with command:new and before_agent_start hooks (for guaranteed save/restore without relying on agent self-discipline)
• More real-world validation across different gateway configurations
• Sub-agent continuity handover protocol

License

MIT