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rich salmonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 2:55 PM

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sly lanternBOT Apr 21, 2026, 2:55 PM

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rich salmonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 2:55 PM

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stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 2:59 PM

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Config invalid
File: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Problem:

plugins.entries.active-memory: Unrecognized keys: "memory-wiki", "memory-core"
plugins: Unrecognized keys: "skills", "hooks", "wizard", "meta", "channels"

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:01 PM

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That’s a config shape mismatch, not a memory-plugin bug.

What the errors mean:

plugins.entries.active-memory only accepts active-memory settings, so memory-core and memory-wiki do not belong inside it.
channels, skills, hooks, and wizard are top-level config blocks, not children of plugins.
meta is also top-level/system-managed.

The valid shape is more like:

{
  channels: {
    // ...
  },

#

  skills: {
    // ...
  },

  hooks: {
    // ...
  },

  wizard: {
    // ...
  },

  plugins: {
    entries: {
      "active-memory": {

#

        enabled: true,
        config: {
          // active-memory config only
        },
      },

      "memory-core": {
        enabled: true,
      },

      "memory-wiki": {
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          // wiki config here
        },

#

      },
    },

    slots: {
      memory: "memory-core",
    },
  },
}

Docs:

Also, first check your version:

#

openclaw --version
openclaw doctor

If you paste your plugins: block plus the version output here, I can point to the exact lines to move.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:02 PM

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"plugins": {
"entries": {
"ollama": {
"enabled": true
},
"openai": {
"enabled": true
},
"active-memory": {
"enabled": true,
"config": {
"agents": ["main"],
"allowedChatTypes": ["direct"],
"queryMode": "recent",
"promptStyle": "balanced",
"timeoutMs": 15000,
"maxSummaryChars": 220,
"persistTranscripts": false,
"logging": true
},
"memory-wiki": {
"enabled": true,
"config": {
"vaultMode": "isolated"
}
},
"memory-core": {
"config": {
"dreaming": {
"enabled": true
}
}
}
}
},

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:03 PM

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Yep, found it.

memory-wiki and memory-core are nested in the wrong place. They need to be siblings of active-memory, not children of it.

So change this shape:

plugins.entries["active-memory"].memory-wiki
plugins.entries["active-memory"].memory-core

to this:

"plugins": {
  "entries": {

#

    "ollama": {
      "enabled": true
    },
    "openai": {
      "enabled": true
    },

    "active-memory": {
      "enabled": true,
      "config": {
        "agents": ["main"],
        "allowedChatTypes": ["direct"],
        "queryMode": "recent",
        "promptStyle": "balanced",
        "timeoutMs": 15000,

#

        "maxSummaryChars": 220,
        "persistTranscripts": false,
        "logging": true
      }
    },

    "memory-wiki": {
      "enabled": true,
      "config": {
        "vaultMode": "isolated"
      }
    },

    "memory-core": {
      "enabled": true,

#

      "config": {
        "dreaming": {
          "enabled": true
        }
      }
    }
  },

  "slots": {
    "memory": "memory-core"
  }
}

Also, your first error showed this too:

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plugins: Unrecognized keys: "skills", "hooks", "wizard", "meta", "channels"

That means those blocks are also currently sitting inside plugins somewhere. They need to be moved back to the top level:

{
  "channels": { ... },
  "skills": { ... },
  "hooks": { ... },
  "wizard": { ... },
  "meta": { ... },
  "plugins": { ... }
}

Refs:

https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/active-memory

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After editing, run:

openclaw doctor

If you want, paste a slightly larger chunk starting a bit above "plugins" and I’ll spot the misplaced channels/skills/hooks/wizard/meta block too.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:07 PM

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okay now i want to do things.
1.i want him to give him his own email, how can we do that (i prefer icloud)

2.i want to setup useful cron jobs for him but idk for what. maybe something where he things about if he wants something to tell or change he should message me and if theres nothing he wont, and maybe daily email checks

3.i want to create an obsidian 2nd brain. idk in what it would be useful but i saw it on tiktok and it looks and sounds cool

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:09 PM

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Nice, this is a much better direction.

1) Give him his own email

Yes, I’d do that. The FAQ explicitly recommends separate accounts for bots, including email, because it reduces blast radius and makes revoking access easier.

My practical take:

Separate iCloud Mail account is fine if you want the assistant to have its own identity.
But if you want reliable automated inbox checking / email workflows, the docs I can find are for Gmail, not iCloud Mail.
So the pragmatic setup is:
- iCloud if you want the assistant’s public identity/address
- Gmail if you want first-class OpenClaw email automation

One important macOS gotcha:

Do not put ~/.openclaw in iCloud Drive or another synced folder. The docs warn that synced state dirs can cause file-lock/sync weirdness.

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2) Useful cron jobs / heartbeat ideas

For your exact idea, I would split it like this:

Use heartbeat for:

“Think regularly, and only message me if there’s actually something useful to say.”

That’s what heartbeat is good at, routine monitoring, quiet unless needed.

Use cron for:

Exact scheduled checks, like:

Weekday morning inbox triage
Evening daily review
Weekly review / reset
Bills / subscription / deadline check

Best starter automations

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If I were setting this up for myself, I’d start with just 3:

Morning inbox check
“Check email for anything urgent/time-sensitive. Only tell me if something matters.”
Daily reflection check
“Look for anything I should change, fix, or follow up on. Stay quiet if nothing stands out.”
Weekly review
“Summarize open loops, important people, deadlines, and suggested improvements.”

Also, docs-wise, this pairs well with:

standing orders in AGENTS.md for permanent behavior
heartbeat for routine checks
cron for exact times

3) Obsidian “second brain”

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This one is actually pretty legit, but TikTok oversells it a bit 😄

What it’s genuinely useful for:

remembering people, preferences, projects, decisions
building a wiki vault of durable knowledge
dashboards for stale info / contradictions
Obsidian-friendly notes the assistant can help maintain

For OpenClaw, the clean starting point is:

keep your normal memory setup
enable memory-wiki
start with vaultMode: "isolated"
use vault.renderMode: "obsidian"

That gives you an Obsidian-friendly wiki vault without making things too weird.

#

Good first workflow:

enable memory-wiki
run openclaw wiki init
run openclaw wiki doctor
run openclaw wiki obsidian status

My recommendation

If you want the least painful path:

give the assistant a separate email identity
use heartbeat for “tell me only if needed”
add one morning inbox cron and one weekly review cron
turn on memory-wiki + Obsidian mode for the second brain

Docs:

https://docs.openclaw.ai/help/faq

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If you want, next I can help you design a minimal setup plan for all 3, in the right order, so you don’t end up with a cool-but-chaotic mess.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:10 PM

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can you write prompts for him for allat

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:11 PM

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Yep. Here are copy-paste prompts for the whole setup.

1) Core standing order, put in `AGENTS.md`

## Personal Assistant Operating Rules

You are my personal assistant.

Your job is to help me stay on top of communication, commitments, priorities, and useful self-improvement without becoming noisy or annoying.

Core behavior:
- Be proactive, but only when there is real value.
- Prefer concise, actionable updates.
- If nothing important needs my attention, stay quiet.
- Surface only things that are urgent, high-leverage, risky, or repeatedly slipping.

#


Email rules:
- You may read, triage, summarize, label, and draft replies.
- Never send external email without my explicit approval.
- Highlight urgent, time-sensitive, financially important, or relationship-important messages.
- Draft replies in my tone when useful.

Decision rules:
- Do not escalate low-value noise.
- Do escalate deadlines, unanswered important messages, recurring problems, and anything that seems off.
- If uncertain whether something matters, summarize briefly and explain why it might matter.

Memory rules:
- Save durable preferences, recurring tasks, important people, active projects, long-term goals, and lessons learned.
- Do not clutter memory with trivial one-off chatter.

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- Prefer clean summaries over raw dumps.

Obsidian / wiki rules:
- Keep notes useful, structured, and minimal.
- Favor durable knowledge: people, projects, decisions, systems, habits, and open loops.
- Avoid duplicating the same note in multiple places unless it improves navigation.
- Maintain backlinks, summaries, and dashboards only when they add clarity.

Communication style:
- Short, clear, useful.
- No filler, no fake urgency, no spam.
- If there is nothing meaningful to report, say nothing.

#

2) Heartbeat prompt, put in `HEARTBEAT.md`

This is for the “if there’s nothing, don’t message me” part.

Check whether there is anything important I should know, do, change, or follow up on.

Look for:
- urgent or time-sensitive issues
- messages or email that need attention
- commitments that may slip
- repeated friction or bad patterns
- useful improvements to my setup, workflow, or habits
- open loops that would benefit from closure

Rules:

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- If nothing genuinely useful stands out, stay quiet.
- Do not send low-value updates.
- Prefer one short actionable summary over multiple small nudges.
- If you alert me, include:
  1. what matters
  2. why it matters
  3. the next best action

3) Daily email check cron prompt

Use this for a morning cron.

#

Check my email inbox and identify anything important.

Focus on:
- urgent or time-sensitive mail
- messages from important people
- financial, legal, work, school, or account-related issues
- things waiting on me
- things likely to become a problem if ignored

Then:
- give me a short summary of only the important items
- suggest the next action for each one
- draft replies where useful

Rules:

#

- if there is nothing important, do not bother me
- do not send any email without explicit approval
- ignore newsletters, spam, and low-signal noise unless something is unusually relevant

4) Daily reflection / “tell me if I should change something” cron prompt

Do a short personal ops review.

Think about whether there is anything I should:
- change
- fix

#

- follow up on
- clean up
- stop ignoring
- improve in my systems, habits, communication, or workload

Look for:
- repeated friction
- unresolved tasks
- neglected people
- messy workflows
- avoidable stress
- things that keep slipping

Rules:
- only message me if you found something genuinely useful

#

- keep it short
- give concrete recommendations, not vague motivational advice
- prefer the single highest-leverage suggestion

5) Weekly review cron prompt

Do a weekly review of my life and work.

Review:
- open loops
- important conversations

#

- unfinished tasks
- deadlines
- people I should respond to or reconnect with
- projects that are drifting
- systems that need cleanup
- recurring mistakes or avoidable friction

Then produce:
- a short weekly summary
- the top 3 things I should focus on next
- anything I should stop, simplify, or delegate
- any important follow-ups I missed

Rules:
- be honest and practical

#

- do not overwhelm me
- prioritize clarity over completeness

6) Obsidian / second-brain maintenance prompt

Use this for wiki / memory maintenance.

Maintain my Obsidian second brain as a useful long-term knowledge system.

Capture and organize only high-value durable information, especially:
- important people and relationships

#

- active projects
- decisions and why they were made
- preferences
- recurring problems
- lessons learned
- goals, plans, and open loops
- useful systems and workflows

When updating the vault:
- prefer clear summaries over raw logs
- merge duplicates
- keep names consistent
- create backlinks where helpful
- update dashboards only when they improve navigation
- avoid clutter and low-value notes

#


If something belongs in memory but not in the wiki, keep it out of the wiki.
If something is stale, contradictory, or unclear, flag it.

Goal:
Create a second brain that is actually useful, searchable, and worth revisiting, not just aesthetically pleasing.

7) Optional daily note prompt for Obsidian

Create or update today's daily note.

#

Include only:
- important events
- commitments
- follow-ups
- notable ideas
- decisions
- unresolved concerns
- anything likely to matter later

Do not turn the daily note into a giant transcript.
Keep it readable and useful.

If you want, I can also turn these into:

exact openclaw cron add commands, and
a clean starter HEARTBEAT.md + AGENTS.md + memory-wiki config.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:33 PM

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about the obsidian. how can we do this so i have the second brain on my devices. wit the obsidian skill?

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:34 PM

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Yeah, and small correction, it’s not really an “Obsidian skill”. What you want is the memory-wiki plugin with Obsidian render mode.

Best setup

What to sync across devices

Sync the Obsidian vault, not the whole OpenClaw state dir.

So the pattern is:

OpenClaw writes wiki pages into a vault folder
Obsidian opens that same vault
Your vault syncs across devices (Obsidian Sync, iCloud, etc.)
You see the “second brain” on phone/laptop/tablet

Important warning

Docs explicitly warn not to put ~/.openclaw / the OpenClaw state dir in iCloud or other synced folders.

#

So:

✅ sync the vault
❌ do not sync the whole ~/.openclaw

I’d set it up like this

1) Create an Obsidian vault

Example:

~/Obsidian/OpenClaw Brain

That is the folder Obsidian syncs across your devices.

#

2) Point `memory-wiki` at that vault

Use a config like this:

{
  plugins: {
    entries: {
      "memory-wiki": {
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          vaultMode: "isolated",
          vault: {
            path: "~/Obsidian/OpenClaw Brain",
            renderMode: "obsidian"
          },

#

          obsidian: {
            enabled: true,
            useOfficialCli: true,
            vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
            openAfterWrites: false
          },
          ingest: {
            autoCompile: true,
            maxConcurrentJobs: 1,
            allowUrlIngest: true
          },
          search: {
            backend: "shared",
            corpus: "wiki"
          },

#

          render: {
            preserveHumanBlocks: true,
            createBacklinks: true,
            createDashboards: true
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

3) Initialize it

#

openclaw wiki init
openclaw wiki doctor
openclaw wiki obsidian status

4) Open the same vault on your other devices

In Obsidian on mobile / laptop / tablet, open the synced vault.

That’s the actual multi-device second-brain setup.

Which mode should you use?

Start with `isolated`

Use this first. It’s simpler and less cursed.

#

Later, maybe switch to `bridge`

If you want the wiki to compile memory artifacts from your memory system, bridge is the more “full OpenClaw second brain” route.

But honestly, I’d get isolated + synced vault working first, then upgrade later.

My recommendation

If you want the smoothest version:

Obsidian Sync or iCloud for the vault
keep ~/.openclaw local
use memory-wiki
set renderMode: "obsidian"
start with vaultMode: "isolated"

#

Docs:

If you want, I can write you a full ready-to-paste config for:

simple synced Obsidian vault, or
more advanced memory-core + memory-wiki bridge setup.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:40 PM

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how can i sync this from vps

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:41 PM

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If the Gateway is on the VPS, then the VPS owns the workspace/vault. The FAQ calls this out for remote mode, the gateway host owns the workspace/session store.

So the shape is:

VPS writes the wiki files
→ some file sync layer copies that vault
→ your devices open the synced local copy in Obsidian

Important bit

OpenClaw is not the sync layer here.
It just writes Markdown into the vault path.

Best practical setup

I’d do this:

#

On the VPS, set memory-wiki to write to a dedicated folder, for example:

vault: {
  path: "/srv/openclaw-brain",
  renderMode: "obsidian"
}

Sync that folder only to your main machine
(not the whole ~/.openclaw state dir)
Open the synced local folder in Obsidian
Then let Obsidian Sync / iCloud / your normal Obsidian setup handle the rest of your devices

What I’d recommend

#

Option A, best overall

VPS → Mac/PC sync → Obsidian Sync/iCloud to other devices

Why I like it:

OpenClaw stays simple on the VPS
Obsidian gets a normal local vault on your laptop
your phone/tablet sync the way Obsidian expects

Option B, more DIY

VPS → devices directly with Syncthing / git / rsync-style workflow

This works too, but it’s more “you are now your own storage admin” energy.

What I would NOT do

Don’t sync the whole ~/.openclaw
Don’t put the OpenClaw state dir itself in iCloud

#

Don’t make Obsidian open a weird live remote VPS path if you want a smooth mobile experience

Short answer

From a VPS, the clean pattern is:

keep OpenClaw on VPS
write wiki to a dedicated vault folder
sync that vault folder down to a normal local Obsidian vault
then use your device sync from there

If you want, I can sketch the exact topology for your case, like:

VPS + Mac + iPhone
VPS + Windows + Android
VPS + only Apple devices

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 3:54 PM

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what should i do now . openclaw lives on a contabo vps and i have a mac and access it with tailscale ,

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 3:56 PM

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If I were you, I’d do this exact setup:

Recommended topology

Contabo VPS

runs OpenClaw
writes the wiki vault

Mac

keeps a local Obsidian vault copy
syncs that vault to your other Apple devices with iCloud or Obsidian Sync

So the flow is:

VPS OpenClaw wiki
→ pull to Mac over Tailscale
→ Obsidian on Mac/iPhone/iPad

#

Do this now

1) Start simple, use `memory-wiki` in `isolated` mode

Don’t overcook it yet.

Use a dedicated vault path on the VPS, something like:

plugins: {
  entries: {
    "memory-wiki": {
      enabled: true,
      config: {
        vaultMode: "isolated",
        vault: {
          path: "/srv/openclaw-brain",

#

          renderMode: "obsidian"
        },
        obsidian: {
          enabled: true,
          useOfficialCli: true,
          vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
          openAfterWrites: false
        },
        render: {
          preserveHumanBlocks: true,
          createBacklinks: true,
          createDashboards: true
        }
      }
    }

#

}
}

Then on the VPS:

openclaw wiki init
openclaw wiki doctor

2) On your Mac, create a local Obsidian vault

Example:

#

~/Obsidian/OpenClaw Brain

Or if you want Apple-native sync, make that vault live in your iCloud-backed Obsidian folder on the Mac.

3) Sync VPS → Mac over Tailscale

Since you already use Tailscale, this is the clean part.

Use a one-way pull at first:

rsync -az --delete <user>@<your-vps-tailnet-name>:/srv/openclaw-brain/ ~/Obsidian/OpenClaw\ Brain/

#

That gives you a local vault on the Mac.

Why one-way first?

Because it’s much less cursed.

VPS is the writer
Mac is the reader/viewer
fewer sync conflicts
easier to debug

4) Open that folder in Obsidian on the Mac

Now you have the second brain locally.

#

5) Sync Mac → iPhone/iPad

Then use either:

iCloud if you want Apple-simple
Obsidian Sync if you want the cleaner Obsidian-native path

That way OpenClaw never writes directly into iCloud, it only writes on the VPS, and your Mac becomes the bridge.

What I would not do

don’t sync the whole ~/.openclaw
don’t make iCloud the VPS storage layer
don’t jump into two-way editing immediately

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My actual recommendation

Start with:

memory-wiki on VPS
/srv/openclaw-brain as the vault path
rsync pull to Mac over Tailscale
open local vault in Obsidian
iCloud / Obsidian Sync from Mac to other devices

That’s the least messy version.

If you want, I can write you the full exact config block plus the Mac sync command/script next.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 4:20 PM

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ok i got it with syncthing now but how do i wire it to my openclaw as memory now

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:21 PM

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Yep, this is the key distinction:

memory-wiki = Obsidian/wiki layer
active memory (memory-core) = the thing OpenClaw actually uses for recall/search/promotion

So if you want your synced Obsidian vault to become searchable memory, the easiest move is:

1) Keep a real memory plugin active

plugins: {
  slots: {
    memory: "memory-core"
  },
  entries: {
    "memory-core": {

#

      enabled: true
    }
  }
}

2) Tell memory search to index your Obsidian vault

This is the important part:

agents: {
  defaults: {
    memorySearch: {
      extraPaths: ["/srv/openclaw-brain"]

#

    }
  }
}

That makes OpenClaw index Markdown from your synced vault as memory.

3) Keep `memory-wiki` if you want the Obsidian/wiki side too

plugins: {
  entries: {
    "memory-wiki": {
      enabled: true,
      config: {

#

        vaultMode: "isolated",
        vault: {
          path: "/srv/openclaw-brain",
          renderMode: "obsidian"
        },
        render: {
          preserveHumanBlocks: true,
          createBacklinks: true,
          createDashboards: true
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

#

4) Reindex and test

After updating config:

openclaw memory index --force
openclaw memory search "some note you know exists"
openclaw wiki doctor

My recommendation

Start with this simple model:

memory-core = actual memory engine

#

memorySearch.extraPaths = your Obsidian vault path
memory-wiki = optional wiki/Obsidian companion on top

That gives you:

searchable notes from Obsidian
OpenClaw memory recall
Obsidian-friendly vault structure

Important note

memory-wiki does not replace the active memory plugin.
So don’t try to make memory-wiki the only memory layer.

If you want, paste your current memory, agents.defaults.memorySearch, and plugins blocks, and I’ll turn them into one clean working config.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 4:32 PM

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Hello, can you walk me through setting up memory-wiki for all my agents? I would like to use bridge mode, and have it be obsidian compatible inside my obsidian directory at /home/node/obsidian . Any other questions I need to answer?

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:34 PM

#

Yep. And one nice thing here, memory-wiki is global, so you do not need to configure it separately per agent.

The 4 questions I’d want answered

What does openclaw --version print?
Is /home/node/obsidian the actual vault root, or just a parent directory?
- I’d usually recommend a dedicated subfolder like /home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain
Do you have the official obsidian CLI installed on the VPS?
- if not, that’s fine, just set useOfficialCli: false
Do you want one shared wiki for all agents, or separate vaults per agent?
- from what you wrote, I’d assume one shared wiki

Assuming:

current-ish OpenClaw build
one shared vault
bridge mode
Obsidian-compatible Markdown

#

vault path = /home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain

here’s the setup I’d use.

1) Recommended config

{
  memory: {
    backend: "qmd",
    qmd: {
      includeDefaultMemory: true,
      update: {
        interval: "5m",

#

        debounceMs: 15000
      }
    }
  },

  plugins: {
    slots: {
      memory: "memory-core"
    },

    entries: {
      "memory-core": {
        enabled: true
      },

#

      "memory-wiki": {
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          vaultMode: "bridge",

          vault: {
            path: "/home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain",
            renderMode: "obsidian"
          },

          obsidian: {
            enabled: true,
            useOfficialCli: false, // set true only if obsidian CLI is installed on the VPS
            vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
            openAfterWrites: false

#

          },

          bridge: {
            enabled: true,
            readMemoryArtifacts: true,
            indexDreamReports: true,
            indexDailyNotes: true,
            indexMemoryRoot: true,
            followMemoryEvents: true
          },

          search: {
            backend: "shared",
            corpus: "all"
          },

#


          context: {
            includeCompiledDigestPrompt: false
          },

          render: {
            preserveHumanBlocks: true,
            createBacklinks: true,
            createDashboards: true
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

#

2) Why this setup

memory.backend: "qmd" gives you the docs’ recommended recall side
memory-core stays the active memory plugin
memory-wiki in bridge mode builds the maintained wiki layer from memory artifacts
renderMode: "obsidian" makes the files Obsidian-friendly
one shared vault means all agents can contribute to the same second brain

3) Apply it safely

A few reminders from your earlier error:

memory-wiki and memory-core must be siblings under plugins.entries
do not nest them under plugins.entries.active-memory

#

After editing config:

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart

4) Initialize and verify

Run these on the VPS:

openclaw wiki init
openclaw wiki doctor

#

openclaw wiki status
openclaw wiki bridge import
openclaw wiki obsidian status
openclaw memory status --deep --index

Good signs:

wiki doctor is clean
wiki bridge import finds artifacts
wiki obsidian status shows the vault healthy
memory status shows indexing/search is healthy

5) How this works for all agents

#

memory-wiki itself is global.

So for “all agents”, you mainly need:

one global memory backend
one global memory-wiki plugin config
one shared vault path

You only need extra per-agent config if you want different memorySearch behavior or different active-memory plugin targeting per agent.

My main recommendation

Use:

#

/home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain

not the bare /home/node/obsidian root, unless that directory is already exactly the vault you want OpenClaw to own.

Docs

If you paste:

openclaw --version
whether /home/node/obsidian is the vault root or parent

#

whether obsidian CLI is installed

…I can tighten this into the exact final config you should paste.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 4:36 PM

#

how to install cli

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:37 PM

#

If you mean the Obsidian CLI, you probably do not need it on the VPS.

For your setup:

OpenClaw on Contabo VPS
vault synced to your devices
Obsidian app running on your Mac / phone

…then the VPS just needs to write Obsidian-friendly Markdown.
So set:

obsidian: {
  enabled: true,
  useOfficialCli: false
}

#

That is the sane default.

What the CLI is for

The docs only use the official obsidian CLI for extra helpers like:

opening a page
running Obsidian commands
jumping to daily notes

It is not required for memory-wiki itself.

What OpenClaw docs say

They only say the official obsidian CLI must be on PATH if obsidian.useOfficialCli is enabled.
They do not give install steps for it.

So my recommendation is:

#

on VPS: useOfficialCli: false
on your Mac/devices: just use the normal Obsidian app with the synced vault

Quick answer

For you, I would do this:

obsidian: {
  enabled: true,
  useOfficialCli: false,
  vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
  openAfterWrites: false
}

If you meant the OpenClaw CLI instead, say so and I’ll give you the exact install command for that.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 4:46 PM

#

like this "plugins": {

        "active-memory": {
            "enabled": true,
            "config": {
                "agents": ["main"],
                "allowedChatTypes": ["direct"],
                "queryMode": "recent",
                "promptStyle": "balanced",
                "timeoutMs": 15000,
                "maxSummaryChars": 220,
                "persistTranscripts": false,
                "logging": true
            }
        },
        "memory-wiki": {
            "enabled": true,
            "config": {
                "vaultMode": "bridge",

                "vault": {
                    "path": "/home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain",
                    "renderMode": "obsidian"
                }
            }
        },
        "obsidian": {
        "enabled": true,
        "useOfficialCli": false,
        "vaultName": "OpenClaw Brain",
        "openAfterWrites": false
      },

      "bridge": {
        "enabled": true,
        "readMemoryArtifacts": true,
        "indexDreamReports": true,
        "indexDailyNotes": true,
        "indexMemoryRoot": true,
        "followMemoryEvents": true
      },

      "search": {
        "backend": "shared",
        "corpus": "all"
      },
      "context": {
        "includeCompiledDigestPrompt": false
      },

      "render": {
        "preserveHumanBlocks": true,
        "createBacklinks": true,
        "createDashboards": true
      }
    }
  },
      "memory-core": {
            "enabled": true,
            "config": {
                "dreaming": {
                    "enabled": true
                }
            }
        }
        },
    "slots": {
        "memory": "memory-core"
    },

#

kaanbot@vmd191245:~$ openclaw gateway restart
Invalid config at /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/openclaw.json:\n- plugins.entries.obsidian: Unrecognized keys: "useOfficialCli", "vaultName", "openAfterWrites"

plugins.entries.bridge: Unrecognized keys: "readMemoryArtifacts", "indexDreamReports", "indexDailyNotes", "indexMemoryRoot", "followMemoryEvents"
plugins.entries.search: Unrecognized keys: "backend", "corpus"
plugins.entries.context: Unrecognized key: "includeCompiledDigestPrompt"
plugins.entries.render: Unrecognized keys: "preserveHumanBlocks", "createBacklinks", "createDashboards"
<root>: Unrecognized keys: "memory-core", "slots"

Config invalid
File: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Problem:

plugins.entries.obsidian: Unrecognized keys: "useOfficialCli", "vaultName", "openAfterWrites"
plugins.entries.bridge: Unrecognized keys: "readMemoryArtifacts", "indexDreamReports", "indexDailyNotes", "indexMemoryRoot", "followMemoryEvents"
plugins.entries.search: Unrecognized keys: "backend", "corpus"
plugins.entries.context: Unrecognized key: "includeCompiledDigestPrompt"
plugins.entries.render: Unrecognized keys: "preserveHumanBlocks", "createBacklinks", "createDashboards"
<root>: Unrecognized keys: "memory-core", "slots"

Run: openclaw doctor --fix
Gateway aborted: config is invalid.
plugins.entries.obsidian: Unrecognized keys: "useOfficialCli", "vaultName", "openAfterWrites"
plugins.entries.bridge: Unrecognized keys: "readMemoryArtifacts", "indexDreamReports", "indexDailyNotes", "indexMemoryRoot", "followMemoryEvents"
plugins.entries.search: Unrecognized keys: "backend", "corpus"
plugins.entries.context: Unrecognized key: "includeCompiledDigestPrompt"
plugins.entries.render: Unrecognized keys: "preserveHumanBlocks", "createBacklinks", "createDashboards"
<root>: Unrecognized keys: "memory-core", "slots"
Fix the config and retry, or run "openclaw doctor" to repair.

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:48 PM

#

Yep, this looks like the block got flattened while pasting. Sorry, that one’s on me.

Your errors mean:

obsidian, bridge, search, context, render were placed as plugin entries
memory-core and slots were placed at the root
but they should be nested like this:

Correct shape

{
  memory: {
    backend: "qmd",
    qmd: {
      includeDefaultMemory: true,

#

      update: {
        interval: "5m",
        debounceMs: 15000
      }
    }
  },

  plugins: {
    slots: {
      memory: "memory-core"
    },

    entries: {
      "memory-core": {
        enabled: true

#

      },

      "memory-wiki": {
        enabled: true,
        config: {
          vaultMode: "bridge",

          vault: {
            path: "/home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain",
            renderMode: "obsidian"
          },

          obsidian: {
            enabled: true,
            useOfficialCli: false,

#

            vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
            openAfterWrites: false
          },

          bridge: {
            enabled: true,
            readMemoryArtifacts: true,
            indexDreamReports: true,
            indexDailyNotes: true,
            indexMemoryRoot: true,
            followMemoryEvents: true
          },

          search: {
            backend: "shared",

#

            corpus: "all"
          },

          context: {
            includeCompiledDigestPrompt: false
          },

          render: {
            preserveHumanBlocks: true,
            createBacklinks: true,
            createDashboards: true
          }
        }
      }
    }

#

}
}

The key fix

These:

obsidian
bridge
search
context
render

must be inside:

#

plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config

And these:

slots
"memory-core"

must be inside:

plugins

not at the root.

#

After fixing it

Run:

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw wiki init
openclaw wiki doctor
openclaw wiki bridge import

If you want, paste just your current memory + plugins block and I’ll rewrite it into a clean valid version for you.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 4:52 PM

#

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.15 (041266a) — Type the command with confidence—nature will provide the stack trace if needed.

Config invalid
File: ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
Problem:

plugins.entries.obsidian: Unrecognized keys: "useOfficialCli", "vaultName", "openAfterWrites"
plugins.entries.bridge: Unrecognized keys: "readMemoryArtifacts", "indexDreamReports", "indexDailyNotes", "indexMemoryRoot", "followMemoryEvents"
plugins.entries.search: Unrecognized keys: "backend", "corpus"
plugins.entries.context: Unrecognized key: "includeCompiledDigestPrompt"
plugins.entries.render: Unrecognized keys: "preserveHumanBlocks", "createBacklinks", "createDashboards"
<root>: Unrecognized key: "memory-core"

Run: openclaw doctor --fix
Gateway aborted: config is invalid.
plugins.entries.obsidian: Unrecognized keys: "useOfficialCli", "vaultName", "openAfterWrites"
plugins.entries.bridge: Unrecognized keys: "readMemoryArtifacts", "indexDreamReports", "indexDailyNotes", "indexMemoryRoot", "followMemoryEvents"
plugins.entries.search: Unrecognized keys: "backend", "corpus"
plugins.entries.context: Unrecognized key: "includeCompiledDigestPrompt"
plugins.entries.render: Unrecognized keys: "preserveHumanBlocks", "createBacklinks", "createDashboards"
<root>: Unrecognized key: "memory-core"
Fix the config and retry, or run "openclaw doctor" to repair.

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:53 PM

#

Nice, the version is recent enough, so this is still just a nesting problem, not a version problem.

You are very close.

What is still wrong

These are wrong as standalone keys:

plugins.entries.obsidian
plugins.entries.bridge
plugins.entries.search
plugins.entries.context
plugins.entries.render
top-level memory-core

They must be nested like this:

#

plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config.obsidian
plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config.bridge
plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config.search
plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config.context
plugins.entries["memory-wiki"].config.render
plugins.entries["memory-core"]

Do this

Replace your memory and plugins sections with this exact shape:

memory: {
  backend: "qmd",
  qmd: {
    includeDefaultMemory: true,

#

    update: {
      interval: "5m",
      debounceMs: 15000
    }
  }
},

plugins: {
  slots: {
    memory: "memory-core"
  },

  entries: {
    "memory-core": {
      enabled: true

#

    },

    "memory-wiki": {
      enabled: true,
      config: {
        vaultMode: "bridge",

        vault: {
          path: "/home/node/obsidian/openclaw-brain",
          renderMode: "obsidian"
        },

        obsidian: {
          enabled: true,
          useOfficialCli: false,

#

          vaultName: "OpenClaw Brain",
          openAfterWrites: false
        },

        bridge: {
          enabled: true,
          readMemoryArtifacts: true,
          indexDreamReports: true,
          indexDailyNotes: true,
          indexMemoryRoot: true,
          followMemoryEvents: true
        },

        search: {
          backend: "shared",

#

          corpus: "all"
        },

        context: {
          includeCompiledDigestPrompt: false
        },

        render: {
          preserveHumanBlocks: true,
          createBacklinks: true,
          createDashboards: true
        }
      }
    }
  }

#

Important

There should be no separate keys like:

memory-core: { ... }
obsidian: { ... }
bridge: { ... }
search: { ... }
context: { ... }
render: { ... }

#

unless they are nested exactly as above.

After that run

openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway restart
openclaw wiki init
openclaw wiki doctor
openclaw wiki bridge import

If you want, paste your current raw memory + plugins block and I’ll reformat it line by line into a valid one.

rich salmonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 4:53 PM

#

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:09 PM

#

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.15 (041266a) — Welcome to the command line: where dreams compile and confidence segfaults.

Wiki doctor: 1 issue(s) found

Wiki vault mode: bridge
Vault: ready (/home/kaanbot/.openclaw/workspace/obsidian-vault)
Render mode: obsidian
Obsidian CLI: missing
Bridge: enabled (0 exported artifacts)
Unsafe local: disabled
Pages: 0 sources, 0 entities, 0 concepts, 0 syntheses, 5 reports
Source provenance: 0 native, 0 bridge, 0 bridge-events, 0 unsafe-local, 0 other

Warnings:

Bridge mode is enabled but the active memory plugin is not exporting any public memory artifacts yet.

Suggested fixes:

Use a memory plugin that exports public artifacts, create/import memory artifacts first, or switch the wiki back to isolated mode.

🦞 OpenClaw 2026.4.15 (041266a) — If you're lost, run doctor; if you're brave, run prod; if you're wise, run tests.

Bridge import synced 0 artifacts across 0 workspaces (0 new, 0 updated, 0 unchanged, 0 removed). Indexes not refreshed (no-import-changes).
kaanbot@vmd191245:~$

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:10 PM

#

Okay, this is actually useful output.

What it means

Good news

your config is valid now
memory-wiki is running
bridge mode is on
Obsidian CLI missing is fine on a VPS

The real problem

Bridge mode has nothing to import yet.

This line is the important one:

#

Bridge: enabled (0 exported artifacts)

So memory-wiki is working, but your active memory side is not exposing any public bridge artifacts yet.

Also, one more thing

Your vault is currently here:

/home/kaanbot/.openclaw/workspace/obsidian-vault

not here:

#

/home/node/obsidian

So your custom vault path either:

did not get applied, or
OpenClaw fell back to the default, or
/home/node/obsidian is not valid/writable for the kaanbot user

That part matters a lot.

What I would do now

Option A, easiest and probably best right now

#

If your goal is mainly:

“I want a synced Obsidian second brain now”

then I would switch back to isolated mode first.

Why:

it works immediately
it does not depend on exported memory artifacts
you can start using the vault today

Bridge mode is cooler, but it only becomes useful once the memory system is actually exporting stuff.

Option B, keep bridge mode and make it actually produce data

If you want to stay in bridge mode, do this:

#

1) check memory status

openclaw memory status --deep --index

2) try promoting memory

openclaw memory promote
openclaw memory promote --apply

3) then import again

openclaw wiki bridge import
openclaw wiki doctor

#

The idea is:

memory system needs actual durable/promoted memory
then bridge can import it
right now it has basically nothing public to pull

My actual recommendation

First fix the vault path

If you want the vault in your synced Obsidian directory, make sure the path is one the kaanbot user can actually write to.

Honestly I’d use something like:

/home/kaanbot/obsidian-vault

#

instead of /home/node/obsidian, unless you intentionally mounted/shared that directory.

Then choose one of these:

If you want immediate results:

use vaultMode: "isolated"

If you want fancy memory compilation:

keep vaultMode: "bridge"
get memory promote --apply working
then re-run wiki bridge import

Short version

Right now you do not have a broken wiki setup.

#

You have a working wiki setup with no bridge source data yet.

And your vault path is not the one you expected.

If you want, paste your current plugins.entries["memory-wiki"] block and I’ll tell you:

how to fix the vault path, and
whether you should stay on bridge or switch to isolated for now.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:13 PM

#

19:11:31 [memory] qmd binary unavailable (qmd); falling back to builtin: spawn qmd ENOENT
Memory index complete.
Memory Search (main)
Provider: none (requested: auto)
Model: none
Sources: memory
Indexed: 4/4 files · 5 chunks
Dirty: no
Store: ~/.openclaw/memory/main.sqlite
Workspace: ~/.openclaw/workspace
Dreaming: off
Embeddings: unavailable
Embeddings error: No API key found for provider "openai". You are authenticated with OpenAI Codex OAuth. Use openai-codex/gpt-5.4 (OAuth) or set OPENAI_API_KEY to use openai/gpt-5.4.
No API key found for provider "google". Auth store: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json (agentDir: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent). Configure auth for this agent (openclaw agents add <id>) or copy auth-profiles.json from the main agentDir.
No API key found for provider "voyage". Auth store: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json (agentDir: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent). Configure auth for this agent (openclaw agents add <id>) or copy auth-profiles.json from the main agentDir.
No API key found for provider "mistral". Auth store: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent/auth-profiles.json (agentDir: /home/kaanbot/.openclaw/agents/main/agent). Configure auth for this agent (openclaw agents add <id>) or copy auth-profiles.json from the main agentDir.
By source:
memory · 4/4 files · 5 chunks
Vector: unknown
Vector path: ~/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/node_modules/sqlite-vec-linux-x64/vec0.so
FTS: ready
Embedding cache: enabled (0 entries)
Batch: disabled (failures 0/2)
Recall store: 1 entries · 0 promoted · 1 concept-tagged · 0 spaced · scripts=1 latin
Recall path: ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/.dreams/short-term-recall.json
Recall updated: 2026-04-21T17:10:41.061Z
Dreaming artifacts: diary absent · 0 corpus files · ingestion state absent
Dream corpus: ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/.dreams/session-corpus
Dream ingestion: ~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/.dreams/session-ingestion

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:14 PM

#

This explains a lot.

You’ve got 2 separate problems right now:

1) QMD is not actually installed

This line is the giveaway:

qmd binary unavailable (qmd); falling back to builtin: spawn qmd ENOENT

So OpenClaw is configured for QMD, but the qmd binary is missing.

The docs say to install it with:

#

npm install -g @tobilu/qmd
qmd --version

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/memory-qmd

2) You do not have an embedding provider configured

This also matters:

Provider: none
Embeddings: unavailable

#

And this part is the important nuance:

You are authenticated with OpenAI Codex OAuth ...
Use openai-codex/gpt-5.4 (OAuth) or set OPENAI_API_KEY to use openai/gpt-5.4.

Codex OAuth is fine for chat/coding, but it does not satisfy embeddings.

So for better memory search you need a real embedding-capable provider, for example:

OPENAI_API_KEY
Google API key
Voyage API key
Mistral API key

Docs:

#

What I’d do next

If you want the proper bridge setup

Do this in order:

install QMD

npm install -g @tobilu/qmd
qmd --version

configure an embeddings provider

#

easiest is usually:

export OPENAI_API_KEY=...

or set it in your service/env properly

re-check memory
```
openclaw memory status --deep --index
```

promote some memory

openclaw memory promote
openclaw memory promote --apply

#

retry bridge import

openclaw wiki bridge import
openclaw wiki doctor

Short honest take

Right now:

bridge mode is on
but QMD is missing
embeddings are missing
and you have 0 promoted memory

#

So the wiki has basically nothing meaningful to bridge yet.

If you want the fastest working setup today

Switch to isolated for now.

If you want the better long-term setup

Fix QMD + embeddings, then run memory promote --apply, then bridge import again.

If you want, I can give you the exact minimal next 5 commands to run on that VPS.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:15 PM

#

i have no embedding

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:16 PM

#

Totally fine, then I’d stop fighting for the fancy setup right now.

Short answer

If you have no embeddings, I would do this:

do not use QMD right now
switch memory-wiki to isolated
use the Obsidian vault as your second brain
let OpenClaw use basic lexical memory search for now

OpenClaw still works without embeddings, it just falls back to lexical/FTS search, which is weaker but not useless.

Docs: https://docs.openclaw.ai/concepts/memory-search

#

What I’d change

Remove or stop forcing QMD

Since you don’t have QMD installed and don’t have embeddings, don’t bother with:

memory: {
  backend: "qmd"
}

Just go back to the builtin default memory backend.

Switch wiki mode

Change:

#

vaultMode: "bridge"

to:

vaultMode: "isolated"

That gives you:

a working Obsidian-compatible vault
synced notes on your devices
no dependency on exported bridge artifacts

#

My honest recommendation

For your setup today, the best path is:

builtin memory
memory-wiki isolated
Obsidian sync
no embeddings yet

Then later, if you add an embedding provider, you can upgrade into:

QMD
better recall
bridge mode
promoted memory / richer wiki compilation

#

So basically

Right now I’d optimize for working and useful, not maximal architecture purity 😄

If you want, I can give you the exact minimal config for:

no embeddings
no qmd
isolated memory-wiki
Obsidian-compatible vault

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:25 PM

#

ok how can i test it now

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:26 PM

#

Yep, do a tiny smoke test first.

1) Make sure the wiki is healthy

openclaw wiki status
openclaw wiki doctor

You want:

vault ready
render mode obsidian
no scary errors

2) Put one test note into it

#

Create a tiny markdown file:

cat > /tmp/kaan-test.md <<'EOF'
# Kaan Test

Favorite snack: pistachios
Favorite drink: ayran
EOF

Then ingest it:

openclaw wiki ingest /tmp/kaan-test.md
openclaw wiki compile

#

openclaw wiki lint

3) Search for it

openclaw wiki search "pistachios"
openclaw wiki search "ayran"

If that works, the wiki layer is alive.

#

4) Check the vault itself

Since you synced the vault, wait for Syncthing and then open your Obsidian vault on the Mac.

You should see new wiki content appear there.

Also useful:

openclaw wiki obsidian status

5) Optional, test memory search too

Since you have no embeddings, test with exact-ish keywords:

#

openclaw memory search "pistachios"
openclaw memory search "ayran"

That should still work lexically, just not as smart as semantic search.

Best possible “it works” signal

If all of these work:

wiki doctor looks clean
wiki search "pistachios" finds the test note
the note shows up in Obsidian on your Mac
memory search "pistachios" returns something useful

#

…then you’re in business.

If you want, next send me the output of:

openclaw wiki search "pistachios"
openclaw memory search "pistachios"

and I’ll tell you whether it’s wired correctly.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:28 PM

#

i just asked him something and this came out
can you remember that my mail is kaan.cat@icloud.com
Yep, got it, I’ll remember that: kaan.cat@icloud.com

Note: I did not schedule a reminder in this turn, so this will not trigger automatically.
did you note that into obsidian?
Not yet. I saved it in my memory and today’s note, but not in Obsidian.

If you want, I can add it there too.

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:29 PM

#

Yep, that response actually tells you something important:

What’s working

memory capture is working
it saved the fact in normal memory / today’s note

What is not happening

it is not automatically writing every remembered fact into memory-wiki / Obsidian

That is normal.

memory and memory-wiki are related, but they are not the same thing.

So right now your setup means

“remember this” → goes into memory
“put this in Obsidian/wiki” → only happens if explicitly written to the wiki layer

#

How to test the Obsidian side properly

Ask it something explicit like:

remember that my email is kaan.cat@icloud.com and also add it to my Obsidian/wiki vault

Then check with:

openclaw wiki search "kaan.cat@icloud.com"

If that returns something, the wiki layer worked.

#

If you want this automatic

Add a standing order like:

When I ask you to remember a durable personal fact, preference, contact detail, project fact, or recurring workflow detail, save it to memory and also update the wiki/Obsidian vault when appropriate.

That’s the missing behavior.

My read of your result

This was actually a partial success:

✅ agent remembered it

#

✅ memory layer caught it
❌ wiki/Obsidian layer did not get updated automatically

So the next move is not “memory is broken”.

The next move is:

either ask for wiki update explicitly
or add a standing order so it does that by default

If you want, I can write the exact AGENTS.md standing-order snippet to make “remember this” also mean “write it to Obsidian when appropriate.”

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 5:54 PM

#

okay i deleted the whole obsidian wiki, can you write a prompt so he can set it up cleanly again. i want it future proof clean well structured not bloated, and that he should maintain this and save information independantly, also im syncinc this device to my claudecode so it should also be compaitble with that. he sohuld build it out himself

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 5:55 PM

#

Yep, here’s a copy-paste prompt for him:

I want you to rebuild my Obsidian second brain from scratch inside the configured synced Obsidian/wiki vault.

Your job is not just to create it once, but to maintain it continuously and intelligently over time.

Goals:
- future-proof
- clean
- well-structured
- low-bloat
- plain Markdown
- compatible with Obsidian, OpenClaw, Claude Code, grep, git, and normal filesystem workflows
- useful as a long-term second brain, not just a dump of random notes

#

Operating principles:
- Make reasonable decisions yourself and do not ask me about every small detail.
- Only ask questions if you are genuinely blocked.
- Prefer a small, stable structure over a large clever one.
- Use plain Markdown with minimal frontmatter.
- Avoid proprietary or fragile plugin-dependent structures.
- Avoid unnecessary binaries, hidden state, or complicated generated junk.
- Keep paths and filenames human-readable and stable.
- Preserve human-written content whenever possible.
- Merge duplicates instead of creating near-identical notes.
- Prefer updating existing notes over spraying new ones everywhere.
- Keep notes concise, high-signal, and easy to navigate.

What to store:
- durable personal facts

#

- preferences
- contact details
- important people
- active projects
- decisions and why they were made
- recurring workflows
- useful reference knowledge
- open loops worth tracking
- stable insights and lessons learned

What NOT to store:
- every casual chat
- repetitive summaries
- noisy logs
- ephemeral junk

#

- low-value filler
- duplicate notes with slightly different wording

Structure requirements:
- Create a clean top-level vault structure.
- Favor a small number of durable folders/categories.
- Include indexes or dashboards only if they add real navigational value.
- Keep the structure understandable to both humans and coding agents.
- Make it Claude Code friendly: simple files, predictable locations, clean text, easy to inspect and edit.

Maintenance behavior:
- When I ask you to remember durable information, save it appropriately.
- When appropriate, update the wiki/Obsidian vault independently without waiting for explicit hand-holding.
- Be selective and use judgment. Do not bloat the vault.
- Periodically refactor, merge, archive, or simplify notes to keep the system clean.

#

- If information belongs in memory but not the vault, keep it out of the vault.
- If the wiki tools are available, prefer using them properly instead of raw file spam.

Your task now:
1. Initialize or rebuild the vault cleanly.
2. Design the structure.
3. Create the minimum useful seed pages.
4. Start organizing durable knowledge from current context and memory.
5. Continue maintaining the system going forward.

When done, tell me:
- the structure you created
- the design principles you chose
- what you intentionally excluded to avoid bloat
- how you plan to maintain it over time

#

If you want, I can also make a more aggressive autonomous version or a more conservative minimal version.

stiff sigil Apr 21, 2026, 6:02 PM

#

Structure I created

• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Home.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Personal/Kaan.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Personal/Preferences.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/People/Kaanbot.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Projects/Kaanbot Second Brain.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Reference/Decisions.md
• obsidian-vault/06 Kaanbot Wiki/Reference/Workflows.md

I also linked that layer from:

• obsidian-vault/index.md
• obsidian-vault/WIKI.md

And I added ongoing maintenance guidance to:

• HEARTBEAT.md

Design principles I chose

• Small stable structure, not a clever maze
• Plain Markdown, minimal frontmatter
• Human-readable paths and filenames
• Update existing notes before creating new ones
• Keep OpenClaw/plugin-owned root files separate from human knowledge
• Use the vault for durable knowledge, not raw conversation exhaust

What I intentionally excluded

• chat logs
• repetitive summaries
• inbox clutter
• daily scratch notes
• extra dashboards/indexes that don’t earn their keep
• duplicate notes with slightly different wording
• plugin-dependent gimmicks or fragile generated systems

How I’ll maintain it

• When durable info shows up, I’ll update the best existing page first
• I’ll only create a new page when the topic is clearly distinct and long-lived
• I’ll merge duplicates, trim bloated notes, and simplify structure over time
• I wired heartbeat maintenance so I can quietly keep the wiki clean in the background
• If something belongs in internal memory but not the vault, I’ll keep it out of the vault

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Quick check first, then I’ll rebuild it cleanly with a small durable shape and seed it from what I already know.
I’m keeping the plugin/system layer intact and putting the actual second brain in a clean human layer inside 06 Kaanbot Wiki, so it stays future-proof instead of fighting OpenClaw’s bridge files.
One extra thing, I’m wiring the maintenance behavior into my heartbeat routine so this stays alive instead of becoming a one-off setup.
Done. I rebuilt the human side cleanly and kept the OpenClaw bridge/system layer intact so it stays compatible instead of brittle.

unreal masonBOT Apr 21, 2026, 6:03 PM

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Honestly, that’s a good clean result.

It avoided the usual second-brain disaster of:

too many folders
fake dashboards
random note spam
“AI generated landfill”

My take

This part is especially good:

small stable structure
plain Markdown
update existing notes first
durable knowledge only

That’s the right philosophy.

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The 3 things I’d do next

1) Run one real write test

Ask it:

add “my preferred email is kaan.cat@icloud.com” to the best existing wiki page

Then verify:

which file it chose
whether it updated cleanly
whether it avoided making a dumb duplicate page

2) Watch heartbeat carefully

The only thing I’m slightly cautious about is this:

“I wired heartbeat maintenance”

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That can be great, or annoying as hell.

Make sure heartbeat is doing:

light cleanup
selective updates
no noisy busywork
no constant tiny edits

3) Make sure Claude Code can read it cleanly

Since you want Claude Code compatibility, do one quick sanity check:

open the vault in Claude Code
ask it to summarize the structure
ask it to update one preference or one project note

If that works cleanly, you nailed the compatibility goal.

Tiny optional tweak

#

06 Kaanbot Wiki is fine if you like ordered folders.

If not, a simpler long-term path is just:

Wiki/

But that’s cosmetic, not urgent.

Overall

This is actually a strong foundation. I wouldn’t rebuild it again right now. I’d start using it and see whether the maintenance behavior stays disciplined.

If this fixed it, please right-click the solution message → Apps → ✅ Mark Solution so it gets indexed on Answer Overflow. 🎉

#

Yep, that’s the right architecture.

The key good decision is this:

plugin/system layer stays separate
human second-brain layer lives in its own clean wiki section

That’s what makes it future-proof instead of cursed.

I’d trust it, but do 3 sanity checks

Update test
Ask it to add one durable fact to an existing page, not create a new one.
Sync test
Make sure the edited file appears correctly on your Mac / Obsidian side.

#errors

1) Give him his own email

2) Useful cron jobs / heartbeat ideas

Use heartbeat for:

Use cron for:

Best starter automations

3) Obsidian “second brain”

My recommendation

1) Core standing order, put in AGENTS.md

2) Heartbeat prompt, put in HEARTBEAT.md

3) Daily email check cron prompt

4) Daily reflection / “tell me if I should change something” cron prompt

5) Weekly review cron prompt

6) Obsidian / second-brain maintenance prompt

7) Optional daily note prompt for Obsidian

Best setup

What to sync across devices

Important warning

I’d set it up like this

1) Create an Obsidian vault

2) Point memory-wiki at that vault

3) Initialize it

4) Open the same vault on your other devices

Which mode should you use?

Start with isolated

Later, maybe switch to bridge

My recommendation

Important bit

Best practical setup

What I’d recommend

Option A, best overall

Option B, more DIY

What I would NOT do

Short answer

Recommended topology

Do this now

1) Start simple, use memory-wiki in isolated mode

2) On your Mac, create a local Obsidian vault

3) Sync VPS → Mac over Tailscale

Why one-way first?

4) Open that folder in Obsidian on the Mac

5) Sync Mac → iPhone/iPad

What I would not do

My actual recommendation

1) Keep a real memory plugin active

2) Tell memory search to index your Obsidian vault

3) Keep memory-wiki if you want the Obsidian/wiki side too

4) Reindex and test

My recommendation

Important note

The 4 questions I’d want answered

1) Recommended config

2) Why this setup

3) Apply it safely

4) Initialize and verify

5) How this works for all agents

My main recommendation

Docs

What the CLI is for

What OpenClaw docs say

Quick answer

Correct shape

The key fix

After fixing it

What is still wrong

Do this

Important

After that run

What it means

Good news

The real problem

Also, one more thing

What I would do now

Option A, easiest and probably best right now

Option B, keep bridge mode and make it actually produce data

1) check memory status

2) try promoting memory

3) then import again

My actual recommendation

First fix the vault path

1) Core standing order, put in `AGENTS.md`

2) Heartbeat prompt, put in `HEARTBEAT.md`

2) Point `memory-wiki` at that vault

Start with `isolated`

Later, maybe switch to `bridge`

1) Start simple, use `memory-wiki` in `isolated` mode

3) Keep `memory-wiki` if you want the Obsidian/wiki side too