How OpenClaw Memory Works: MEMORY.md and USER.md

Memory System Overview

OpenClaw uses a file-based memory system that persists across conversations. Unlike cloud chatbots that may forget between sessions, OpenClaw's memory is stored locally and always available.

MEMORY.md — Long-Term Memory

MEMORY.md stores facts, preferences, and knowledge that OpenClaw should remember across all conversations.

What Gets Stored

• Facts you tell it: "Remember that my wifi password is XYZ"
• Learned preferences: "I prefer bullet points over paragraphs"
• Project context: "The API endpoint is at api.example.com"
• Recurring information: "Team standup is at 9:30 AM daily"

How It Works

When you say "remember this," OpenClaw writes to MEMORY.md. Before each response, it reads MEMORY.md for relevant context.

Example MEMORY.md

## Preferences
- Prefers concise responses
- Likes code examples in Python
- Timezone: EST (UTC-5)

## Work
- Company: Acme Corp
- Role: Senior Developer
- Team standup: 9:30 AM daily
- Sprint ends: Feb 28

## Projects
- Main project: Customer Portal (React + FastAPI)
- Side project: Personal blog (Next.js)

USER.md — Personal Profile

USER.md contains information about you that helps OpenClaw personalize its responses.

Example USER.md

# About Me
- Name: Alex
- Location: New York
- Occupation: Software Engineer
- Interests: AI, music production, hiking
- Languages: English (native), Spanish (conversational)

Managing Memory

Add Memories

• "Remember that I'm allergic to peanuts"
• "Save this to memory: project deadline is March 15"

Check Memory

• "What do you remember about my project?"
• "Do you know my timezone?"

Remove Memories

• "Forget my wifi password"
• "Remove the entry about my old job"

Edit Memory Directly

Both files are plain markdown — edit them with any text editor.

Memory vs Conversation History

Tips

• Periodically review MEMORY.md to keep it accurate
• Organize memories with markdown headings
• Keep entries concise — the AI reads the entire file
• Remove outdated information to avoid confusion