OpenClaw Plugin
The openclaw-basic-memory plugin connects Basic Memory to OpenClaw, giving agents persistent, searchable memory stored as plain Markdown files. Agents gain composited memory search, automatic context recall, conversation capture, slash commands, and bundled workflow skills — all with zero configuration. The plugin is open source — browse the source on GitHub.
bm CLI on first startup if it's not already on your PATH.Installation
Install the plugin and restart the gateway:
openclaw plugins install @basicmemory/openclaw-basic-memory
openclaw gateway restart
That's it — the plugin works with zero configuration by default.
Configuration
The plugin works out of the box with enabled: true. For advanced setups, configure via your OpenClaw plugin settings:
| Option | Default | Description |
|---|---|---|
project | — | Basic Memory project name |
projectPath | — | Path to project directory |
memoryDir | memory/ | Directory for memory files |
memoryFile | MEMORY.md | Primary memory file name |
autoCapture | true | Record conversation turns as daily notes |
autoRecall | true | Load active tasks and recent notes at session start |
debug | false | Enable debug logging |
How It Works
Composited Memory Search
When your agent searches memory, the plugin queries three sources in parallel and merges the results:
- MEMORY.md — Text search of your primary memory file
- Knowledge Graph — Hybrid full-text + vector search across all notes
- Active Tasks — Scans
memory/tasks/for in-progress work
This means a single search returns context from structured notes, free-form memory, and active task tracking simultaneously.
Auto-Recall
At session start, the plugin automatically loads active tasks and recent notes so your agent has immediate context without you needing to ask.
Auto-Capture
Conversation turns are recorded as timestamped entries in daily notes, building a searchable log of your interactions over time.
Persistent Connection
The plugin maintains a long-lived Basic Memory process over stdio, avoiding startup overhead on each tool call.
Multi-Project & Cloud Access
Because the plugin uses the full Basic Memory stack, your OpenClaw agent has access to every project in your knowledge base — not just a single workspace. Use list_memory_projects to browse projects and switch between them on the fly.
This also means your agent benefits from local/cloud routing. You can keep the agent's own memory local while routing shared or team projects through Basic Memory Cloud, or run everything in the cloud for cross-device access. The agent uses the same tools either way — routing is transparent.
In practice, your OpenClaw agent gets:
- Its own long-term memory — auto-captured conversations and task tracking that persist across sessions
- Access to external projects — search and read notes from any project in your knowledge base
- Local/cloud hybrid — mix local and cloud-routed projects depending on sensitivity, collaboration needs, or device portability
Agent Tools
The plugin exposes 14 tools to your OpenClaw agent:
| Tool | Description |
|---|---|
memory_search | Composited search across all memory sources |
memory_get | Retrieve a specific memory entry |
search_notes | Full-text and semantic search across notes |
read_note | Read a note by title, permalink, or memory:// URL |
write_note | Create or update a note |
edit_note | Incremental edits (append, prepend, find/replace) |
delete_note | Delete a note from the knowledge base |
move_note | Move a note with database consistency |
build_context | Navigate the knowledge graph via memory:// URLs |
list_memory_projects | List all projects with status |
list_workspaces | List available workspaces |
schema_validate | Validate notes against a schema |
schema_infer | Infer a schema from existing notes |
schema_diff | Detect schema drift |
Slash Commands
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/bm-setup | Initialize Basic Memory configuration |
/remember | Save something to memory |
/recall | Search and retrieve from memory |
/tasks | Manage structured task notes |
/reflect | Review conversations and extract insights |
/defrag | Split bloated files, merge duplicates, restructure |
/schema | Schema lifecycle — infer, validate, detect drift |
Bundled Skills
The plugin ships with 6 pre-built skills that teach agents best practices for Basic Memory workflows:
| Skill | Purpose |
|---|---|
| memory-notes | Core note format — frontmatter, observations, relations |
| memory-tasks | Structured task tracking that survives context compaction |
| memory-schema | Schema lifecycle — infer, validate, detect drift |
| memory-reflect | Review conversations, extract insights, consolidate knowledge |
| memory-defrag | Split bloated files, merge duplicates, restructure hierarchy |
| memory-metadata-search | Query notes by custom frontmatter fields |