Configure heartbeat, cron tasks, memory — a true assistant
Your assistant is capable but has one problem — if you do not reach out, it does nothing. 50 emails pile up unchecked. Meetings approach without reminders.
Today we fix this.
OpenClaw sends heartbeat signals every 30 minutes (configurable). The assistant reads HEARTBEAT.md and checks each task. Sends a message if needed, stays quiet otherwise.
For precise timing:
# Daily 8:00 AM briefing
openclaw cron add --name "Morning Briefing" --cron "0 8 " \
--system-event "Check email, calendar, data anomalies. Compile briefing."
# Weekly Monday 9:00 AM report
openclaw cron add --name "Weekly Report" --cron "0 9 1" \
--system-event "Summarize last week: events, tasks, data changes."
# Weekday health reminders
openclaw cron add --name "Health Reminder" --cron "0 10,12,14,16 * 1-5" \
--system-event "Remind to stretch and drink water."
Three layers that make your assistant smarter over time:
| Layer | File | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Core | SOUL.md + USER.md | Who you are, who it is (static) |
| Long-term | MEMORY.md | Everything about you (accumulates) |
| Daily | memory/date.md | What happened today (refreshes) |
After a month, it knows your work habits, preferences, projects. After three months — it may understand your patterns better than you do.