enhanced-memory

// An enhanced memory system for OpenClaw agents that replaces the default single-file MEMORY.md with a complete memory architecture: hierarchical directory organization by category, [category:value] tag indexing with multi-tag AND search, automatic lifecycle management (active → archive, never delete)

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stars:1,933

forks:367

updated:March 4, 2026

SKILL.mdreadonly

SKILL.md Frontmatter

nameenhanced-memory

descriptionAn enhanced memory system for OpenClaw agents that replaces the default single-file MEMORY.md with a complete memory architecture: hierarchical directory organization by category, [category:value] tag indexing with multi-tag AND search, automatic lifecycle management (active → archive, never delete), and intelligent cross-category retrieval that auto-routes queries to the right memory module. Gives your agent structured, searchable, long-lived memory out of the box.

Enhanced Memory

A structured memory system that gives your OpenClaw agent organized, searchable, long-lived memory instead of a single monolithic MEMORY.md.

Why?

The default MEMORY.md approach hits a wall fast:

One file grows endlessly → slow to read, expensive on tokens
No categorization → food logs mixed with project notes mixed with relationship context
No retrieval strategy → agent re-reads everything or misses what matters
No lifecycle → old entries clutter active memory forever

Tagged Memory fixes all of this.

Core Features

1. Hierarchical Directory Organization

Memories are stored in purpose-built directories:

memory/
├── current/          # Active memories (last 6 months)
├── archived/         # Auto-archived older memories (permanent, never deleted)
│   └── YYYY-MM/      # Organized by month
├── RELATION/         # One file per person (relationship context)
├── food/             # Meal and food logs
├── training/         # Exercise and workout records
├── connections.md    # Global relationship graph
├── system/           # System config and logs
└── misc/             # Everything else

2. Tag-Based Indexing

Tag any line in any memory file with [category:value] markers:

## 2026-02-20

- Had lunch with Zhang Hao [人物:张浩东] [类型:聚餐] [地点:campus]
- Discussed the new project deadline [项目:openclaw] [类型:会议]
- Yoyo learned a new trick today [宠物:悠悠] [类型:milestone]

Tags support multi-tag AND search — find the exact memory you need:

# Single tag search
python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py "人物:张浩东"

# Multi-tag AND search (all tags must match)
python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py "人物:王隆哲" "类型:开票信息"

# List all tags in the system
python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py --list-tags

# List tags under a specific category
python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py --list-tags --category 人物

3. Lifecycle Management

Memories age gracefully — never lost, always accessible:

Age	Location	Status
0–6 months	`memory/current/`	Active, auto-retrieved
6–12 months	`memory/archived/YYYY-MM/`	Archived, searchable on demand
12+ months	`memory/archived/`	Permanent archive, manual query

Run the lifecycle manager manually or via cron:

# Default: archive memories older than 6 months
python3 scripts/memory_lifecycle_manager.py

# Custom threshold (e.g., 90 days)
python3 scripts/memory_lifecycle_manager.py 90

4. Smart Cross-Category Retrieval

The retrieval strategy script auto-classifies queries and searches the right directories:

python3 scripts/memory_retrieval_strategy.py "What did I eat yesterday?"
# → Searches memory/food/ + memory/current/

python3 scripts/memory_retrieval_strategy.py "How is Yoyo doing?"
# → Searches memory/RELATION/悠悠.md + memory/connections.md

python3 scripts/memory_retrieval_strategy.py "Yang Lingxiao"
# → Searches memory/RELATION/ + memory/connections.md

Query type detection covers: food, training, relationships, pets, system, mood, projects, and more.

Scripts

Script	Purpose
`scripts/memory_tag_search.py`	Tag-based indexing and search (single/multi-tag AND queries, tag listing)
`scripts/memory_retrieval_strategy.py`	Smart retrieval — auto-classifies queries and routes to relevant memory directories
`scripts/memory_lifecycle_manager.py`	Automatic archival of old memories (configurable threshold, never deletes)

Integration

AGENTS.md

Add the following to your AGENTS.md memory section:

## Memory

### Directory Structure
- `memory/current/` — active memories (6 months)
- `memory/archived/` — permanent archive
- `memory/RELATION/` — per-person relationship files
- `memory/food/` — meal logs
- `memory/training/` — workout logs

### Retrieval Strategy
- Exact queries (names, dates, codes) → `grep` the file system
- Fuzzy/semantic queries → `python3 scripts/memory_retrieval_strategy.py "<query>"`
- Tag search → `python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py "<category>:<value>"`

### Tagging Convention
When writing memory entries, tag important lines:
  [人物:name] [类型:type] [地点:place] [项目:project] [情绪:mood]

HEARTBEAT.md

Add periodic memory maintenance to your heartbeat checklist:

## Memory Maintenance (every few days)
- [ ] Run `python3 scripts/memory_lifecycle_manager.py` to archive old memories
- [ ] Run `python3 scripts/memory_tag_search.py --list-tags` to review tag health
- [ ] Check `memory/current/` file count — if growing large, verify archival is running

Cron (optional)

Set up monthly auto-archival:

# Run on the 1st of every month at 03:00
0 3 1 * * cd /path/to/workspace && python3 scripts/memory_lifecycle_manager.py

Customization

Archive threshold: Edit ARCHIVE_THRESHOLD_DAYS in memory_lifecycle_manager.py (default: 180 days)
Query patterns: Add new regex patterns to QUERY_TYPES in memory_retrieval_strategy.py
Memory directories: Add new modules to MODULES_TO_ARCHIVE in memory_lifecycle_manager.py
Tag categories: Tags are freeform — just use [category:value] in any .md file

Requirements

Python 3.8+
No external dependencies (stdlib only)