OpenClaw Agent Optimization
Use this skill to tune an OpenClaw workspace for cost-aware routing, parallel-first delegation, and lean context.
Default posture
This skill is advisory first.
It should produce:
- audit,
- options,
- recommended plan,
- exact patch proposal,
- rollback,
- verification plan.
No persistent mutations without explicit approval.
Quick start
Full audit (safe, no changes)
Audit my OpenClaw setup for cost, reliability, and context bloat. Output a prioritized plan with rollback notes. Do NOT apply changes.
Context bloat / transcript noise
My OpenClaw context is bloating (slow replies / high cost / lots of transcript noise). Identify the top offenders (tools, crons, bootstrap files, skills) and propose the smallest reversible fixes first. Do NOT apply changes.
Model routing / delegation posture
Propose a model routing plan for (a) coding/engineering, (b) short notifications/reminders, (c) reasoning-heavy research/writing. Include an exact config patch + rollback plan, but do NOT apply changes.
What good output looks like
- Executive summary
- Top drivers
- cost
- context
- reliability
- operator friction
- Options A/B/C with tradeoffs
- Recommended plan (smallest safe change first)
- Exact proposals + rollback + verify
Safety contract
- Do not mutate persistent settings without explicit approval.
- Do not create/update/remove cron jobs without explicit approval.
- If an optimization reduces monitoring coverage, present options and require choice.
- Before any approved change, show:
- exact change,
- expected impact,
- rollback plan,
- post-change verification.
High-ROI optimization levers
1) Output discipline for automation
Make maintenance loops truly silent on success.
2) Separate work from notification
If you want alerts but want interactive context lean:
- do the work quietly
- notify out-of-band with a short human receipt
3) Bootstrap discipline
Keep always-injected files short and load-bearing only.
Move long runbooks into references/ or adjacent notes.
4) Ambient specialist surface reduction
A common hidden tax is too many always-visible specialist skills.
If a workflow is low-frequency or specialist:
- prefer on-demand worker/subagent usage,
- do not keep it permanently ambient in main-chat prompt surface.
5) Measure optimizations authoritatively
Prefer fresh-session /context json or equivalent receipts over “feels better”.
High-signal fields include:
eligible skills
skills.promptChars
projectContextChars
systemPrompt.chars
promptTokens
6) Verification-first ops hygiene
After any approved optimization, verify:
- core chat still works
- recall/behavior did not degrade
- new session actually picks up the change
- rollback path is proven, not theoretical
Workflow (concise)
- Audit rules + memory: keep restart-critical facts only.
- Audit skill surface: trim ambient specialists before touching tool surface.
- Audit transcripts/noise: silence cron and heartbeat success paths.
- Audit model routing and delegation posture.
- Recommend the smallest viable change first.
- Verify on a new session when skill/bootstrap snapshotting exists.
Notes
- Some runtimes snapshot skills/config per session. If you install/update skills and do not see changes, start a new session.
- Prefer short
SKILL.md + references/ for long runbooks.
- If context bloat is the main complaint, pair this skill with
context-clean-up (audit-only).
References
references/optimization-playbook.md
references/model-selection.md
references/context-management.md
references/agent-orchestration.md
references/cron-optimization.md
references/heartbeat-optimization.md
references/memory-patterns.md
references/continuous-learning.md
references/safeguards.md
1---2name: openclaw-agent-optimize3description: Use when: you want a structured audit -> options -> recommended plan to improve an OpenClaw workspace (cost, model routing, context discipline, delegation, reliability). Don't use when: you want immediate config/cron mutations without review, or the question is unrelated to OpenClaw ops. Output: a prioritized plan with exact change proposals, expected impact, and rollback steps. No persistent changes without explicit approval.4---56# OpenClaw Agent Optimization78Use this skill to tune an OpenClaw workspace for **cost-aware routing**, **parallel-first delegation**, and **lean context**.910## Default posture1112This skill is **advisory first**.13It should produce:14- audit,15- options,16- recommended plan,17- exact patch proposal,18- rollback,19- verification plan.2021No persistent mutations without explicit approval.2223## Quick start24251) **Full audit (safe, no changes)**26> Audit my OpenClaw setup for cost, reliability, and context bloat. Output a prioritized plan with rollback notes. Do NOT apply changes.27282) **Context bloat / transcript noise**29> My OpenClaw context is bloating (slow replies / high cost / lots of transcript noise). Identify the top offenders (tools, crons, bootstrap files, skills) and propose the smallest reversible fixes first. Do NOT apply changes.30313) **Model routing / delegation posture**32> Propose a model routing plan for (a) coding/engineering, (b) short notifications/reminders, (c) reasoning-heavy research/writing. Include an exact config patch + rollback plan, but do NOT apply changes.3334## What good output looks like3536- **Executive summary**37- **Top drivers**38 - cost39 - context40 - reliability41 - operator friction42- **Options A/B/C** with tradeoffs43- **Recommended plan** (smallest safe change first)44- **Exact proposals** + **rollback** + **verify**4546## Safety contract4748- Do not mutate persistent settings without explicit approval.49- Do not create/update/remove cron jobs without explicit approval.50- If an optimization reduces monitoring coverage, present options and require choice.51- Before any approved change, show:52 1. exact change,53 2. expected impact,54 3. rollback plan,55 4. post-change verification.5657## High-ROI optimization levers5859### 1) Output discipline for automation60Make maintenance loops truly silent on success.6162### 2) Separate work from notification63If you want alerts but want interactive context lean:64- do the work quietly65- notify out-of-band with a short human receipt6667### 3) Bootstrap discipline68Keep always-injected files short and load-bearing only.69Move long runbooks into `references/` or adjacent notes.7071### 4) Ambient specialist surface reduction72A common hidden tax is **too many always-visible specialist skills**.73If a workflow is low-frequency or specialist:74- prefer on-demand worker/subagent usage,75- do not keep it permanently ambient in main-chat prompt surface.7677### 5) Measure optimizations authoritatively78Prefer fresh-session `/context json` or equivalent receipts over “feels better”.79High-signal fields include:80- `eligible skills`81- `skills.promptChars`82- `projectContextChars`83- `systemPrompt.chars`84- `promptTokens`8586### 6) Verification-first ops hygiene87After any approved optimization, verify:88- core chat still works89- recall/behavior did not degrade90- new session actually picks up the change91- rollback path is proven, not theoretical9293## Workflow (concise)94951. Audit rules + memory: keep restart-critical facts only.962. Audit skill surface: trim ambient specialists before touching tool surface.973. Audit transcripts/noise: silence cron and heartbeat success paths.984. Audit model routing and delegation posture.995. Recommend the smallest viable change first.1006. Verify on a **new session** when skill/bootstrap snapshotting exists.101102## Notes103104- Some runtimes snapshot skills/config per session. If you install/update skills and do not see changes, start a new session.105- Prefer short `SKILL.md` + `references/` for long runbooks.106- If context bloat is the main complaint, pair this skill with `context-clean-up` (audit-only).107108## References109110- `references/optimization-playbook.md`111- `references/model-selection.md`112- `references/context-management.md`113- `references/agent-orchestration.md`114- `references/cron-optimization.md`115- `references/heartbeat-optimization.md`116- `references/memory-patterns.md`117- `references/continuous-learning.md`118- `references/safeguards.md`