Personal assistant setup

From “it installed” to an assistant you use every day

This checklist assumes OpenClaw is installed (installation or no-terminal paths). Goal: one reliable channel, memory that sticks, a morning briefing, and security defaults that survive the first week.

1. Choose model and cost tier

  • Interactive chat — Flagship model (Claude, GPT, or OpenRouter route you trust). See providers.
  • Cron / heartbeats — Cheaper or local model via Ollama or a small OpenRouter ID.
  • Budget — Read example setups & cost before leaving everything on Opus-class models 24/7.

2. Connect one primary channel

Pick where you will actually talk to the bot:

One channel well-configured beats five half-working integrations.

3. Turn on memory

OpenClaw remembers through workspace memory files and session context—not magic. Skim Memory concepts and memory management tutorial.

  • Confirm daily memory notes are writing under your workspace.
  • Tell the agent your preferences once (“I’m in PST, keep replies short”) and ask it to store them.
  • Avoid dumping secrets into memory files—treat them like plain-text logs.

4. Add a daily briefing (cron)

Morning briefings are the habit that makes assistants stick. Pattern:

  1. Define what you want (calendar, weather, inbox summary, news).
  2. Schedule via automation / cron—see daily briefing use case.
  3. Route cron to a cheaper model if the briefing is templated.
  4. Test delivery on your primary channel before relying on it.

5. Install 1–2 skills, not fifty

6. Lock down security

7. Optional upgrades

Related