Cognition

Cognition gives an OpenClaw agent a practical memory architecture: raw logs, durable knowledge, commitments, and reusable procedures.

Use it to make memory operational, not decorative.

Start Here

Install the scaffolding:

CODEBLOCK0

Then adopt it in 3 tiers.

Tier 1 — Core

Adopt this first. It is the smallest useful subset.

Core behavior

1. 1. Log important work to INLINECODE0
2. Keep durable facts in MEMORY.md and deeper detail in INLINECODE2
3. Track commitments in INLINECODE3
4. Add the protocol blocks from {baseDir}/references/protocols.md to your AGENTS.md

What Core gives you

• - recent-session continuity
• a compact durable memory index
• fewer dropped promises
• a default place to put important facts instead of hoping the model remembers

Tier 2 — Recommended

Adopt this once Core is part of normal use.

Add these pieces

• - nightly staged consolidation via INLINECODE5
• reusable procedures in INLINECODE6
• procedure registry in INLINECODE7
• importance tagging from INLINECODE8

Safety model

• - consolidation stages proposals before durable mutation
• daily logs stay append-only
• uncertain items stay tagged INLINECODE9
• new procedures start as INLINECODE10
• promote procedures cautiously: draft → reviewed → INLINECODE13

Tier 3 — Advanced

Only adopt this if Core and Recommended are already working.

Optional overlays

• - memory/bank/cross-references.md for linked retrieval
• INLINECODE15 for coarse confidence tracking
• INLINECODE16 for repeated retrieval misses
• INLINECODE17 for retrieval analytics
• weekly reflection via INLINECODE18
• hybrid retrieval tuning via INLINECODE19

Advanced is for sharper retrieval and maintenance, not for replacing the Core system.

Core File Map

Always-on files

• - memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md — daily session log
• INLINECODE21 — durable fact index
• INLINECODE22 — deeper topic files
• INLINECODE23 — commitments and deferred actions

Recommended files

• - memory/consolidation/YYYY-MM-DD-staged.md — staged memory proposals
• INLINECODE25 — procedure registry
• INLINECODE26 — reusable procedures

Advanced files

• - INLINECODE27
• INLINECODE28
• INLINECODE29
• INLINECODE30
• INLINECODE31

Reference Map

Read only what you need:

• - {baseDir}/references/protocols.md — protocol blocks to copy into AGENTS.md
• INLINECODE33 — nightly staged consolidation
• INLINECODE34 — weekly reflection without direct mutation
• INLINECODE35 — core systems, overlays, retrieval tiers, safety notes, file structure
• INLINECODE36 — advanced hybrid retrieval tuning
• INLINECODE37 — theory appendix

Guardrails

• - Prefer staged proposals over silent durable-memory edits
• Keep raw logs append-only
• Keep MEMORY.md compact; move detail into INLINECODE39
• Treat procedure promotion as earned, not automatic
• If retrieval fails, log the gap instead of inventing certainty