How do I keep project context between OpenClaw sessions?

Troubleshooting
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1

Adapted community discussion: Paraphrased and condensed from an anonymized public OpenClaw Discord support conversation from August 2026. Technical guidance was reviewed for OpenClaw 2026.9.3.

Should OpenClaw remember a project if I leave overnight and return in a new session? I want to continue where we stopped without rebuilding the whole conversation from memory.

2

A continuing session can use its transcript. A new session relies on durable workspace material such as memory notes and project files, so it will not automatically replay every detail from the old chat.

For project work, keep a HANDOFF.md or STATUS.md with the goal, decisions, files changed, blockers, and next steps. Before stopping, ask the agent to update that file and read it back. When you return, ask it to read the latest handoff before continuing.

3

That makes sense. Can I automate the handoff before a reset? I am also using a dedicated Discord channel for the project and want to know whether that keeps the same context.

4

Enable the built-in session-memory hook as a safety net:

openclaw hooks enable session-memory
openclaw hooks check

It saves a bounded conversation excerpt around resets. A project handoff file remains more reliable because it is deliberately structured. Discord channels have isolated sessions, so staying in one project channel helps, while other channels do not automatically share that transcript.

5

I use one folder per project and keep a short project state file there. The agent updates it at the end of each work session. I sync the project files between machines, but avoid syncing OpenClaw’s live session databases.

6

That is a solid pattern. Treat durable memory as a map of stable decisions and pointers, while the project file holds detailed state. Avoid simultaneous edits from multiple agents, and keep live SQLite, WAL, and session files out of file-sync tools.

For longer history, memory search can retrieve relevant notes without injecting entire transcripts. /context detail and openclaw doctor help show what is actually loaded or truncated.