OpenClaw Backup Guide

Your OpenClaw agent is not disposable software. It is a system you have built up over time - personality, memory, credentials, workflows, and custom skills. Backups protect all of it before:

• Updates that might change behavior
• Server migrations that could lose data
• Config changes that break things
• Hardware failures that delete everything
• Accidental deletions (it happens to everyone)
• Docker container rebuilds that wipe state

An OpenClaw backup is a compressed archive (.tar.gz) that saves your agent's important data - state, config, auth profiles, channel credentials, sessions, and optionally workspace files.

OpenClaw includes a built-in CLI command for this: openclaw backup create. No third-party tools needed.

The simplest backup - creates a timestamped archive in the current directory:

See what would be included without writing the archive:

Create the archive and immediately validate it:

Back up state and config without workspace directories:

Back up just the config file:

Check that a backup archive is intact and complete:

Create a backup before:

• Updating OpenClaw - updates can change behavior or config format
• Changing model providers - in case the new model does not work as expected
• Editing credentials - API keys, bot tokens, auth settings
• Moving to a new server - migration is the #1 cause of data loss
• Changing workspace folders - moving files can break references
• Testing new skills - new skills can conflict with existing ones
• Adding major new workflows - complex skills can conflict with existing ones
• Running risky automation - test with a safety net
• Cleaning old files - before deleting anything from ~/.openclaw/

Use more than one location. A backup on the same server is not a backup - that is just a second victim.

A backup is useful only if it can restore. Always verify:

Also check:

• Backup file exists and is not zero bytes
• File size looks reasonable (not suspiciously small)
• Archive is not corrupted
• Workspace was included if needed
• Credentials are present but handled safely
• You have a documented restore process

• Encrypt backups that contain credentials - API keys and bot tokens are in the config
• Never expose API keys or bot tokens - treat backup archives as sensitive files
• Do not commit backups to GitHub - especially public repos
• Keep old backups for rollback - at least 3-5 recent versions
• Test restore on a clean machine - a backup you have never tested is a hope, not a plan
• Back up before changing ports or network settings
• Label backup files with dates - openclaw backup create does this automatically
• Store at least one backup outside the server - disk failures take everything

The easiest path: run OpenClaw on managed hosting, keep regular backups, and test simple workflows first. No Docker, no ports, no storage paths, no broken server states.