I've been using OpenClaw for a while and I've customized the hell out of it. Partly useful, partly procrastination dressed up as productivity.
What Even Is OpenClaw?
Take Claude (the AI) and give it actual agency. Not just a chat window — it can read files, write code, run commands, control your browser, send messages, manage your calendar. An AI that lives in your system and does stuff.
You talk to it through Telegram, Discord, the CLI, whatever. It has skills it loads on the fly, memory that persists across sessions, and enough rope to hang itself (or you) if you're not careful.
Open source, kind of janky, very powerful. Exactly my kind of tool.
My Setup
I run OpenClaw on my MacBook, connected to Telegram. I can talk to my AI from anywhere — phone, computer, doesn't matter. Always there.
Different workspaces for different projects:
- blog — manages this blog, writes posts, handles deployments
- jobjob — helps with JobJob development
- personal — general assistant stuff, calendar, emails, random tasks
Each workspace has context files that tell the AI what it's working on and how to act.
The Customizations
This is where I got weird.
SOUL.md
Every workspace has a SOUL.md that defines the AI's personality. I spent way too long on mine.
Key rules:
- Be genuinely helpful, not performatively helpful. No "Great question!" or "I'd be happy to help!" Just help.
- Have opinions. I want an assistant that can disagree with me, not a yes-machine.
- Be resourceful before asking. Figure it out first. Come back with answers, not questions.
- Earn trust through competence. I gave it access to my stuff. Don't make me regret it.
I was tired of AI assistants that sound like corporate HR wrote their personality. This is my tool, it should sound like me. Or at least not annoy me.
AGENTS.md
Each workspace has an AGENTS.md with project context. For this blog: repo URL, tech stack (Next.js, MDX, TypeScript), where content lives, frontmatter format.
When I say "write a blog post," it knows how to structure it without me explaining every time.
Skills
OpenClaw has plugins for specific tasks. I've installed:
- vercel — deploy to Vercel from chat
- github — manage PRs, issues, CI runs
- bird (Twitter CLI) — read and post
- bluesky — same but Bluesky
- humanizer — detects and rewrites AI-sounding text
The humanizer one is ironic. Using AI to make AI-written text sound less like AI. The future is weird.
Memory
OpenClaw has vector memory. Remembers things across sessions. I've taught it my preferences, writing style, project details. An assistant who actually remembers yesterday's conversation.
I also installed the memory-hygiene skill because that memory gets bloated with junk. Periodic cleanup keeps it useful.
Why Bother?
You could just use ChatGPT or Claude directly. Why all this work?
I want an assistant that knows my projects without me re-explaining every time, can actually do things instead of just suggesting them, remembers what I told it last week, and works my way instead of forcing me into a one-size-fits-all product.
The difference between a chat window and a tool that's actually integrated into how I work.
The Downsides
This takes time to set up. Install it, configure it, write context files, train it on your preferences. Not plug-and-play.
Sometimes it does weird stuff. It's an AI with system access. You need to trust it or at least review what it's doing.
Also, I spend too much time tinkering. "Let me just adjust this prompt..." and suddenly two hours are gone.
Is It Worth It?
For me, yes. I like tools that mold to how I work instead of the other way around. OpenClaw is weird and powerful and lets me build exactly what I want.
If you read this and think "that sounds fun," try it. If you're thinking "this sounds like way too much work," you're probably right.
What I'm Using It For
Right now this blog agent writes and edits posts (like this one), manages content structure, handles Vercel deployments, tracks post ideas.
I tell it what I want to write about, it drafts something. I edit it, it learns my style, next time it's closer.
Like having a writing partner who never gets tired and doesn't judge you for working at 2am.
If you want to try OpenClaw: openclaw.ai — open source, well-documented, kind of addictive once you start customizing.