OpenClaw-Mem0 Plugin Adds Persistent Memory Outside Context Window

The openclaw-mem0 plugin addresses OpenClaw's default memory limitations by storing memories outside the context window, making them immune to context compaction, token limits, and session restarts.

The Memory Problem in OpenClaw

OpenClaw agents are stateless between sessions, with default memory stored in files that must be explicitly loaded. Context compaction summarizes older context to save tokens, causing injected memory to become lossy - large memory files and learned facts get compressed, rewritten, or dropped without warning.

Community workarounds like comprehensive MEMORY.md files, local BM25 + vector search engines, and SQLite-backed session logs all share the same limitation: they store memory inside the context window, making them vulnerable to compaction or session restarts.

How the Plugin Works

The plugin runs two processes on every conversation turn:

• Auto-Recall: Searches Mem0 for relevant memories before the agent responds, injecting matching context (preferences, past decisions, project details) into the working context every turn
• Auto-Capture: Sends each exchange to Mem0 after the agent responds, with Mem0's extraction layer determining what's worth persisting - new facts get stored, outdated ones updated, duplicates merged

Both processes are enabled by default on install.

Memory Structure

The plugin separates memory into two scopes:

• Long-term memories: User-scoped, persist across all sessions (name, tech stack, project structure, decisions)
• Short-term memories: Session-scoped, track active work without polluting long-term store

Both scopes are searched during every recall, with long-term memories surfaced first.

The agent gets five tools for explicit memory management:

• memory_search - semantic queries across all memories
• memory_store - explicitly save a specific fact
• memory_list - view all stored memories
• memory_get - retrieve a specific memory by ID
• memory_forget - delete memories (GDPR-compliant)

Setup Options

Cloud setup (easiest):

openclaw plugins install @mem0/openclaw-mem0

Get an API key from app.mem0.ai, then add to openclaw.json:

{
  "openclaw-mem0": {
    "enabled": true,
    "config": {
      "apiKey": "${MEM0_API_KEY}",
      "userId": "your-user-id"
    }
  }
}

Fully local, fully private (self-hosted):

Set "mode": "open-source" and bring your own stack:

{
  "openclaw-mem0": {
    "enabled": true,
    "config": {
      "mode": "open-source",
      "userId": "your-user-id",
      "oss": {
        "embedder": {
          "provider": "ollama",
          "config": {
            "model": "nomic-embed-text"
          }
        },
        "vectorStore": {
          "provider": "qdrant",
          "config": {
            "host": "localhost",
            "port": 6333
          }
        }
      }
    }
  }
}