db0 — Memory Plugin for OpenClaw

Hosted skill: Tell your OpenClaw agent: "Read https://db0.ai/skills/openclaw/SKILL.md and install db0"

What is db0?

db0 is a ContextEngine plugin that gives OpenClaw agents persistent, scoped memory with automatic fact extraction. It replaces OpenClaw's default compaction-based memory with a proper memory system that extracts facts after every turn, not just when the context window overflows.

Installation Instructions

Follow these steps exactly to install and configure db0 for OpenClaw.

Step 1: Run the init command

npx @db0-ai/openclaw init

This will:

• Install the db0 extension into ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0/
• Create the plugin manifest (openclaw.plugin.json)
• Update ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json to activate db0 as the context engine
• Set up persistent SQLite storage at ~/.openclaw/db0.sqlite

If OpenClaw is installed in a non-default location, use the --dir flag:

npx @db0-ai/openclaw init --dir /path/to/openclaw

Or set the OPENCLAW_HOME environment variable.

Step 2: Restart OpenClaw

Restart OpenClaw so it picks up the new plugin configuration.

Step 3: Verify

Tell the user that db0 is installed and configured. Their agent now has:

• Persistent memory stored at ~/.openclaw/db0.sqlite
• Automatic fact extraction after every turn (preferences, decisions, task context)
• Scoped memory — user facts persist across sessions, task context stays within the current task
• State checkpoints — restorable execution state after every turn
• Sub-agent support — memory inheritance and result backflow between parent and child agents
• Structured logging — full audit trail of turns, extractions, and compaction events

Manual Setup (alternative)

If the init command doesn't work, set up manually:

1. Create extension directory and install:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0
cd ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0
npm init -y
npm install @db0-ai/openclaw

2. Create ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0/index.js:

module.exports = async function register(api) {
  const { db0 } = await import("@db0-ai/openclaw");
  api.registerContextEngine("db0", () => db0());
};

3. Create ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0/openclaw.plugin.json:

{
  "id": "db0",
  "name": "db0 Context Engine",
  "version": "0.1.0",
  "configSchema": {
    "type": "object",
    "properties": {},
    "additionalProperties": false
  }
}

4. Add to ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json:

{
  "plugins": {
    "slots": {
      "memory": "none",
      "contextEngine": "db0"
    },
    "entries": {
      "db0": { "enabled": true }
    }
  }
}

5. Restart OpenClaw.

Optional Upgrades

Edit ~/.openclaw/extensions/db0/index.js to customize:

Semantic search with real embeddings:

module.exports = async function register(api) {
  const { db0 } = await import("@db0-ai/openclaw");
  api.registerContextEngine("db0", () => db0({
    embeddingFn: async (text) => {
      // OpenAI, Ollama, transformers.js, etc.
    },
    minScore: 0.65,
  }));
};

Cross-device sync with Postgres:

api.registerContextEngine("db0", () => db0({
  storage: "postgresql://user:pass@your-host/db0",
  embeddingFn: myEmbed,
  minScore: 0.65,
}));

Manual extraction only (no auto-extract):

api.registerContextEngine("db0", () => db0({ extraction: "manual" }));

How It Works

db0 implements OpenClaw's ContextEngine lifecycle:

Memory Scopes

Troubleshooting

• Memory not persisting: Check that ~/.openclaw/ directory exists and is writable
• Plugin not loading: Verify ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json has "contextEngine": "db0" under plugins.slots, and restart OpenClaw
• No memories being extracted: The default "rules" extraction looks for signal words. If the assistant doesn't use them naturally, try extraction: "manual" and call memory().write() explicitly
• Want to inspect the database: The SQLite file at ~/.openclaw/db0.sqlite can be opened with any SQLite viewer. Tables: db0_memory, db0_state, db0_log
• Custom OpenClaw directory: Use npx @db0-ai/openclaw init --dir /your/path or set OPENCLAW_HOME