Backup to GitHub
OpenClaw skill to backup personalized configuration and user data to a GitHub repository. Ensures easy migration and disaster recovery.
Features
- ✅ Backup only personalized files (not default OpenClaw)
- ✅ Restore to fresh installation with identical state
- ✅ Supports GitHub via Personal Access Token
- ✅ Single-commit backup (clean history)
- ✅ Dry-run mode to preview changes
What Gets Backed Up
This skill backs up files that are specific to your setup, excluding default OpenClaw installation files:
- Core Configuration:
openclaw.json(TTS, skills, plugins settings) - Long-term Memory:
MEMORY.md(curated memories, learned context) - User Identity:
USER.md,IDENTITY.md,SOUL.md(your profile & persona) - Custom Tools:
TOOLS.md(camera names, SSH hosts, voice preferences, etc.) - Heartbeat Tasks:
HEARTBEAT.md(periodic checklists) - Scheduled Jobs:
cron/jobs.json(your cron task configuration) - Monitoring Panel: Custom monitor scripts (
openclaw-monitor.cjs,monitor/*.cjs) - Skill Configurations: Selected skill config files (YAML, README, SKILL.md) for skills you've customized (edit
backup.pyto add paths) - Custom Scripts: Any user-created scripts (edit
backup.pyto add paths) - Credentials (optional):
credentials/*.json(Xiaohongshu cookies, etc.) - configurable
Automatically Excluded:
- Default/standard skills from the library
- Daily memory files (
memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md) - too large/ephemeral - Cron run logs (
cron/runs/) - Temporary files, caches,
.git,__pycache__,venv,node_modules - Large model files and binaries
Prerequisites
- GitHub account with Personal Access Token (
reposcope) - Backup repository (private recommended)
Setup
# Install dependencies
pip install -r requirements.txt
# Configure (create .env file)
GITHUB_TOKEN=ghp_your_token_here
GITHUB_REPO=your-username/your-backup-repoUsage
# Backup current configuration
python backup.py --action backup
# Preview what will be backed up (no push)
python backup.py --action backup --dry-run
# Restore from backup (overwrites existing files)
python backup.py --action restoreHow It Works
Backup
- Scans predefined file list (in
backup.py→BACKUP_FILES) - Filters out excluded patterns
- Creates a single commit on the default branch with all file changes
- Pushes to your GitHub repository
Restore
- Fetches the latest backup commit
- Downloads each file to its original location
- Reports success and suggests service restarts
Customization
Edit BACKUP_FILES in backup.py to add or remove files from backup.
Security Notes
- GitHub Token should have minimal scope (
repoonly) - Store token in
.env(never commit) - Use a private repository for backups
- Credentials (e.g., Xiaohongshu cookies) are optional and clearly marked
Limitations
- Does not backup large binary files (ML models, caches, datasets)
- Does not backup running state (processes, logs)
- Daily memory files excluded by design (too large, ephemeral)
- Requires internet access for GitHub operations
Troubleshooting
Error: GITHUB_TOKEN not set → Set token in .env or use --token flag.
Error: Repository not found → Check GITHUB_REPO format: owner/repo.
File not backing up → Ensure path is in BACKUP_FILES and not excluded by patterns.
License
MIT