PowerMem Memory — Full Guide

Skill id / OpenClaw folder name: install-memory-powermem-full. For the shortest install-only path, use install-memory-powermem (quickstart).

This skill folder includes supplementary docs:

• powermem-intro.md — What PowerMem is, features, vs file-based memory.
• config-reference.md — Config keys, state dir, commands.

How It Works

• Auto-Capture: After a conversation, the plugin sends valuable user/assistant text to PowerMem (optional infer / intelligent extraction).
• Auto-Recall: Before each turn, it searches memories and can inject a <relevant-memories> block into context.
• Auto-Experience: Optionally distills procedural experiences and stores them as memories for later recall.

When User Asks to Install

Recommended order (TO C): (1) OpenClaw installed and default model + provider auth configured. (2) Install the memory-powermem plugin. (3) Default CLI uses powermem-ts (npm package powermem) via pmemPath: bundled—no Python required; the plugin’s npm install / pnpm install pulls powermem, @langchain/openai, and native deps (better-sqlite3). (4) Optional: use Python pmem from oceanbase/powermem instead by setting pmemPath to the venv binary. No powermem.env is required for the default path when useOpenClawModel is true.

The curl install.sh deploys the plugin and OpenClaw entries; with -y it may still create ~/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env as an optional template—it does not require pip install powermem. That file is not required if the user relies on OpenClaw-injected LLM + default SQLite + bundled npm CLI.

1. Check OpenClaw

openclaw --version. If missing: npm install -g openclaw, openclaw onboard. Ensure agents.defaults.model is set (e.g. openai/gpt-4o-mini) and the corresponding provider / API key works for normal chat—the plugin reuses that for PowerMem when useOpenClawModel is true (default).

1. Install the plugin

openclaw plugins install /path/to/memory-powermem (or openclaw plugins install memory-powermem from npm), or run install.sh from the memory-powermem repo — see One-click plugin deploy (install.sh) below for curl / flags / --workdir.

1. PowerMem CLI — default: powermem-ts (npm), no Python

- Plugin default pmemPath: bundled: runs the powermem npm package (TypeScript / powermem-ts) shipped with the plugin (nodemodules/.../powermem/dist/cli.js). - After openclaw plugins install or install.sh, dependencies are installed under the plugin directory; for a local path / symlink install, run pnpm install / npm install in that directory. - pnpm 10+: allow better-sqlite3 install scripts (see plugin package.json → pnpm.onlyBuiltDependencies) or run pnpm rebuild better-sqlite3 if the native module failed to build. - Defaults: Plugin injects SQLite at <OpenClaw stateDir>/powermem/data/powermem.db and LLM + embedding env vars derived from OpenClaw. Typical stateDir is ~/.openclaw unless the user uses another instance (OPENCLAWSTATE_DIR, --workdir). - Optional envFile: Path to a PowerMem .env for extra tuning. If the file exists, pmem loads it; OpenClaw-derived vars still override the same keys when useOpenClawModel is true. - useOpenClawModel: false: Disables injection; user must supply a complete PowerMem config via .env and/or environment variables.

1. Optional: Python CLI instead of bundled npm

For oceanbase/powermem Python pmem: Python 3.10+, venv + pip install powermem, then set pmemPath to the absolute path of the pmem binary (gateway may not inherit venv PATH). Verify with pmem --version.

1. HTTP path (enterprise / shared server)

- Run powermem-server from the same powermem-ts stack (npm) or from a Python/Docker deployment; .env in server working directory with DB + LLM + embedding; e.g. powermem-server --host 0.0.0.0 --port 8000. - Check: curl -s http://localhost:8000/api/v1/system/health (or /api/v2/system/health for v2).

1. Configure OpenClaw

CLI — defaults (recommended, matches plugin defaults): Do not set envFile unless you need a file. Example:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.enabled true openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory memory-powermem openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.mode cli openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.pmemPath bundled openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.useOpenClawModel true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoCapture true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoRecall true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.autoExperience true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.experienceRecall true --json openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.inferOnAdd true --json ``

CLI — optional .env override file:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.envFile "$HOME/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env" ``

(Only matters if that path exists; OpenClaw can still override LLM keys when useOpenClawModel is true.)

HTTP:

``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.mode http openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.baseUrl http://localhost:8000 ``

Optional: apiKey if the server uses auth. For v2, set: ``bash openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.httpApiVersion v2 openclaw config set plugins.entries.memory-powermem.config.requestConfig '{"memory_db":{"host":"db-host","port":2881}}' --json ``

1. Verify

Restart gateway, then in another terminal:

``bash openclaw plugins list ``

Confirm memory-powermem is listed and its status is loaded. If it is missing or not loaded, fix install/slot config and restart the gateway before running LTM checks.

``bash openclaw ltm health openclaw ltm add "I prefer coffee in the morning" openclaw ltm search "coffee" ``

One-click plugin deploy (install.sh)

Requires: OpenClaw installed (openclaw --version). The script runs npm install (or equivalent) inside the deployed plugin directory so powermem-ts is available; it does not run pip install powermem. Default pmemPath is bundled (npm CLI).

Default: configures plugin CLI mode. With -y, it may still create ~/.openclaw/powermem/powermem.env as an optional template — not required if you use OpenClaw-injected LLM + default SQLite + bundled CLI.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash

From a local clone (no download):

cd /path/to/memory-powermem && bash install.sh

Non-interactive (defaults: CLI, may seed env file):

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -y

Target a different OpenClaw instance:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --workdir ~/.openclaw-second

What the script does: resolve OpenClaw workdir → choose or default cli / http and paths → for CLI, optionally seed powermem.env if missing → deploy plugin to <workdir>/extensions/memory-powermem → npm install there → set OpenClaw config (plugins.enabled, slots.memory, entries.memory-powermem).

After (CLI): openclaw gateway, then openclaw ltm health — you usually do not need to edit powermem.env when using plugin defaults.

After (HTTP): start PowerMem with a proper .env in the server cwd, then start the gateway.

Copy a skill into OpenClaw

Copy one skill you want into ~/.openclaw/skills/<skill-name>/ (folder name should match the skill id). The quickstart and full-guide skills are independent.

Quickstart (install-memory-powermem) — Linux / macOS:

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem
cp /path/to/memory-powermem/skills/install-memory-powermem/SKILL.md \
   ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem/

Full guide (install-memory-powermem-full) — Linux / macOS: copy all .md files in that folder.

mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem-full
cp /path/to/memory-powermem/skills/install-memory-powermem-full/*.md \
   ~/.openclaw/skills/install-memory-powermem-full/

Full guide — Windows (PowerShell):

New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\skills\install-memory-powermem-full"
Copy-Item "path\to\memory-powermem\skills\install-memory-powermem-full\*.md" `
  "$env:USERPROFILE\.openclaw\skills\install-memory-powermem-full\"

Multi-instance OpenClaw (--workdir / OPENCLAWSTATEDIR)

Install script:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ob-labs/memory-powermem/main/install.sh | bash -s -- --workdir ~/.openclaw-second

Manual config for that instance:

OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR=~/.openclaw-second openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory memory-powermem

Plugin data and default SQLite follow that instance’s stateDir.

Available Tools

Configuration (summary)

Daily Operations

openclaw gateway restart

openclaw ltm health
openclaw ltm add "Some fact to remember"
openclaw ltm search "query"

openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory none
openclaw config set plugins.slots.memory memory-powermem

Restart the gateway after slot or plugin config changes.

Troubleshooting