OpenClaw Git Backup#

Use this skill to build a reusable nightly git backup workflow for an OpenClaw repo.

What this workflow does:

• stages repo changes
• optionally excludes scheduler noise or other paths
• creates a commit only when tracked changes exist
• writes a commit subject with +added ~modified -deleted counts
• writes a commit body listing changed files
• still runs git push even if there was no new commit, so older unpushed commits are flushed
• integrates with OpenClaw cron and should always be force-run once after setup or edits

Inputs to Confirm#

Before changing anything, confirm these values:

• repo root, e.g. <repo-root>
• runtime script path, e.g. <runtime-script>
• timezone, e.g. <timezone>
• remote name, usually origin
• branch behavior: current branch or explicit branch
• exclude patterns, if any
• whether HTTPS token setup is needed

If the user already implied these values, proceed without turning it into an interview.

Defaults#

Reasonable defaults for a fresh setup:

• remote: origin
• timezone: UTC
• author name: OpenClaw Backup
• author email: backup@local
• branch: current branch, else main when detached
• exclude patterns: none unless the repo has scheduler self-noise

Bundled Script#

This skill includes scripts/nightly_git_backup.sh.

Prefer using the bundled script as the implementation source, then copy it into the runtime location the user wants the cron job to call.

Typical install step:

bash

install -D -m 755 <skill-dir>/scripts/nightly_git_backup.sh <runtime-script>
bash -n <runtime-script>

Configuration Model#

The bundled script supports these env vars:

• BACKUP_REMOTE — default origin
• BACKUP_BRANCH — optional explicit target branch
• BACKUP_TZ — default UTC
• BACKUP_AUTHOR_NAME — default OpenClaw Backup
• BACKUP_AUTHOR_EMAIL — default backup@local
• BACKUP_EXCLUDES — comma-separated git pathspec exclude patterns, e.g. cron,cron/**,.cache,.cache/**

The first positional argument is the repo path. If omitted, the script uses BACKUP_REPO or the current directory.

Recommended Flow#

1. Inspect current state#

Check:

• git -C <repo-root> rev-parse --show-toplevel
• git -C <repo-root> status --short --branch
• git -C <repo-root> remote -v
• openclaw cron list or equivalent cron listing

2. Install or update the runtime script#

Copy the bundled script into the runtime path the cron job will execute.

3. Configure push auth only if needed#

If HTTPS push is already working, leave auth alone.

If the user explicitly provides a GitHub HTTPS token, prefer repo-local credential storage instead of embedding credentials in the remote URL:

bash

git -C <repo-root> config credential.helper 'store --file=<repo-root>/.git/credentials'
git -C <repo-root> config credential.useHttpPath true
printf 'protocol=https\nhost=github.com\npath=OWNER/REPO.git\nusername=x-access-token\npassword=TOKEN\n' | git -C <repo-root> credential approve
chmod 600 <repo-root>/.git/credentials
git -C <repo-root> ls-remote --heads <remote> <branch>

Rules:

• never write the token into the remote URL
• never store the real token inside this skill
• tighten credential file permissions to 600

4. Create or update the cron job#

Read references/cron-job-template.md.

Set the job so it executes:

bash

bash -lc '<runtime-script> <repo-root>'

Typical cron settings:

• isolated agentTurn
• low thinking
• timeout 600s
• silent delivery unless the user wants alerts

5. Force-run once immediately#

Do not stop at “job created”. Always test the full path.

After force-run, check:

• latest commit subject
• latest commit body
• git status --short --branch
• git rev-list --left-right --count <remote>/<branch>...HEAD if push is expected

Validation Checklist#

Script#

• bash -n <runtime-script>

Git#

• git -C <repo-root> status --short --branch
• git -C <repo-root> remote -v
• git -C <repo-root> ls-remote --heads <remote> <branch>

Cron#

• list jobs
• force-run the backup job
• inspect recent run results

Expected Outcome#

• if staged changes exist after exclusions, a new commit is created and pushed
• if no new changes exist, push still runs to flush older local commits
• exclude patterns prevent scheduler self-noise from generating fake backup commits

Commit Message Contract#

The bundled script writes:

Subject#

text

backup: snapshot YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS +0000 | +A ~M -D

Body#

text

Added(n)
- ...

Modified(n)
- ...

Deleted(n)
- ...

Renamed(n)
- old -> new

Keep the body factual and file-oriented.

Common Pitfalls#

Scheduler self-noise#

Some repos contain scheduler state that changes every run. Exclude it explicitly with BACKUP_EXCLUDES.

Example:

bash

BACKUP_EXCLUDES='cron,cron/**'

Runtime state outside the repo#

Git only backs up files inside the target repo. If a workflow also depends on directories outside the repo, they are not covered unless the user explicitly adds a second sync or mirrors them into the repo.

See references/backup-scope.md.

Wrong success criteria#

“Cron job exists” is not enough.

The real success condition is:

1. force-run works
2. commit format is correct
3. push succeeds
4. remote catches up

Output Style#

When reporting back, keep it concrete:

• what was configured
• what was tested
• whether push worked
• what is still outside backup scope