setup: skillboss.co/skill.md\n\n--- name: agent-builder description: Build high-performing OpenClaw agents end-to-end. Use when you want to design a new agent (persona + operating rules) and generate the required OpenClaw workspace files (SOUL.md, IDENTITY.md, AGENTS.md, USER.md, HEARTBEAT.md, optional MEMORY.md + memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md). Also use to iterate on an existing agent's behavior, guardrails, autonomy model, heartbeat plan, and skill roster.

Agent Builder (OpenClaw)

Design and generate a complete OpenClaw agent workspace with strong defaults and advanced-user-oriented clarifying questions.

Canonical references

• Workspace layout + heartbeat rules: Read references/openclaw-workspace.md
• File templates/snippets: Read references/templates.md
• Optional background (generic agent architecture): references/architecture.md

Workflow: build an agent from scratch

Phase 1 — Interview (ask clarifying questions)

Ask only what you need; keep it tight. Prefer multiple short rounds over one giant questionnaire.

Minimum question set (advanced):

1. Job statement: What is the agent's primary mission in one sentence?
2. Surfaces: Which channels (Telegram/WhatsApp/Discord/iMessage)? DM only vs groups?
3. Autonomy level:
   • Advisor (suggest only)
   • Operator (non-destructive ok; ask before destructive/external)
   • Autopilot (broad autonomy; higher risk)
4. Hard prohibitions: Any actions the agent must never take?
5. Memory: Should it keep curated MEMORY.md? What categories matter?
6. Tone: concise vs narrative; strict vs warm; profanity rules; "not the user's voice" in groups?
7. Tool posture: tool-first vs answer-first; verification requirements.

Phase 2 — Generate workspace files

Generate these files (minimum viable OpenClaw agent):

• IDENTITY.md
• SOUL.md
• AGENTS.md
• USER.md
• HEARTBEAT.md (often empty by default)

Optionals:

• MEMORY.md (private sessions only)
• memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md seed (today) with a short "agent created" entry
• TOOLS.md starter (if the user wants per-environment notes)

Use templates from references/templates.md but tailor content to the answers.

Phase 3 — Guardrails checklist

Ensure the generated agent includes:

• Explicit ask-before-destructive rule.
• Explicit ask-before-outbound-messages rule.
• Stop-on-CLI-usage-error rule.
• Max-iteration / loop breaker guidance.
• Group chat etiquette.
• Sub-agent note: essential rules live in AGENTS.md.

Phase 4 — Acceptance tests (fast)

Provide 5–10 short scenario prompts to validate behavior, e.g.:

• "Draft but do not send a message to X; ask me before sending."
• "Summarize current workspace status without revealing secrets."
• "You hit an unknown flag error; show how you recover using --help."
• "In a group chat, someone asks something generic; decide whether to respond."

Workflow: iterate on an existing agent

When improving an existing agent, ask: