Setup & Installation

clawhub install new-agent-setup

Or with OpenClaw CLI:

openclaw skills install new-agent-setup

What This Skill Does

New Agent Setup is an AI & Machine Learning skill that set up a new OpenClaw agent from scratch. Use when Tom asks to create, add, or onboard a new agent. Covers everything: gathering requirements, Discord bot setup, openclaw.json configuration, Mission Control registration, heartbeat, cron, OneDrive access, and final verification..

New Agent Setup

Full step-by-step checklist: read references/checklist.md in this skill folder.

Quick Overview (4 Phases)

Phase 1 — Gather information first (do not start config without these):

  • Agent Name (capitalized, e.g. "Saul") → ID is lowercase ("saul")
  • Role / domain
  • Emoji for identity
  • Discord Bot Token + Application ID (from developer.discord.com)
  • Discord Channel ID (after channel is created by Tom)

Phase 2 — Manual steps by Tom (before any config):

  • Create Discord bot in Developer Portal, invite to server
  • Create Discord channel (lowercase agent name), move to "Agent Direct Lines" category
  • Sync permissions with category, add bot user with all permissions set to Allow
  • Prepare avatar image: avatar-<agent-id>.png (transparent background)

Ask Tom before Phase 3:

  • Should this agent have OneDrive access? Which libraries?

Phase 3 — Configuration (only after Tom confirms Phase 2 is done):

  1. Backup openclaw.json
  2. Add agent to agents.list[] with identity + heartbeat block
  3. Add Discord account + channel routing + agent routing
  4. Gateway restart
  5. mc register <agent-id> --role "<role>"
  6. Create HEARTBEAT.md with mc workflow (never leave empty!)
  7. Add staggered cron job for mc checkin (check existing slots first)
  8. If OneDrive: mkdir workspace-<id>/onedrive + symlinks per library
  9. Save session key to MEMORY.md
  10. Send onboarding message via sessions_send (timeoutSeconds: 30)

Phase 4 — Verify:

  • mc fleet shows new agent
  • Gateway status OK
  • Crontab correct
  • HEARTBEAT.md not empty
  • OneDrive symlinks work + agent created own subfolder
  • Tom can see file on his laptop
  • Avatar copied to workspace

Key Rules

  • Name: "Walt" → ID: "walt" → workspace: workspace-walt → avatar: avatar-walt.png
  • Heartbeat: once ANY agent has a heartbeat block, ALL agents need one explicitly
  • Cron slots: gus=0, walt=1, jesse=2, skyler=3, mike=4 → next agent gets minute 5
  • OneDrive symlink points to ~/.openclaw/onedrive/<library> (not ~/OneDrive/)
  • Never start config before Tom confirms Discord is set up

Version History

Latest version: 1.0.0

First published: Mar 25, 2026. Last updated: Mar 25, 2026.

1 version released.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is New Agent Setup free to use?
Yes. New Agent Setup is a free, open-source skill available on the OpenClaw Skills Registry.
What platforms does New Agent Setup support?
It runs on any platform that supports OpenClaw, including macOS, Linux, and Windows.