mirror of
https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
synced 2026-02-19 18:39:20 -05:00
111 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
111 lines
4.5 KiB
Markdown
## OpenClaw Vision
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw is the AI that actually does things.
|
|
It runs on your devices, in your channels, with your rules.
|
|
|
|
This document explains the current state and direction of the project.
|
|
We are still early, so iteration is fast.
|
|
Project overview and developer docs: [`README.md`](README.md)
|
|
Contribution guide: [`CONTRIBUTING.md`](CONTRIBUTING.md)
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw started as a personal playground to learn AI and build something genuinely useful:
|
|
an assistant that can run real tasks on a real computer.
|
|
It evolved through several names and shells: Warelay -> Clawdbot -> Moltbot -> OpenClaw.
|
|
|
|
The goal: a personal assistant that is easy to use, supports a wide range of platforms, and respects privacy and security.
|
|
|
|
The current focus is:
|
|
|
|
Priority:
|
|
|
|
- Security and safe defaults
|
|
- Bug fixes and stability
|
|
- Setup reliability and first-run UX
|
|
|
|
Next priorities:
|
|
|
|
- Supporting all major model providers
|
|
- Improving support for major messaging channels (and adding a few high-demand ones)
|
|
- Performance and test infrastructure
|
|
- Better computer-use and agent harness capabilities
|
|
- Ergonomics across CLI and web frontend
|
|
- Companion apps on macOS, iOS, Android, Windows, and Linux
|
|
|
|
Contribution rules:
|
|
|
|
- One PR = one issue/topic. Do not bundle multiple unrelated fixes/features.
|
|
- PRs over ~5,000 changed lines are reviewed only in exceptional circumstances.
|
|
- Do not open large batches of tiny PRs at once; each PR has review cost.
|
|
- For very small related fixes, grouping into one focused PR is encouraged.
|
|
|
|
## Security
|
|
|
|
Security in OpenClaw is a deliberate tradeoff: strong defaults without killing capability.
|
|
The goal is to stay powerful for real work while making risky paths explicit and operator-controlled.
|
|
|
|
Canonical security policy and reporting:
|
|
|
|
- [`SECURITY.md`](SECURITY.md)
|
|
|
|
We prioritize secure defaults, but also expose clear knobs for trusted high-power workflows.
|
|
|
|
## Plugins & Memory
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw has an extensive plugin API.
|
|
Core stays lean; optional capability should usually ship as plugins.
|
|
|
|
Preferred plugin path is npm package distribution plus local extension loading for development.
|
|
If you build a plugin, host and maintain it in your own repository.
|
|
The bar for adding optional plugins to core is intentionally high.
|
|
Plugin docs: [`docs/tools/plugin.md`](docs/tools/plugin.md)
|
|
Community plugin listing + PR bar: https://docs.openclaw.ai/plugins/community
|
|
|
|
Memory is a special plugin slot where only one memory plugin can be active at a time.
|
|
Today we ship multiple memory options; over time we plan to converge on one recommended default path.
|
|
|
|
### Skills
|
|
|
|
We still ship some bundled skills for baseline UX.
|
|
New skills should be published to ClawHub first (`clawhub.ai`), not added to core by default.
|
|
Core skill additions should be rare and require a strong product or security reason.
|
|
|
|
### MCP Support
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw supports MCP through `mcporter`: https://github.com/steipete/mcporter
|
|
|
|
This keeps MCP integration flexible and decoupled from core runtime:
|
|
|
|
- add or change MCP servers without restarting the gateway
|
|
- keep core tool/context surface lean
|
|
- reduce MCP churn impact on core stability and security
|
|
|
|
For now, we prefer this bridge model over building first-class MCP runtime into core.
|
|
If there is an MCP server or feature `mcporter` does not support yet, please open an issue there.
|
|
|
|
### Setup
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw is currently terminal-first by design.
|
|
This keeps setup explicit: users see docs, auth, permissions, and security posture up front.
|
|
|
|
Long term, we want easier onboarding flows as hardening matures.
|
|
We do not want convenience wrappers that hide critical security decisions from users.
|
|
|
|
### Why TypeScript?
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw is primarily an orchestration system: prompts, tools, protocols, and integrations.
|
|
TypeScript was chosen to keep OpenClaw hackable by default.
|
|
It is widely known, fast to iterate in, and easy to read, modify, and extend.
|
|
|
|
## What We Will Not Merge (For Now)
|
|
|
|
- New core skills when they can live on ClawHub
|
|
- Full-doc translation sets for all docs (deferred; we plan AI-generated translations later)
|
|
- Commercial service integrations that do not clearly fit the model-provider category
|
|
- Wrapper channels around already supported channels without a clear capability or security gap
|
|
- First-class MCP runtime in core when `mcporter` already provides the integration path
|
|
- Agent-hierarchy frameworks (manager-of-managers / nested planner trees) as a default architecture
|
|
- Heavy orchestration layers that duplicate existing agent and tool infrastructure
|
|
|
|
This list is a roadmap guardrail, not a law of physics.
|
|
Strong user demand and strong technical rationale can change it.
|