Your First Automation — Set It and Forget It
Level 2 is where the real magic starts. Instead of YOU going to the AI every time you need something, the AI comes to YOU.
OpenClaw has a heartbeat system: it wakes up on a schedule and checks whether there is anything it should do. You define what it checks in a file called HEARTBEAT.md.
Here is what "set it and forget it" looks like in practice:
Every morning at 9am, your AI automatically:
1. Checks your email for anything urgent
2. Looks at your calendar for the day
3. Summarizes everything and sends it to you on WhatsApp
You do nothing. You did not open an app. You did not type a prompt. It just happened.
This is the compound interest of AI: every automation you set up keeps paying you back in saved time, forever.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Connect a messaging channel
You need to pick one channel where your AI will send you messages.
Options: WhatsApp, Telegram, Signal, Discord, or email.
Follow the setup guide for your chosen channel:
https://docs.openclaw.ai/channels
After setup, test it:
openclaw channel testYou should receive a test message on your chosen platform.
Step 2: Create HEARTBEAT.md
This file tells your AI what to check periodically. Create it in ~/.openclaw/workspace/HEARTBEAT.md:
# HEARTBEAT.md — What to Check Periodically
## Check every 30 minutes:
- Any urgent emails? If yes, message me immediately.
## Check every morning at 9am:
- What is on my calendar today?
- Any unread emails that need a response?
- Send me a 3-bullet summary of what I need to know today.Step 3: Set up your daily briefing cron job
In a conversation with your AI, send this message:
"Set up a daily briefing for me every morning at 9am. Check my calendar and email, then send me a summary of what I need to know for the day in 3 bullet points."
Your AI will create the cron job automatically.
Step 4: Verify the cron job was created
openclaw cron listYou should see your 9am job listed. If the list is empty, ask your AI to create it again and confirm it ran successfully.
Step 5: Make sure the gateway is running
For automations to run when you are not at your computer, the gateway must be running in the background:
openclaw gateway start
openclaw gateway statusOn Mac, you can set it to start automatically when you turn on your computer:
openclaw gateway installCommon Mistakes
- ❌ Not receiving messages — The most common reason is the channel is not connected. Run: openclaw channel list to see which channels are active.
- ❌ Cron job not running — The gateway must be running for cron jobs to execute. Check: openclaw gateway status. If it says "stopped", run: openclaw gateway start
- ❌ Too many messages — Your AI is messaging you for things that are not important. Fix HEARTBEAT.md: add "Only message me if there is something that actually needs my attention. Do not send a message if nothing important was found."
- ❌ Gmail not connected — Google requires OAuth. Follow the Gog skill setup guide at: https://clawhub.ai/kn70pywhg0fyz996kpa8xj89s57yhv26/gog