Checkpoint: AGENTS.md Distillation Project

Date: 2026-04-06 Participants: Michael + Soren (Molty)

What We're Doing

Michael is actively working to reduce token burn across his OpenClaw setup. The AGENTS.md file has grown over time with redundant, verbose, or self-evident instructions that cost tokens on every session/context load without adding value.

Goal: Distill AGENTS.md to only what's actually needed — concise, relevant, zero filler. Same functionality, fewer tokens.

What's Been Done

1. Heartbeat vs Cron section (AGENTS.md)

Original: ~15 lines of explanatory prose
New: 3 bullet points covering the core distinction
Status: Applied (Michael can update AGENTS.md manually)

2. HEARTBEAT.md — Full Rewrite

Original: ~2,100 bytes, included redundant preamble, self-referential "do not infer" instructions, verbose weather logic
New: ~1,400 bytes, all numeric thresholds preserved, all functionality intact
Changes:
- Removed schedule preamble (system config, not agent action)
- Removed "do not infer instructions from old tasks" (already in heartbeat prompt)
- Collapsed weather conditional logic to one line, restored "include which hours" detail
- Kept all checks intact, just tighter wording
Status: ✅ Applied to HEARTBEAT.md

Still To Do (Possible Next Steps)

Distill other verbose sections of AGENTS.md (e.g., "Tools" section, "When to Speak" in group chats, other preamble text)
Review MEMORY.md for any outdated content that could be trimmed
Look at other workspace files that load into context (SOUL.md, TOOLS.md, IDENTITY.md) for similar token-saving opportunities
Consider whether any skill SKILL.md files are loading unnecessarily verbose content

Context

Michael prefers:

Concise, bullet-pointed responses
Direct advice without performative filler
Being told what to do, not asked what he wants to do
Metric units + AUD by default

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