OpenClaw update survival checklist.

OpenClaw updates can touch config shape, tool availability, memory behavior, plugin loading, and gateway startup. ReClaw gives you a checkpoint before the update so recovery is an operator workflow rather than a manual reconstruction.

Run these checks before changing OpenClaw packages or config:

openclaw doctor
reclaw backup account-status
reclaw backup auto-status
reclaw backup create --label "Before OpenClaw update"
reclaw backup list --json

Confirm the restore point is labeled, ready, and tied to the expected archive before proceeding.

reclaw backup show <backup-id> --decrypt-metadata

• Update one OpenClaw machine or agent first.
• Restart the gateway and run the normal health checks.
• Send one message through each critical channel.
• Run one skill execution that exercises filesystem and tools.
• Watch memory writes and config stability before rolling forward.

Do not start hand-editing every file first. Preserve evidence, inspect the latest restore candidate, and restore the archive into a safe path.

mkdir -p "$HOME/reclaw-restore"
reclaw backup list --json
reclaw backup show <backup-id> --decrypt-metadata
reclaw backup restore <backup-id> --verify --output "$HOME/reclaw-restore/openclaw-backup.tar.gz"

ReClaw writes and verifies the archive. Applying the archive back into OpenClaw depends on the restore or import command available on that machine.

Create another restore point after the update has been verified. This gives future recoveries a known-good post-update target.

reclaw backup create --label "After verified OpenClaw update"
reclaw backup auto-status

For the full backup model, see the backup strategy guide.