Scheduled instructions that run on a recurring interval
HEARTBEAT.md defines recurring tasks that OpenClaw performs automatically on a schedule — without any user input. If BOOT.md runs once at startup, HEARTBEAT.md runs continuously on a set interval, making your agent proactively useful around the clock.
OpenClaw reads HEARTBEAT.md to understand what periodic tasks to run and at what frequency. Common heartbeat tasks include: checking for new emails, monitoring a website for changes, posting scheduled social media content, running health checks, or summarizing daily activity. The interval is typically defined in AGENTS.md or the OpenClaw gateway configuration.
HEARTBEAT.md is what makes an OpenClaw agent genuinely autonomous. Without it, an agent only acts when you message it. With it, your agent is constantly working — checking, processing, and acting — even while you sleep. This is the core of '24/7 AI assistant' functionality.
A social media agent with a HEARTBEAT.md running every 30 minutes might: check for new mentions, draft replies for your review, post scheduled content, and log engagement metrics.
Clawfleet manages your OpenClaw instance — HEARTBEAT.md, backups, restarts, and cost tracking — all included. Start for $1.
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