Will my personal assistant remember things from previous conversations?

Yes, if you configure MEMORY.md. The agent saves key facts — your preferences, commitments, and context — to a memory file and reads it back at the start of each conversation. Without this setup, every conversation starts fresh. Module 5 covers the full configuration.

Can I use the personal assistant without a cloud AI subscription?

Yes. Choose Ollama as your AI provider during setup and the agent runs entirely on your own hardware — no API keys, no monthly fees, no data sent anywhere. Performance depends on your machine's specs, but modern laptops handle conversational tasks well with smaller models.

How do I stop strangers from messaging my assistant?

Set dmPolicy to 'allowlist' in your channel config and add only your own user ID to the allowedUsers list. Anyone outside the list is silently ignored. This is the default recommendation for all personal deployments — never set it to 'open' for a personal assistant.

Project: Personal Assistant

Turn OpenClaw into a personal AI assistant that manages your schedule, answers questions, and handles daily tasks through Telegram or WhatsApp.

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3 min read

What you will build

A personal assistant that you can message naturally through Telegram or WhatsApp. It handles scheduling, reminders, quick lookups, and routine tasks.

Connect your channel

If you have not already, connect Telegram (the fastest option):

openclaw channels add telegram --token YOUR_BOT_TOKEN

See Module 2 for detailed setup.

Install essential skills

openclaw skills install calendar
openclaw skills install reminders
openclaw skills install web-search
openclaw skills install notes

Configure personality

Add to your SOUL.md:

## Assistant behavior
- Be concise and direct in responses
- When I ask to schedule something, confirm the time and add it to my calendar
- When I ask to remind me, set a reminder and confirm
- For factual questions, search the web and cite your source
- If a request is ambiguous, ask one clarifying question before acting

Set up DM policies

Make sure only you can message the assistant:

openclaw config set dm.policy allowlist
openclaw config set dm.allowlist YOUR_TELEGRAM_ID

Test common workflows

Try these messages in your chat:

"Schedule a call with Sarah tomorrow at 2pm"
"Remind me to buy groceries at 6pm"
"What is the capital of Iceland?"
"Save a note: project deadline is April 15"

Each one should trigger the appropriate skill and give you a clear response.

Tips

Add voice input by enabling Telegram voice messages
Chain skills: "Schedule a meeting and send Sarah the invite"
Use openclaw agent --thinking high for complex scheduling conflicts

Finished this module?

Tracks your progress across all 10 modules

FAQ

Will my personal assistant remember things from previous conversations?: Yes, if you configure MEMORY.md. The agent saves key facts — your preferences, commitments, and context — to a memory file and reads it back at the start of each conversation. Without this setup, every conversation starts fresh. Module 5 covers the full configuration.
Can I use the personal assistant without a cloud AI subscription?: Yes. Choose Ollama as your AI provider during setup and the agent runs entirely on your own hardware — no API keys, no monthly fees, no data sent anywhere. Performance depends on your machine's specs, but modern laptops handle conversational tasks well with smaller models.
How do I stop strangers from messaging my assistant?: Set dmPolicy to 'allowlist' in your channel config and add only your own user ID to the allowedUsers list. Anyone outside the list is silently ignored. This is the default recommendation for all personal deployments — never set it to 'open' for a personal assistant.