Daily Notes Option A Implementation, 2026-04-08

Findings summary

Option A is now implemented in the smallest safe form.

What shipped:

• one deterministic append script for canonical daily notes at memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
• consistent structured entry format
• create-if-missing behavior
• duplicate suppression for exact repeated captures
• rejection of obvious raw transcript or session-dump style input
• basic redaction for obvious sensitive strings before they enter searchable daily notes
• a small integration point in workspace/AGENTS.md so explicit capture this, flush memory, and task-close state capture use the new path

What did not change:

• no full harvester
• no heartbeat synthesis changes
• no MEMORY.md auto-promotion
• no gateway restart
• no change to bundled session-memory behavior yet

Design

Canonical writer

New file:

• workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs

Behavior:

• resolves the canonical file only as memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md
• creates the file with # YYYY-MM-DD if missing
• appends one entry block at a time in a fixed structure:
• ## <time> | <kind>
• - Source: <source>
• optional ### Summary
• optional ### Decisions
• optional ### Tasks
• optional ### Follow-ups
• optional ### Notes
• supports CLI flags or --stdin-json for structured payloads
• computes a stable content hash and stores it as an HTML comment marker so exact repeat appends become no-ops

Safety rules in the writer

The script is intentionally conservative.

It rejects input that looks like:

• user: / assistant: / system: / tool: transcript lines
• session-summary markdown headings
• JSON or message-dump shaped content

It redacts obvious sensitive strings before writing:

• bearer tokens and common API-key style strings
• long hex secrets
• email addresses
• phone numbers
• exact dollar amounts

This is not a full DLP system. It is a minimum guardrail to keep the canonical searchable path from becoming a raw transcript bucket.

Integration point

Changed file:

• workspace/AGENTS.md

Changes:

• declared node /Users/vinny/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs as the canonical append path for daily notes
• instructed agents to use it for explicit capture this, flush memory, and task-close state capture
• explicitly told agents not to write freeform markdown or raw transcript material directly into memory/*.md
• added the same script reference to the existing memory-flush event instructions

Why this integration point:

• smallest live workflow touch
• no gateway restart required
• usable immediately by any agent that follows workspace instructions and can run local scripts
• does not broaden into Option B/C

Session-memory handling

Current state:

• bundled session-memory is still enabled
• it still writes date-plus-slug files into memory/ on /new and /reset
• that remains a source of mixed-quality searchable memory and filename sprawl

Decision taken here:

• left it unchanged

Why:

• changing or disabling it without a separate approval/review step risks breaking current reset-time recall behavior
• rerouting it cleanly is not a one-line config tweak in the visible local surface. The bundled hook writes directly into memory/
• changing that safely would require either disabling the hook or replacing its behavior with a reviewed alternative

Follow-up recommendation:

• yes, follow-up needed
• next task should explicitly decide between:

1. disable bundled session-memory, or
2. replace/reroute reset-time capture to a non-searchable archive path outside memory/*.md

I do not recommend making that change silently as part of this Option A shipment.

Files changed

• workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs
• workspace/AGENTS.md
• workspace/artifacts/daily-notes-option-a-implementation-2026-04-08.md

Validation

1. Syntax and help

Ran:

chmod +x /Users/vinny/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs
node --check /Users/vinny/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs
node /Users/vinny/.openclaw/workspace/scripts/daily-notes-append.mjs --help

Result:

• passed

2. Isolated smoke test in a temp workspace

Ran create, append, duplicate, redaction, and rejection checks against a temporary workspace, not Pete's real memory directory.

Observed results:

• first write created memory/2026-04-08.md
• second distinct write appended to the same canonical file
• third identical write returned status: duplicate
• email, phone, dollar amount, and bearer token were redacted in the written note
• transcript-shaped input failed with: summary looks like a raw transcript or session dump. Distill it first.

3. JSON stdin path

Ran --stdin-json --dry-run with a structured payload.

Result:

• rendered the same deterministic file format without writing to disk

Intentionally not done

• no full session harvester
• no automatic compaction-flow rewrite
• no reset/new hook rewrite
• no MEMORY.md promotion automation
• no migration of historical memory files
• no heartbeat-state work
• no gateway restart

Recommended next action

One focused follow-up only:

• review and decide the fate of bundled session-memory, because it is now the main remaining source of messy searchable memory files

Do not expand that follow-up into broader automation until a separate approval step exists.

Artifact URL

• Tailscale URL: http://vinnys-mac-mini.tail31784c.ts.net:3100/artifacts/daily-notes-option-a-implementation-2026-04-08