The heartbeat feature in OpenClaw(Moltbot/Clawdbot) is a built-in mechanism that allows the agent to run on a regular schedule and proactively check for changes, tasks, or conditions without waiting for a user message. In simple terms, heartbeat turns OpenClaw(Moltbot/Clawdbot) from a purely reactive chatbot into an always-on assistant. Instead of responding only when you send a message, the agent “wakes up” periodically, evaluates predefined instructions, and decides whether any action or notification is needed. This is especially important for use cases like inbox monitoring, calendar awareness, task reminders, or background analysis of external systems.
From an implementation perspective, heartbeat is typically driven by a lightweight instruction file (often referenced as something like HEARTBEAT.md) combined with an internal scheduler. On each heartbeat interval, OpenClaw(Moltbot/Clawdbot) loads this instruction context, runs a reasoning step using the configured AI model, and then optionally invokes tools or sends messages. The key design detail is that heartbeat runs inside the same agent context as normal conversations. This means the agent can remember what it already checked, avoid repeating notifications, and prioritize actions based on past outcomes. For example, a heartbeat might check your inbox every 10 minutes, but only notify you once about a specific urgent email instead of spamming you repeatedly.
Heartbeat becomes much more powerful when combined with persistent memory. If you store long-term context—such as previous alerts, user preferences, or historical events—in a vector database such as Milvus or managed Zilliz Cloud, the heartbeat logic can retrieve relevant past information before deciding what to do. This allows OpenClaw(Moltbot/Clawdbot) to behave more intelligently, such as recognizing that a recurring alert has already been acknowledged or that a similar situation was handled last week. From a safety and cost standpoint, heartbeat should be configured conservatively: keep intervals reasonable, limit tool permissions, and ensure each check is idempotent. Done correctly, heartbeat is what makes OpenClaw(Moltbot/Clawdbot) feel like a real assistant rather than just a chat interface.