Sessions – Main vs Non-Main

Session Types

OpenClaw uses two session types to balance persistent context with isolated task execution.

Main Session

The Main session is your primary, long-running conversation with OpenClaw. It maintains:

• Long-term memory across conversations
• Loaded prompt files (AGENTS.md, SOUL.md, TOOLS.md)
• Persistent workspace context
• Running cron jobs and wakeup subscriptions

Non-Main Sessions

Non-main sessions are isolated, ephemeral task runners. Use them for:

• One-off tasks that shouldn't pollute main memory
• Parallel processing of multiple requests
• Sandboxed skill executions

Configuration

{
  "sessions": {
    "main": { "memoryFile": "~/.openclaw/memory.md" },
    "maxNonMain": 3,
    "nonMainTimeout": 300
  }
}

• Persistent Memory Logic
• Configuration Reference