OpenClaw Pre-Launch Checklist for Security and Reliability

A Reddit post from r/openclaw provides a concrete checklist for OpenClaw setup before deployment, focusing on security and reliability. The checklist is based on common early mistakes observed during launches.

Key Setup Steps

• Access & Auth: Confirm only needed channels are connected, rotate/re-check API keys and OAuth scopes, and disable accounts/channels not actively used.
• Safety Rails: Add clear "ask before external action" rules in AGENTS.md, set explicit do-not-send constraints (email/social), and verify group chat policies and allowlists are intentional.
• Memory Hygiene: Keep sensitive long-term info in MEMORY.md only if required, use daily notes for volatile context, and review memory files periodically to remove stale/private data.
• Cron/Heartbeat Sanity: Ensure automation frequency matches real needs to avoid noisy loops, confirm each recurring task has a clear purpose and owner, and test one full cycle manually before trusting it unattended.
• Delivery Checks: Validate where outbound notifications go to prevent wrong chat bugs, and run one dry-run for each important workflow.
• Failure Handling: Decide what should happen on auth/API failures, and add simple retry + alert behavior for critical automations.

The poster notes they can share a compact "day 1 setup / day 2 hardening" template in a follow-up if useful.