Best Practices
Master these tips to get the most out of your CookAI Bot.
✅ Recommended
Manage Context Regularly
Bot has a limited context window. Long conversations slow responses and lose early content.
/compact — Compress current conversation, keep key info/new — Start fresh conversation, clear contextTip: Use /compact after each task, /new when switching topics
/compact may take some time and the Bot might be temporarily unresponsive. Send any message to wake it up. If it still fails, use /export to save the session first, then /new to start fresh.
Leverage the Memory System
Bot can remember important info persistently across conversations. Just say "remember this".
"Remember: my server IP is 192.168.1.100""Remember: I prefer TypeScript for coding""Remember: I deploy with Docker Compose"Memories are stored in Bot's file system and persist across restarts
Choose the Right Model
Different models suit different tasks. Smart switching saves significant costs.
| Scenario | Recommended | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Daily chat | claude-sonnet | Best value |
| Complex reasoning | claude-opus | Strongest reasoning |
| Coding | gpt-5.2-codex-codex | Code-specialized |
| Simple Q&A | claude-haiku | Fastest & cheapest |
Switch anytime with /model, see Model Selection Guide
❌ Things to Avoid
Don't Delete SOUL.md or AGENTS.md
These files define Bot's personality and behavior rules. Deleting them removes personality and safety constraints, causing unpredictable behavior.
SOUL.md — Bot's soul file, defines personality and valuesAGENTS.md — Bot's behavior rules, defines safety boundariesDon't Expose Sensitive Info in Groups
Everyone in a group can see your conversation with Bot. Never ask Bot to display passwords, API keys, or server addresses in groups. Use private chat for sensitive operations.
Don't Modify openclaw.json Core Fields
openclaw.json is Bot's core config file. Careless changes may prevent Bot from starting or cause abnormal behavior.
Do not manually modify these fields: owner, token, containerId, gateway.*✅ Safe to modify: model, tts, allowFrom, skills