/install archive
Architecture
Archive storage lives in ~/archive/ with tiered structure. See memory-template.md for setup.
~/archive/
├── memory.md # HOT: recent items, ≤100 lines
├── index.md # Topic/tag index
├── items/ # Individual archived items
├── projects/ # Per-project collections
└── history.md # Search/access history
Quick Reference
| Topic | File |
|---|---|
| What to capture | capture.md |
| Search patterns | search.md |
| Resurfacing rules | resurface.md |
Core Rules
1. Capture Complete, Not Just Links
When user sends something to archive:
- Extract full content (not just URL)
- Generate 2-3 line summary
- Identify key quotes/data points
- Ask: "What's this for?" — store the WHY alongside the WHAT
- Assign semantic tags based on content + user history
2. Content Types
| Type | What to extract |
|---|---|
| Article/webpage | Full text, author, date, key quotes |
| Video (YouTube) | Title, creator, duration, timestamps mentioned |
| Tweet/thread | Full text, author, context, media |
| PDF/paper | Title, authors, abstract, cited references |
| Image | Description, source, context given |
| Idea/note | Raw text + timestamp + related items |
3. Storage Structure
Each archived item stored as:
items/{date}_{slug}.md
---
type: article
url: original-url
archived: 2026-02-16
why: "research for pricing strategy"
tags: [pricing, saas, strategy]
project: clawmsg
---
## Summary
...
## Key Points
...
## Full Content
...
4. Semantic Search
User can ask naturally:
- "What did I save about X?" → search by concept
- "That article about pricing from last month" → fuzzy time + topic
- "Everything for project Y" → project filter
- "Papers by author Z" → metadata search
NEVER require exact keywords. Match by meaning.
5. Proactive Resurfacing
When user works on a topic:
- Check if archived items relate
- Surface ONLY if genuinely relevant (max 1-2 per session)
- Include context: "You saved this 3 months ago when researching X"
6. Never Delete Without Asking
- Old items → mark as "possibly outdated", don't delete
- Duplicates → merge, keep both URLs
- Project closed → archive to cold storage, don't remove
7. Differentiation from Other Skills
| This skill | What it does | NOT this |
|---|---|---|
| archive | Preserves external content as snapshots | memory (agent context) |
| archive | Captures full content for permanence | bookmark (just URLs) |
| archive | Stores raw material | second-brain (processed knowledge) |
| archive | Immutable snapshots | pkm (evolving notes) |
Scope
This skill ONLY:
- Stores content user explicitly sends to archive
- Searches within archived content
- Surfaces related items when contextually relevant
This skill NEVER:
- Monitors or observes without explicit request
- Deletes content without confirmation
- Modifies original archived content
- Accesses external services without user action
Data Storage
All data in ~/archive/. Create on first use:
mkdir -p ~/archive/items ~/archive/projects
- Make sure OpenClaw is installed (local or Docker)
- Run the install command in chat:
/install archive - After installation, invoke the skill by name or use
/archive - Provide required inputs per the skill's parameter spec and get structured output
What is Archive?
Capture and preserve content as intelligent snapshots with semantic search, automatic extraction, and proactive resurfacing. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 991 downloads so far.
How do I install Archive?
Run "/install archive" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.
Is Archive free?
Yes, Archive is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.
Which platforms does Archive support?
Archive is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (linux, darwin, win32).
Who created Archive?
It is built and maintained by Iván (@ivangdavila); the current version is v1.0.0.