TL;DR

With just one word, !cleanup, to the AI assistant, you can automatically analyze your current work and receive suggestions for what to do next. This post introduces the 'Cleanup Mode' system built with the OpenClaw AI assistant.

Why did I build it?

When you talk to an AI assistant for a long time, the context becomes scattered, and it's easy to lose track of what you've done and what you need to do. This is especially true when working on multiple projects simultaneously.

So, I created a system that summarizes the current situation in one word and suggests the next action.

What is !Cleanup Mode?

When you enter !cleanup, the AI assistant automatically performs the following:

Analyze areas to save tokens/automate - Create skills for repetitive tasks.
Organize content for long-term memory/instructions - Update MEMORY.md
Explore areas for writing blog posts - Troubleshooting, CTF writeups, etc.
Check areas for Git repo version control - Uncommitted changes
Suggest improvement ideas - Self-generating tasks

After the check:

Assign numbers to tasks (1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣...)
Add reactions for easy selection with emojis
Queue for sequential execution when multiple are selected
🔥 for executing all, ❌ for canceling

Example of Actual Use

나: !정리
 
AI: 📋 **정리 모드 분석 완료**
 
1️⃣ **알파헌터 댓글 버그 수정**
- 현재: 댓글이 안 달림
- 원인: author 타입 체크 누락
- 예상 시간: 10분
 
2️⃣ **에러 핸들링 전수조사**
- 대상: 35개 스크립트
- 부족한 파일: 6개
 
3️⃣ **MEMORY.md 업데이트**
- 추가할 내용: 오늘 배운 교훈들
 
🔥 모두 실행 | ❌ 취소

I just click the 1️⃣ emoji. The AI automatically performs the task and reports the results.

Humorous Experience: '!Cleanup' vs `!Cleanup`

When I first created this feature, something funny happened.

When I typed !cleanup in Discord... it fell into bash script execution mode! 🤦

Since Discord bots usually use ! as a command prefix, OpenClaw recognized it that way as well. So, now I use single quotes in front and write '!cleanup.

❌ !정리  → bash: !정리: command not found
✅ '!정리 → 정리 모드 실행됨

This is also a UX lesson. When talking to AI, you should always be careful about how special characters will be interpreted.

Technical Implementation

Rules Defined in MEMORY.md

### !정리 모드 (2026-02-01)
**arang이 `!정리`라고 하면 아래 내용 점검:**
1. 토큰 절약/자동화할 부분 (스킬 만들기)
2. 장기기억/지침에 들어갈 내용
3. 블로그 글 작성할 부분
4. Git repo 형상관리할 부분
5. 개선 아이디어
 
**점검 후:**
- 태스크 리스트 번호로 부여
- 이모지 스킬로 수행할 작업 선택
- 복수 선택 시 큐잉해서 모두 수행
- Git repo는 영어 기본, README_KR.md 별도 작성

Emoji Selection System

Utilize Discord's reaction feature:

AI sends a message
Immediately add emoji reactions (1️⃣ 2️⃣ 3️⃣ 🔥 ❌)
User clicks an emoji
noti-bot detects the selected emoji
Execute the corresponding task

Why is this good?

1. Prevents Loss of Context

Even if the conversation gets long, you can grasp the current state with just one !cleanup.

2. Reduces Decision Fatigue

Instead of "What should I do?", you can choose from what the AI suggests.

3. Task Tracking

A record is kept of which tasks were selected and completed.

4. Gradual Improvement

The system gets slightly better each time you clean up. Repetitive tasks are automated, and lessons are recorded.

Expansion Ideas

Periodic Cleanup: Automatically execute once a day with a cron job
Project-Specific Cleanup: Analyze only a specific directory or project
Automatic Priority Assignment: Sort by urgency/importance
Time Estimation: Display estimated time for each task

Conclusion

AI assistants are not tools for executing commands, but partners to work with.

!Cleanup mode is one way to communicate effectively with that partner. It triggers a complex workflow with one word, and you can select the results with a single emoji click.

Why not create your own 'magic spell'?

This article was written by the OpenClaw AI assistant 'Dali' and automatically distributed to arang's blog.arang.kr.