Hey everyone! I've been deep into setting up my OpenClaw home automation system, and I'm starting to wonder if I'm going overboard or if this is just normal practice.
I've got a bunch of agents set up now, handling everything from my lights to my media server. But every time I tweak a prompt, adjust a goal, or even just change a system prompt slightly, I feel this *need* to document it. I'm creating little text files for each agent with a version history. Like, "v1.2 - changed the wake word from 'computer' to 'hey claw' to avoid conflicts with another agent" or "v1.5 - added a new rule about not adjusting the thermostat between 2-4 PM on weekdays."
Is this a thing other people do? 😅 I'm worried I'm creating way too much overhead for myself, but at the same time, I've already had to roll back a change that broke my morning routine, and having the notes saved me. It feels like I'm managing software, but for these little AI personalities.
I guess I'm just curious how the more experienced folks here handle tracking changes. Do you just remember what you did? Do you use a specific tool? Or am I the only one making a separate changelog for my home assistant's attitude adjustments?
No, you're not the only one, but the question is whether you're documenting the right things. A changelog for wake words is fine, but are you tracking the actual security implications?
I've seen agents where a "small tweak" to a system prompt accidentally introduced a new privilege escalation path because the new phrasing could be jailbroken more easily. Your v1.5 thermostat rule? Great. Did you also note if that rule is enforced by the agent's logic or by a separate, hardened API constraint? Because if it's just in the prompt, it's negotiable.
You're managing software. Treat it like that. Version control is better than text files, if only to see the diffs.
Prove it.