agent-autonomy-primitives

---
name: agent-autonomy-primitives
description: Build long-running autonomous agent loops using ClawVault primitives (tasks, projects, memory types, templates, heartbeats). Use when setting up agent autonomy, creating task-driven execution loops, customizing primitive schemas, wiring heartbeat-based work queues, or teaching an agent to manage its own backlog. Also use when adapting primitives to an existing agent setup or designing multi-agent collaboration through shared vaults.
---

# Agent Autonomy Primitives

Turn any AI agent into a self-directing worker using five composable primitives: **typed memory**, **task files**, **project grouping**, **template schemas**, and **heartbeat loops**.

## Prerequisites

```bash
npm install -g clawvault
clawvault init
```

## The Five Primitives

### 1. Typed Memory

Every memory has a type. The type determines where it lives and how it's retrieved.

| Type | Directory | When to Use |
|------|-----------|-------------|
| `decision` | `decisions/` | Recording a choice with rationale |
| `lesson` | `lessons/` | Something learned from experience |
| `person` | `people/` | Contact info, relationship context |
| `commitment` | `commitments/` | Promise made, deliverable owed |
| `preference` | `preferences/` | How someone likes things done |
| `fact` | `inbox/` | Raw information to file later |
| `project` | `projects/` | Workstream with goals and status |

Store with type:
```bash
clawvault remember decision "Chose Resend over SendGrid" --content "Lower cost, better DX, webhook support"
clawvault remember lesson "LLMs rewrite keywords during compression" --content "Always post-process with regex"
```

**Rule:** If you know WHAT KIND of thing it is, use the right command. Dumping everything into daily notes defeats retrieval later.

### 2. Task Primitives

A task is a markdown file with YAML frontmatter in `tasks/`:

```yaml
---
status: open
priority: high
owner: your-agent-name
project: my-project
due: 2026-03-01
tags: [infrastr