fix: substitute YYYY-MM-DD at session startup and post-compaction (#32363) (#32381)

Merged via squash.

Prepared head SHA: aee998a2c1
Co-authored-by: chengzhichao-xydt <264300353+chengzhichao-xydt@users.noreply.github.com>
Co-authored-by: jalehman <550978+jalehman@users.noreply.github.com>
Reviewed-by: @jalehman

src/auto-reply/reply/agent-runner.ts

@@ -666,7 +666,7 @@ export async function runReplyAgent(params: {
       // Inject post-compaction workspace context for the next agent turn
       if (sessionKey) {
         const workspaceDir = process.cwd();
-        readPostCompactionContext(workspaceDir)
+        readPostCompactionContext(workspaceDir, cfg)
           .then((contextContent) => {
             if (contextContent) {
               enqueueSystemEvent(contextContent, { sessionKey });

src/auto-reply/reply/get-reply-run.ts

@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ import type { createModelSelectionState } from "./model-selection.js";
 import { resolveOriginMessageProvider } from "./origin-routing.js";
 import { resolveQueueSettings } from "./queue.js";
 import { routeReply } from "./route-reply.js";
-import { BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT } from "./session-reset-prompt.js";
+import { buildBareSessionResetPrompt } from "./session-reset-prompt.js";
 import { buildQueuedSystemPrompt, ensureSkillSnapshot } from "./session-updates.js";
 import { resolveTypingMode } from "./typing-mode.js";
 import { resolveRunTypingPolicy } from "./typing-policy.js";
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ export async function runPreparedReply(
   const isBareSessionReset =
     isNewSession &&
     ((baseBodyTrimmedRaw.length === 0 && rawBodyTrimmed.length > 0) || isBareNewOrReset);
-  const baseBodyFinal = isBareSessionReset ? BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT : baseBody;
+  const baseBodyFinal = isBareSessionReset ? buildBareSessionResetPrompt(cfg) : baseBody;
   const inboundUserContext = buildInboundUserContextPrefix(
     isNewSession
       ? {

src/auto-reply/reply/post-compaction-context.test.ts

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
 import { describe, it, expect, beforeEach, afterEach } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import { readPostCompactionContext } from "./post-compaction-context.js";
 
 describe("readPostCompactionContext", () => {
@@ -190,4 +191,39 @@ Never do Y.
       expect(result).toBeNull();
     },
   );
+
+  it("substitutes YYYY-MM-DD with the actual date in extracted sections", async () => {
+    const content = `## Session Startup
+
+Read memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md and memory/yesterday.md.
+
+## Red Lines
+
+Never modify memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md destructively.
+`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, "AGENTS.md"), content);
+    const cfg = {
+      agents: { defaults: { userTimezone: "America/New_York" } },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+    // 2026-03-03 14:00 UTC = 2026-03-03 09:00 EST
+    const nowMs = Date.UTC(2026, 2, 3, 14, 0, 0);
+    const result = await readPostCompactionContext(tmpDir, cfg, nowMs);
+    expect(result).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(result).toContain("memory/2026-03-03.md");
+    expect(result).not.toContain("memory/YYYY-MM-DD.md");
+    expect(result).toContain("Current time:");
+    expect(result).toContain("America/New_York");
+  });
+
+  it("appends current time line even when no YYYY-MM-DD placeholder is present", async () => {
+    const content = `## Session Startup
+
+Read WORKFLOW.md on startup.
+`;
+    fs.writeFileSync(path.join(tmpDir, "AGENTS.md"), content);
+    const nowMs = Date.UTC(2026, 2, 3, 14, 0, 0);
+    const result = await readPostCompactionContext(tmpDir, undefined, nowMs);
+    expect(result).not.toBeNull();
+    expect(result).toContain("Current time:");
+  });
 });

src/auto-reply/reply/post-compaction-context.ts

@@ -1,14 +1,39 @@
 import fs from "node:fs";
 import path from "node:path";
+import { resolveCronStyleNow } from "../../agents/current-time.js";
+import { resolveUserTimezone } from "../../agents/date-time.js";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
 import { openBoundaryFile } from "../../infra/boundary-file-read.js";
 
 const MAX_CONTEXT_CHARS = 3000;
 
+function formatDateStamp(nowMs: number, timezone: string): string {
+  const parts = new Intl.DateTimeFormat("en-US", {
+    timeZone: timezone,
+    year: "numeric",
+    month: "2-digit",
+    day: "2-digit",
+  }).formatToParts(new Date(nowMs));
+  const year = parts.find((p) => p.type === "year")?.value;
+  const month = parts.find((p) => p.type === "month")?.value;
+  const day = parts.find((p) => p.type === "day")?.value;
+  if (year && month && day) {
+    return `${year}-${month}-${day}`;
+  }
+  return new Date(nowMs).toISOString().slice(0, 10);
+}
+
 /**
  * Read critical sections from workspace AGENTS.md for post-compaction injection.
  * Returns formatted system event text, or null if no AGENTS.md or no relevant sections.
+ * Substitutes YYYY-MM-DD placeholders with the real date so agents read the correct
+ * daily memory files instead of guessing based on training cutoff.
  */
-export async function readPostCompactionContext(workspaceDir: string): Promise<string | null> {
+export async function readPostCompactionContext(
+  workspaceDir: string,
+  cfg?: OpenClawConfig,
+  nowMs?: number,
+): Promise<string | null> {
   const agentsPath = path.join(workspaceDir, "AGENTS.md");
 
   try {
@@ -36,7 +61,14 @@ export async function readPostCompactionContext(workspaceDir: string): Promise<s
       return null;
     }
 
-    const combined = sections.join("\n\n");
+    const resolvedNowMs = nowMs ?? Date.now();
+    const timezone = resolveUserTimezone(cfg?.agents?.defaults?.userTimezone);
+    const dateStamp = formatDateStamp(resolvedNowMs, timezone);
+    // Always append the real runtime timestamp — AGENTS.md content may itself contain
+    // "Current time:" as user-authored text, so we must not gate on that substring.
+    const { timeLine } = resolveCronStyleNow(cfg ?? {}, resolvedNowMs);
+
+    const combined = sections.join("\n\n").replaceAll("YYYY-MM-DD", dateStamp);
     const safeContent =
       combined.length > MAX_CONTEXT_CHARS
         ? combined.slice(0, MAX_CONTEXT_CHARS) + "\n...[truncated]..."
@@ -46,8 +78,7 @@ export async function readPostCompactionContext(workspaceDir: string): Promise<s
       "[Post-compaction context refresh]\n\n" +
       "Session was just compacted. The conversation summary above is a hint, NOT a substitute for your startup sequence. " +
       "Execute your Session Startup sequence now — read the required files before responding to the user.\n\n" +
-      "Critical rules from AGENTS.md:\n\n" +
-      safeContent
+      `Critical rules from AGENTS.md:\n\n${safeContent}\n\n${timeLine}`
     );
   } catch {
     return null;

src/auto-reply/reply/session-reset-prompt.test.ts

@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+import { buildBareSessionResetPrompt } from "./session-reset-prompt.js";
+
+describe("buildBareSessionResetPrompt", () => {
+  it("includes the core session startup instruction", () => {
+    const prompt = buildBareSessionResetPrompt();
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Execute your Session Startup sequence now");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("read the required files before responding to the user");
+  });
+
+  it("appends current time line so agents know the date", () => {
+    const cfg = {
+      agents: { defaults: { userTimezone: "America/New_York" } },
+    } as OpenClawConfig;
+    // 2026-03-03 14:00 UTC = 2026-03-03 09:00 EST
+    const nowMs = Date.UTC(2026, 2, 3, 14, 0, 0);
+    const prompt = buildBareSessionResetPrompt(cfg, nowMs);
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Current time:");
+    expect(prompt).toContain("America/New_York");
+  });
+
+  it("does not append a duplicate current time line", () => {
+    const nowMs = Date.UTC(2026, 2, 3, 14, 0, 0);
+    const prompt = buildBareSessionResetPrompt(undefined, nowMs);
+    expect((prompt.match(/Current time:/g) ?? []).length).toBe(1);
+  });
+
+  it("falls back to UTC when no timezone configured", () => {
+    const nowMs = Date.UTC(2026, 2, 3, 14, 0, 0);
+    const prompt = buildBareSessionResetPrompt(undefined, nowMs);
+    expect(prompt).toContain("Current time:");
+  });
+});

src/auto-reply/reply/session-reset-prompt.ts

@@ -1,2 +1,21 @@
-export const BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT =
+import { appendCronStyleCurrentTimeLine } from "../../agents/current-time.js";
+import type { OpenClawConfig } from "../../config/config.js";
+
+const BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT_BASE =
   "A new session was started via /new or /reset. Execute your Session Startup sequence now - read the required files before responding to the user. Then greet the user in your configured persona, if one is provided. Be yourself - use your defined voice, mannerisms, and mood. Keep it to 1-3 sentences and ask what they want to do. If the runtime model differs from default_model in the system prompt, mention the default model. Do not mention internal steps, files, tools, or reasoning.";
+
+/**
+ * Build the bare session reset prompt, appending the current date/time so agents
+ * know which daily memory files to read during their Session Startup sequence.
+ * Without this, agents on /new or /reset guess the date from their training cutoff.
+ */
+export function buildBareSessionResetPrompt(cfg?: OpenClawConfig, nowMs?: number): string {
+  return appendCronStyleCurrentTimeLine(
+    BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT_BASE,
+    cfg ?? {},
+    nowMs ?? Date.now(),
+  );
+}
+
+/** @deprecated Use buildBareSessionResetPrompt(cfg) instead */
+export const BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT = BARE_SESSION_RESET_PROMPT_BASE;