obsidian-vault/Projects/Multi-User Agent Architecture.md

title, category, project, type, status, date, tags

title	category	project	type	status	date	tags
Multi-User Agent Architecture	Projects	System Architecture	Research/Design	planning	2026-02-24	openclaw multi-user architecture collaboration discord design

Multi-User Agent Architecture

Question: What's the best way to handle multiple users using one agent for tasks and project management?

Date: 2026-02-24
Status: Planning/Research

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Executive Summary

Four approaches ranging from simple (separate channels) to complex (multi-agent). Recommendation: Start with Option 1 (Separate Channels) and add frontmatter tagging (Option 3) as needed.

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Option 1: Separate Channels Per User ⭐ RECOMMENDED

Best for: Small teams (2-5 people), clear separation

Setup

Discord Server:
├── #home-assistant (shared - only you/active)
├── #corey-projects (your own)
├── #alice-projects (Alice's channel)
├── #bob-projects (Bob's channel)
└── #shared-projects (collaborative)

How It Works

• Each user gets their own channel
• Agent has separate sessions for each
• Context isolation = no cross-contamination
• Shared projects in #shared-projects

Pros

• ✅ Total privacy per user
• ✅ Simple to manage
• ✅ One agent, multiple sessions
• ✅ User-specific memory stays isolated

Cons

• More channels to manage
• Shared projects need explicit cross-posting

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Option 2: User Tagging System (Hybrid)

Best for: Shared workspace with user-aware tasks

Setup

• One shared channel (#projects)
• Users tag messages: @alice or #for-alice
• Or: "Task for Alice: ..."

How It Works

• Agent identifies user from message content
• Store tasks with user attribution
• Query by user when needed

Example Workflow

Corey: #task for @alice - Review the architecture doc
Alice: (in same channel) I reviewed it, looks good
Corey: #task for @bob - Deploy the update

Pros

• ✅ Single channel
• ✅ Collaborative feel
• ✅ Clear ownership

Cons

• Requires discipline with tagging
• Context can get messy
• Privacy is opt-in (explicit tags)

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Option 3: User Profiles in Frontmatter

Best for: Shared Obsidian vault, Dataview queries

Setup

• Tasks/projects have frontmatter with assignee: alice
• Query using Dataview: WHERE assignee = "alice"

Example Task

---
title: Review architecture
project: Memory System
assignee: alice
status: todo
due: 2026-02-25
---

Alice needs to review the memory system architecture.

Query

TABLE status, due
FROM "Tasks"
WHERE assignee = "alice" AND status = "todo"
SORT due ASC

Pros

• ✅ Perfect for Obsidian
• ✅ Dataview-powered dashboards
• ✅ Automatic organization

Cons

• Requires frontmatter discipline
• Real-time chat = harder to manage

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Option 4: Multi-Agent (Advanced)

Best for: Teams where each person wants their own agent

Setup

• Each user has their own OpenClaw instance
• Shared resources via Obsidian/SQLite
• Sync via git or shared database

How It Syncs

• Obsidian vault is shared (Syncthing/Nextcloud)
• Both agents read/write same files
• Different identities, same data

Pros

• ✅ Full separation
• ✅ Personalized agents
• ✅ Shared long-term memory

Cons

• Complex setup
• More resources (multiple agents)
• Merge conflicts possible

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Recommendation

Start with: Option 1 (Separate Channels)

Why:

• Simplest to implement
• No context pollution
• Easy permissions (Discord native)
• Can add Option 3 (Frontmatter) later

Hybrid Approach:

• Private channels per user (#alice-projects, #bob-projects)
• Shared channel for collaboration (#team-projects)
• Obsidian vault is shared with user-tagged frontmatter

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Decision Matrix

Factor	Option 1	Option 2	Option 3	Option 4
Privacy	High	Medium	High	High
Setup Complexity	Low	Low	Medium	High
Collaboration	Medium	High	Medium	Medium
Scalability	Medium	High	High	High
Discord Channels	Many	One	N/A	Many

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Next Steps

1. Define users: How many people? Technical level?
2. Privacy check: Do users need isolation from each other?
3. Collaboration needs: Shared projects vs individual work?
4. Pilot: Start with Option 1, iterate based on feedback

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Related

• Memory System — How agent memory works
• Dataview Query Examples — Query by user/assignee

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Created: 2026-02-24
Based on discussion in #home-assistant