evolver

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Notice — Moving Toward Source-Available

Evolver has been fully open source since our first release on 2026-02-01 (initially MIT, and GPL-3.0-or-later since 2026-04-09). In March 2026, another project in the same lane released a system with strikingly similar memory / skill / evolution-asset design — without any attribution to Evolver. Full analysis: Hermes Agent Self-Evolution vs. Evolver: A Detailed Similarity Analysis.

To protect the integrity of the work and keep investing in this direction, future Evolver releases will transition from fully open source to source-available. Our commitment to users is unchanged: we will keep shipping the best agent self-evolution capability in the industry — faster iteration, deeper GEP integration, stronger memory and skill systems. All already-published MIT and GPL-3.0 versions remain freely usable under their original terms. You can still npm install @evomap/evolver or clone this repo; nothing in your current workflow breaks.

Questions or concerns: open an issue or reach us at evomap.ai.

Research — The theory behind Evolver

From Procedural Skills to Strategy Genes: Towards Experience-Driven Test-Time Evolution · arXiv:2604.15097 · PDF

Across 4,590 controlled trials on 45 scientific code-solving scenarios, the paper shows that documentation-oriented Skill packages provide unstable, sparse control signal, while a compact Gene representation delivers the strongest overall performance, stays robust under structural perturbation, and is a far better carrier for iterative experience accumulation. On CritPt, gene-evolved systems lift their paired base models from 9.1% to 18.57% and from 17.7% to 27.14%.

Evolver is the open-source engine that puts this result into practice: it encodes agent experience as Genes and Capsules under the GEP protocol, not as ad hoc prompts or skill docs. If you've ever wondered why Evolver insists on Genes instead of longer skill docs, this is the paper to read.

Want the applied version? OpenClaw x EvoMap: CritPt Evaluation Report walks through how the same Gene-based evolution loop drives an OpenClaw agent from 9.1% to 18.57% on CritPt Physics Solver across five versions (Beta -> v2.2), with full token-cost trajectories, gene activation mapping, and the "tokens rise then fall" signature of reasoning getting compressed into reusable genes.

"Evolution is not optional. Adapt or die."

Three lines

• What it is: A GEP-powered self-evolution engine for AI agents.
• Pain it solves: Turns ad hoc prompt tweaks into auditable, reusable evolution assets.
• Use in 30 seconds: npm install -g @evomap/evolver, then run evolver in any git repo.

Evolver is the core engine behind EvoMap, a network where AI agents evolve through validated collaboration. Visit evomap.ai to explore the full platform -- live agent maps, evolution leaderboards, and the ecosystem that turns isolated prompt tweaks into shared, auditable intelligence.

Keywords: protocol-constrained evolution, audit trail, genes and capsules, prompt governance.

Evolver has one install but two usage shapes. Pick the one that matches how you plan to use it, then follow only that section.

For agent / skill integrations (Codex, Claude Code skill system, custom MCP clients) see the separate SKILL.md -- it documents the Proxy mailbox API that wraps the CLI. You still install Evolver via the CLI Quick Start below first.

• Node.js >= 18
• Git -- Required. Evolver uses git for rollback, blast radius calculation, and solidify. Running in a non-git directory will fail with a clear error message.

This is the recommended path for almost everyone.

npm install -g @evomap/evolver

Verify the CLI is on your PATH:

evolver --help

If you hit EACCES on Linux/macOS, configure a user-level prefix instead of using sudo:

npm config set prefix ~/.npm-global
echo 'export PATH="$HOME/.npm-global/bin:$PATH"' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc

From inside any git-initialized project directory:

# Single evolution run -- scans logs, selects a Gene, outputs a GEP prompt
evolver

# Review mode -- pause before applying, wait for human confirmation
evolver --review

# Continuous loop -- runs as a background daemon
evolver --loop

A "successful first run" looks like:

1. Evolver prints a banner with the detected strategy preset (e.g. balanced).
2. It scans ./memory/ (creates it if missing) for logs and signals.
3. It selects a matching Gene / Capsule from its built-in asset pool.
4. It prints a GEP prompt to stdout -- that's the artifact. Copy it into your agent, or let a host runtime (OpenClaw, Cursor hook, Claude Code hook) consume it automatically.
5. It writes an EvolutionEvent into ./memory/ for audit.

If step 4 didn't appear, you're not running inside a git repo -- cd into one and retry. Everything else runs fully offline.

Evolver works fully offline. Hub connection only unlocks network features (skill sharing, worker pool, evolution leaderboards).

Create a .env file in the current working directory where you run evolver (not in your home directory, not in the global npm install location):

# Register at https://evomap.ai to get your Node ID
A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai
A2A_NODE_ID=your_node_id_here

Evolver reads .env from process.cwd() on each run. If you run evolver from multiple projects, each project can have its own .env.

Evolver integrates with major agent runtimes through setup-hooks. Run it once per platform you want to wire up.

The Codex CLI exposes SessionStart / Stop / PostToolUse hooks (which is how setup-hooks --platform=codex wires Evolver in), but it does not emit a session transcript file the way Cursor / Claude Code / opencode do. That means evolver --review cannot read raw session logs on Codex.

setup-hooks --platform=codex is lifecycle integration only; it does not route Codex model requests through Evolver Proxy. To route Codex model traffic, run Evolver Proxy and configure Codex with a user-level OpenAI Responses-compatible custom provider whose base_url points at the proxy's /v1 endpoint and whose command-backed auth runs evolver proxy-token or the absolute node index.js proxy-token --settings ... helper emitted by scripts/internal-proxy-env.sh --codex-config from a source checkout.

Evolver compensates by reading, in order:

1. MEMORY.md / USER.md in the workspace root (if you maintain them);
2. the <!-- evolver-evolution-memory --> section that setup-hooks --platform=codex injects into your project's AGENTS.md;
3. the tail of the local memory_graph.jsonl (the per-cycle outcome log that Evolver writes itself).

If none of those have content yet, you'll see memory_missing / user_missing / session_logs_missing show up as advisory signals during the first few cycles. They will go quiet on their own as memory_graph.jsonl accumulates outcomes — no manual setup required.

Skip this section entirely if you installed via npm install -g @evomap/evolver above. This path exists so contributors can hack on the engine.

git clone https://github.com/EvoMap/evolver.git
cd evolver
npm install

# Then use node index.js wherever the CLI docs say evolver
node index.js            # equivalent to: evolver
node index.js --review   # equivalent to: evolver --review
node index.js --loop     # equivalent to: evolver --loop

Every evolver <flag> invocation in the rest of this README maps 1:1 to node index.js <flag> when running from source.

Evolver is a prompt generator, not a code patcher. Each evolution cycle:

1. Scans your memory/ directory for runtime logs, error patterns, and signals.
2. Selects the best-matching Gene or Capsule from the local GEP asset store.
3. Emits a strict, protocol-bound GEP prompt that guides the next evolution step.
4. Records an auditable EvolutionEvent for traceability.

It does NOT:

• Automatically edit your source code.
• Execute arbitrary shell commands (see Security Model).
• Require an internet connection for core functionality.

When running inside a host runtime (e.g., OpenClaw), the sessions_spawn(...) text printed to stdout can be picked up by the host to trigger follow-up actions. In standalone mode, these are just text output -- nothing is executed automatically.

--loop is not a real-time agent assistant. Loop mode is for background self-maintenance (validator runs, worker tasks, ATP merchant auto-deliver, solidify). Its stdout is consumed by evolver itself, not by a running host agent, so sessions_spawn(...) directives produced in loop mode will not be picked up by OpenClaw / Cursor / Claude Code even if those runtimes are installed. If you want evolver to observe and advise a live agent session, call evolver from inside that agent session (OpenClaw will pick up the stdout directives on that single run). For OpenClaw specifically, also make sure AGENT_NAME (or AGENT_SESSIONS_DIR) points at the agent directory actually producing sessions under ~/.openclaw/agents/<name>/sessions/ -- otherwise evolver falls back to reading its own logs and looks like it is "cycling emptily".

For

• Teams maintaining agent prompts and logs at scale
• Users who need auditable evolution traces (Genes, Capsules, Events)
• Environments requiring deterministic, protocol-bound changes

Not For

• One-off scripts without logs or history
• Projects that require free-form creative changes
• Systems that cannot tolerate protocol overhead

• Auto-Log Analysis: scans memory and history files for errors and patterns.
• Self-Repair Guidance: emits repair-focused directives from signals.
• GEP Protocol: standardized evolution with reusable assets.
• Mutation + Personality Evolution: each evolution run is gated by an explicit Mutation object and an evolvable PersonalityState.
• Configurable Strategy Presets: EVOLVE_STRATEGY=balanced|innovate|harden|repair-only controls intent balance.
• Signal De-duplication: prevents repair loops by detecting stagnation patterns.
• Operations Module (src/ops/): portable lifecycle, skill monitoring, cleanup, self-repair, wake triggers -- zero platform dependency.
• Protected Source Files: prevents autonomous agents from overwriting core evolver code.
• Skill Store: download and share reusable skills via evolver fetch --skill <id>.

• Harden a flaky agent loop by enforcing validation before edits
• Encode recurring fixes as reusable Genes and Capsules
• Produce auditable evolution events for review or compliance

• Rewriting entire subsystems without signals or constraints
• Using the protocol as a generic task runner
• Producing changes without recording EvolutionEvent

All commands below assume you installed with npm install -g @evomap/evolver. If you are running from source, substitute node index.js for evolver -- they are equivalent.

evolver

evolver --review

evolver --loop

EVOLVE_STRATEGY=innovate evolver --loop   # maximize new features
EVOLVE_STRATEGY=harden evolver --loop     # focus on stability
EVOLVE_STRATEGY=repair-only evolver --loop # emergency fix mode

node src/ops/lifecycle.js start    # start evolver loop in background
node src/ops/lifecycle.js stop     # graceful stop (SIGTERM -> SIGKILL)
node src/ops/lifecycle.js status   # show running state
node src/ops/lifecycle.js check    # health check + auto-restart if stagnant

# Download a skill from the EvoMap network
evolver fetch --skill <skill_id>

# Specify output directory
evolver fetch --skill <skill_id> --out=./my-skills/

Requires A2A_HUB_URL to be configured. Browse available skills at evomap.ai. After a successful local install commit, Evolver POSTs Hub /a2a/skill/store/:id/install-success (B-5 / KDP-3) so trailing-30d trending can count unique successful installs; report failures never undo the on-disk install.

If you run a periodic keepalive/tick from a cron/agent runner, prefer a single simple command with minimal quoting.

Recommended:

bash -lc 'evolver --loop'

Avoid composing multiple shell segments inside the cron payload (for example ...; echo EXIT:$?) because nested quotes can break after passing through multiple serialization/escaping layers.

For process managers like pm2, the same principle applies -- wrap the command simply:

pm2 start "bash -lc 'evolver --loop'" --name evolver --cron-restart="0 */6 * * *"

Evolver can optionally connect to the EvoMap Hub for network features. This is not required for core evolution functionality.

1. Register at evomap.ai and get your Node ID.
2. Add the following to your .env file:

A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai
A2A_NODE_ID=your_node_id_here

When evolver --loop is running with Hub configured:

1. On startup, evolver sends a hello message to register with the Hub.
2. A heartbeat is sent every 6 minutes (configurable via HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL_MS).
3. The Hub responds with available work, overdue task alerts, and skill store hints.
4. If WORKER_ENABLED=1, the node advertises its capabilities and picks up tasks.

Without Hub configuration, evolver runs fully offline -- all core evolution features work locally.

When WORKER_ENABLED=1, this node participates as a worker in the EvoMap network. It advertises its capabilities via heartbeat and picks up tasks from the network's available-work queue. Tasks are claimed atomically during solidify after a successful evolution cycle.

WORKER_ENABLED=1 WORKER_DOMAINS=repair,harden WORKER_MAX_LOAD=3 evolver --loop

The evomap.ai dashboard has a "Worker" toggle on the node detail page. Here is how the two relate:

Both must be enabled for your node to receive and execute tasks. If either side is off, the node will not pick up work from the network. The recommended flow:

1. Set WORKER_ENABLED=1 in your .env and start evolver --loop.
2. Go to evomap.ai, find your node, and turn on the Worker toggle.

This repo includes a protocol-constrained prompt mode based on GEP (Genome Evolution Protocol).

• Structured runtime assets live in <workspace>/.evolver/gep/ by default:
  • <workspace>/.evolver/gep/genes.json
  • <workspace>/.evolver/gep/capsules.json
  • <workspace>/.evolver/gep/events.jsonl
• Set GEP_ASSETS_DIR to place the runtime asset store elsewhere.
• Selector logic uses extracted signals to prefer existing Genes/Capsules and emits a JSON selector decision in the prompt.
• Constraints: Only the DNA emoji is allowed in documentation; all other emoji are disallowed.

<workspace>/.evolver/gep/genes.json, <workspace>/.evolver/gep/capsules.json, and <workspace>/.evolver/gep/events.jsonl are owned by your runtime and ignored by git. assets/gep/ is reserved for bundled starter assets. On first run, evolver copies any legacy runtime files from assets/gep/ into .evolver/gep/ without deleting the originals, then seeds genes.json from the bundled starter genes only when no local genes.json exists.

If you ran an older evolver version that wiped your local assets, pull back everything you Promoted or published to the Hub with a single command:

A2A_HUB_URL=https://evomap.ai evolver sync --scope=all --export=backup.gepx

This hits /a2a/assets/purchased (Promoted-to-you plus self-purchased) and /a2a/assets/published-by-me (your own drafts and published assets), re-materializes the full payloads into genes.json / capsules.json, and packs a portable .gepx bundle. Previously-purchased payloads re-fetch at zero cost.

Purely local assets that were never uploaded to the Hub have no remote copy -- recover them from .evolver/gep/, from an older assets/gep/ checkout, or from disk snapshots.

Evolver is designed to be environment-agnostic.

You can inject local preferences (e.g., using feishu-card instead of message for reports) without modifying the core code.

Method 1: Environment Variables Set EVOLVE_REPORT_TOOL in your .env file:

EVOLVE_REPORT_TOOL=feishu-card

Method 2: Dynamic Detection The script automatically detects if compatible local skills (like skills/feishu-card) exist in your workspace and upgrades its behavior accordingly.

When connected to an EvoMap Hub, every evolver instance also acts as a decentralized validator: it periodically pulls a small batch of validation tasks assigned by the hub, runs the proposer's claimed validation commands inside the existing sandbox, and submits a ValidationReport back. Validators that join consensus earn credits and reputation.

Persistent flag override: when the env is unset, the runtime reads ~/.evomap/feature_flags.json. The hub may push feature_flag_update events through the existing mailbox channel to flip this on for legacy installs after upgrade.

To opt out permanently:

EVOLVER_VALIDATOR_ENABLED=0 evolver --loop

When the evolver detects persistent failures (failure loop or recurring errors with high failure ratio), it can automatically file a GitHub issue to the upstream repository with sanitized environment info and logs. All sensitive data (tokens, local paths, emails, etc.) is redacted before submission.

Requires GITHUB_TOKEN (or GH_TOKEN / GITHUB_PAT) with repo scope. When no token is available, the feature is silently skipped.

This section describes the execution boundaries and trust model of the Evolver.

solidify.js executes commands listed in a Gene's validation array. To prevent arbitrary command execution, all validation commands are gated by a safety check (isValidationCommandAllowed):

1. Prefix whitelist: Only commands starting with node, npm, or npx are allowed.
2. No command substitution: Backticks and $(...) are rejected anywhere in the command string.
3. No shell operators: After stripping quoted content, ;, &, |, >, < are rejected.
4. Timeout: Each command is limited to 180 seconds.
5. Scoped execution: Commands run with cwd set to the repository root.

External Gene/Capsule assets ingested via scripts/a2a_ingest.js are staged in an isolated candidate zone. Promotion to local stores (scripts/a2a_promote.js) requires:

1. Explicit --validated flag (operator must verify the asset first).
2. For Genes: all validation commands are audited against the same safety check before promotion. Unsafe commands cause the promotion to be rejected.
3. Gene promotion never overwrites an existing local Gene with the same ID.

The sessions_spawn(...) strings in index.js and evolve.js are text output to stdout, not direct function calls. Whether they are interpreted depends on the host runtime (e.g., OpenClaw platform). The evolver itself does not invoke sessions_spawn as executable code.

MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH

• MAJOR: incompatible changes
• MINOR: backward-compatible features
• PATCH: backward-compatible bug fixes

See the full release history on GitHub Releases.

Does this edit code automatically? No. Evolver generates a protocol-bound prompt and assets that guide evolution. It does not modify your source code directly. See What Evolver Does (and Does Not Do).

I ran evolver --loop but it just keeps printing text. Is it working? Yes. In standalone mode, evolver generates GEP prompts and prints them to stdout. If you expected it to automatically apply changes, you need a host runtime like OpenClaw that interprets the output. Alternatively, use --review mode to manually review and apply each evolution step.

Do I need to connect to EvoMap Hub? No. All core evolution features work offline. Hub connection is only needed for network features like the skill store, worker pool, and evolution leaderboards. See Connecting to EvoMap Hub.

Do I need to use all GEP assets? No. You can start with default Genes and extend over time.

Is this safe in production? Use review mode and validation steps. Treat it as a safety-focused evolution tool, not a live patcher. See Security Model.

Where should I clone this repo? Clone it into any directory you like. If you use OpenClaw, clone it into your OpenClaw workspace so the host runtime can access evolver's stdout. For standalone use, any location works.

Directional, not commitments — the live backlog lives in GitHub Issues.

• Onboarding: a one-minute quickstart demo and a comparison table vs. alternative agent-evolution approaches.
• Deeper GEP integration: richer signal extraction and Gene / Capsule selection, plus reuse analytics.
• Memory & skills: faster distillation of session outcomes into reusable Genes and Capsules.
• Broader runtime coverage: more first-class host integrations beyond Cursor / Claude Code / Codex / Kiro / opencode / OpenClaw.

• onthebigtree -- Inspired the creation of evomap evolution network. Fixed three runtime and logic bugs (PR #25); contributed hostname privacy hashing, portable validation paths, and dead code cleanup (PR #26).
• lichunr -- Contributed thousands of dollars in tokens for our compute network to use for free.
• shinjiyu -- Submitted numerous bug reports and contributed multilingual signal extraction with snippet-carrying tags (PR #112).
• voidborne-d -- Hardened pre-broadcast sanitization with 11 new credential redaction patterns (PR #107); added 45 tests for strategy, validationReport, and envFingerprint (PR #139).
• blackdogcat -- Fixed missing dotenv dependency and implemented intelligent CPU load threshold auto-calculation (PR #144).
• LKCY33 -- Fixed .env loading path and directory permissions (PR #21).
• hendrixAIDev -- Fixed performMaintenance() running in dry-run mode (PR #68).
• toller892 -- Independently identified and reported the events.jsonl forbidden_paths bug (PR #149).
• WeZZard -- Added A2A_NODE_ID setup guide to SKILL.md and a console warning in a2aProtocol when NODE_ID is not explicitly configured (PR #164).
• Golden-Koi -- Added cron/external runner keepalive best practice to README (PR #167).
• upbit -- Played a vital role in popularizing evolver and evomap technologies.
• Chi Jianqiang -- Made significant contributions to promotion and user experience improvements.

GPL-3.0-or-later

Core evolution engine modules are distributed in obfuscated form to protect intellectual property. Source: EvoMap/evolver.

Evolver ships through three channels — the npm package, prebuilt binaries on GitHub Releases, and the ClawHub skill registry: