Heartbeat Governor

Community

ArchieIndian

heartbeat-governor

Enforces per-skill execution budgets for scheduled cron skills — pauses runaway skills that exceed their token or wall-clock budget before they drain your monthly API allowance.

Overview

Publisher	ArchieIndian
Repository	`openclaw-superpowers`
Skill name	`heartbeat-governor`
Stars	74
Forks	14
Bundled files	3
Links	Skill source Repository

Markdown instructions
A SKILL.md file the model loads on demand, so it only costs tokens when a request actually matches.
Works with any LLM
AI skills are plain Markdown, not provider-specific code, so this works with GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model.
3 bundled files
Scripts, templates, and references the model can read while it works. Files are read-only and never executed.
Open source
Published by ArchieIndian on GitHub. Read the source before you install it.

Installation

Install the Heartbeat Governor AI skill in TypingMind to use it with any LLM, or drop it into another agent that reads SKILL.md.

Install in TypingMind

TypingMind installs a skill straight from its GitHub folder — it reads SKILL.md, bundles the resource files, and stores the result locally.

Open the app and go to Plugins → Skills.
Choose "Install from GitHub".
Paste the skill folder URL below and confirm.
https://github.com/ArchieIndian/openclaw-superpowers/tree/main/skills/openclaw-native/heartbeat-governor
Enable the skill in any chat where you want it available.

Store

Installed

Skills

Add skills

Import one or more skills from a public GitHub folder or a local .skill or .zip archive, or SKILL.md file.

From GitHub URLFrom .skill, .zip, or SKILL.md

GitHub repo or folder

https://github.com/ArchieIndian/openclaw-superpowers/tree/main/skills/openclaw-native/heartbeat-governor

Points to a single skill folder, or any folder that contains multiple skills. Public repos only.

CancelContinue

Plugins → Skills → Add skill → From GitHub URL, then paste the folder URL and press Continue.

Install in another agent

Any agent that reads the Agent Skills format can use this skill — copy the folder into that agent's skills directory.

Claude Code — .claude/skills

git clone --depth 1 https://github.com/ArchieIndian/openclaw-superpowers.git /tmp/openclaw-superpowers
mkdir -p .claude/skills
cp -r /tmp/openclaw-superpowers/skills/openclaw-native/heartbeat-governor .claude/skills/heartbeat-governor

Restart Claude Code after copying so it picks up the new skill.

Use it in TypingMind

Enable Heartbeat Governor in any TypingMind chat and the model takes it from there. Its name and description sit in the system prompt, and the moment a request matches, the model loads the full instructions itself — you never invoke it by hand, and it costs no tokens until it is actually used.

The model loads Heartbeat Governor on its own as soon as a request matches it.

Works with any AI model

AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so Heartbeat Governor is not tied to the model it was written for. Install it once in TypingMind and use it with GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama, or a local model you run yourself — all on your own API keys.

Loaded only when it is needed
The system prompt carries just the name and description. The instructions are fetched on the first matching request, so an idle skill costs nothing.
Switch models mid-chat
Because the skill is instructions rather than code, changing model does not break it — the next model reads the same SKILL.md.

Skill instructions

This is the SKILL.md content the model loads. Read it before installing — a skill is instructions your model will follow.

Heartbeat Governor

What it does

Cron skills run autonomously. A skill with a bug — an infinite retry, an unexpectedly large context, a model call inside a loop — can silently consume hundreds of dollars before you notice.

Heartbeat Governor tracks cumulative execution cost and wall-clock time per scheduled skill on a rolling 30-day basis. When a skill exceeds its budget, the governor pauses it and sends an alert. The skill won't fire again until you explicitly review and resume it.

It runs every hour to catch budget overruns within one cron cycle.

When to invoke

Automatically, every hour (cron)
Manually after noticing an unexpected API bill spike
When a cron skill has been running unusually long

Budget types

Budget type	Default	Configurable
`max_usd_monthly`	$5.00	Yes, per skill
`max_usd_per_run`	$0.50	Yes, per skill
`max_wall_minutes`	30	Yes, per skill
`max_runs_daily`	48	Yes, per skill

Actions on budget breach

Breach type	Action
`monthly_usd` exceeded	Pause skill, log breach, alert
`per_run_usd` exceeded	Abort current run, log breach
`wall_clock` exceeded	Abort current run, log breach
`daily_runs` exceeded	Skip remaining runs today, log

How to use

bash
python3 governor.py --status               # Show all skills and budget utilisation
python3 governor.py --record <skill> --usd 0.12 --minutes 4   # Record a run
python3 governor.py --pause <skill>        # Manually pause a skill
python3 governor.py --resume <skill>       # Resume a paused skill after review
python3 governor.py --set-budget <skill> --monthly 10.00       # Override budget
python3 governor.py --check                # Run hourly check (called by cron)
python3 governor.py --report               # Full monthly spend report
python3 governor.py --format json

Cron wakeup behaviour

Every hour the governor runs --check:

Load all skill ledgers from state
For each skill with paused: false:
- If 30-day rolling spend exceeds max_usd_monthly → paused: true, log
- If runs today exceed max_runs_daily → skip, log
Print summary of paused skills and budget utilisation
Save updated state

Procedure

Step 1 — Set sensible budgets

After installing any new cron skill, set its monthly budget:

bash
python3 governor.py --set-budget daily-review --monthly 2.00
python3 governor.py --set-budget morning-briefing --monthly 3.00

Defaults are conservative ($5/month) but explicit is better.

Step 2 — Monitor utilisation

bash
python3 governor.py --status

Review the utilisation column. Any skill above 80% monthly budget warrants investigation.

Step 3 — Respond to pause alerts

When the governor pauses a skill, investigate why it's over budget:

Was there a one-time expensive run (large context)?
Is there a bug causing repeated expensive calls?
Does the budget simply need to be raised?

Resume after investigating:

bash
python3 governor.py --resume <skill>

State

Per-skill ledgers and pause flags stored in ~/.openclaw/skill-state/heartbeat-governor/state.yaml.

Fields: skill_ledgers map, paused_skills list, breach_log, monthly_summary.

Bundled files

The model reads these on demand while the skill is loaded. They are exposed as readable files and are never executed.

Frequently asked questions

What does the Heartbeat Governor AI skill do?

Enforces per-skill execution budgets for scheduled cron skills — pauses runaway skills that exceed their token or wall-clock budget before they drain your monthly API allowance.

Why use Heartbeat Governor on TypingMind?

Because you install it once and use it with any model. Heartbeat Governor is plain Markdown rather than provider-specific code, so the same skill runs on GPT-5, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or a local model — and you can switch model mid-chat without it breaking. TypingMind runs on your own API keys, so you pay providers directly instead of a per-seat subscription, and your skills and chats stay in your own storage.

How do I install Heartbeat Governor in TypingMind?

Open Plugins → Skills → Install from GitHub in TypingMind and paste https://github.com/ArchieIndian/openclaw-superpowers/tree/main/skills/openclaw-native/heartbeat-governor. TypingMind reads its SKILL.md and bundles its files and installs it as a skill you can enable per chat.

Which AI models can use Heartbeat Governor?

Any model you connect in TypingMind. AI skills are plain Markdown instructions rather than provider-specific code, so GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, and local models can all load this skill when a request matches it.

How many AI models can I use with Heartbeat Governor?

As many as you like. As long as a model supports skills, you can use Heartbeat Governor with it — GPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Mistral, Llama and more — all on TypingMind with your own API keys.

Is the Heartbeat Governor AI skill free?

It is published on GitHub by ArchieIndian. Check the repository for licensing terms. You only pay your own AI provider for the tokens you use.

What are AI skills?

An AI skill is a reusable instruction bundle that teaches an AI model how to do one specific task. It follows the open Agent Skills format: a SKILL.md file with a name and description, plus any scripts, templates or reference files the model may need. The model reads the instructions only when your request matches the skill, so an installed skill costs nothing until it is used.

How are AI skills different from plugins or MCP servers?

A plugin or MCP server gives a model new tools to call — code that runs somewhere and returns a result. An AI skill gives the model knowledge and process instead: how to approach a task, which steps to follow, what good output looks like. Skills are plain Markdown, so they need no server, no API key and no runtime, and they work with any model.

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Overview

Installation

Install in TypingMind

Install in another agent

Use it in TypingMind

Works with any AI model

Skill instructions

Heartbeat Governor

What it does

When to invoke

Budget types

Actions on budget breach

How to use

Cron wakeup behaviour

Procedure

State

Bundled files

Frequently asked questions

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