The basics
What are OpenClaw skills?
Think of your OpenClaw agent like a new employee on their first day. Smart, capable, ready to work. But they don't know your tools yet. Skills are how you give that employee access to everything they need.
Skills = Apps for Your Agent
Each skill gives your agent one new capability. The slack skill lets it message your team. The github skill lets it manage pull requests. The notion skill lets it update your docs. One skill, one job.
Just a Folder with Instructions
Under the hood, a skill is a directory containing a SKILL.md file. That file tells the agent what the skill does, what credentials it needs, and when to use it. YAML frontmatter at the top, markdown instructions below.
Stack Them Like Lego
Skills work together naturally. Your agent can read a Slack message, summarize it with the summarize skill, log it in Notion, and send a reply. You describe what you want in plain English. The agent picks the right skills automatically.
my-skill/ SKILL.md # Instructions + YAML config credentials.yml # API keys (optional) templates/ # Prompt templates (optional) scripts/ # Helper scripts (optional)
Three steps
How skills work
Browse by category
5,700+ skills across 15+ categories
The ClawHub ecosystem covers every major category of business and development tooling. Here are the ten largest categories by skill count.
Recommended combos
Best skill stacks by business type
We've tested hundreds of skill combinations. These are the stacks that deliver the most value for each business type, based on real usage data from our community.
Service Business
Automate client comms, proposals, and follow-ups
E-Commerce
Monitor inventory, handle support, track competitors
Agency
Manage multiple clients, automate reporting
Consultant
Research, summarize, and deliver insights faster
Step by step
How to install a skill
Five steps from "I want that skill" to "my agent is using it." The whole process takes about two minutes.
Find the Skill on ClawHub
Browse clawhub.ai or search by keyword. Each skill page shows what it does, what credentials it requires, the install count, and community reviews. Pick the one that fits your use case.
Install with One Command
Open your terminal and run the install command. The skill downloads to your ~/.openclaw/skills/ directory automatically. OpenClaw detects new skills without a restart.
clawhub install <skill-slug>
Review the SKILL.md
Before enabling any third-party skill, read its SKILL.md file. Check what permissions it requests, what data it accesses, and what APIs it calls. We recommend treating all community skills as untrusted code until reviewed.
cat ~/.openclaw/skills/<skill-slug>/SKILL.md
Add Credentials (if Required)
Some skills need API tokens, passwords, or other secrets. The SKILL.md frontmatter lists exactly what is needed. Add them to your credentials file. Skills with no credential requirements work immediately.
# ~/.openclaw/credentials.yml <skill-name>: api_key: your-key-here secret: your-secret-here
Test It in a Conversation
Start a new chat with your agent and ask it to use the skill. Something simple like "Post a test message to Slack" or "Summarize this PDF." If the skill is installed and configured correctly, the agent will pick it up automatically.
Get hands-on in the workshop
The workshop walks through skill installation and your first workflow in 15 minutes. You'll install OpenClaw, configure security, connect your first channel, and run a real skill-powered automation from scratch.
Start the $19 WorkshopPre-installed
80+ bundled skills (ready on day one)
Every OpenClaw installation ships with over 80 bundled skills. No installation needed. These cover messaging, AI, development, productivity, and system utilities. Here are the ones we use most.
Messaging & Communication
AI & Language Models
Development & Code
Productivity & Notes
System & Utilities
This is a curated selection. The full list of bundled skills includes 80+ capabilities spanning file management, data processing, scheduling, and more.
Under the hood
Skill load order and precedence
OpenClaw loads skills in a specific order. Higher-priority locations override lower ones, which means you can customize or replace any bundled skill without modifying the originals.
./workspace/skills/Project-specific overrides. Highest priority.
~/.openclaw/skills/Your personal skills, including ClawHub installs.
[openclaw]/bundled/Ships with OpenClaw. 80+ skills pre-installed.
Configured via extraDirsCustom paths for team or shared skill repos.
Pro tip: If you want to tweak a bundled skill's behavior, copy it to your workspace skills directory and modify the SKILL.md. Your version takes priority and the original stays untouched.
Stay safe
Skill security best practices
Review Before You Enable
Always read the SKILL.md of any third-party skill before enabling it. Check what permissions it requests, what APIs it calls, and what data it accesses. If the instructions look suspicious, skip it.
Check Community Trust Signals
On ClawHub, look at install counts, last update date, and community feedback. Skills with thousands of installs and recent updates are generally safer than obscure, unmaintained ones.
Sandbox Third-Party Skills
For maximum safety, run OpenClaw in a Docker container when testing new skills. This isolates the skill from your host system. Our Docker setup guide covers the configuration.
Keep going
Where to go from here
Skills FAQ
Everything you want to know about skills.
Written by
Kevin Jeppesen
Founder, The Operator Vault
Kevin is an early OpenClaw adopter who has saved an estimated 400 to 500 hours through AI automation. He stress-tests new workflows daily, sharing what actually works through step-by-step guides and a security-conscious approach to operating AI with real tools.
Ready to unlock
your agent's potential?
Premium skill packs come with optimized skills, matching prompts, and step-by-step setup. Or start with the $19 workshop to get the fundamentals right first.