OpenClaw Skills: Extend Your AI Assistant's Capabilities

Last Updated: February 2026

Skills are what transform OpenClaw from a chatbot into a true autonomous agent. This guide covers what skills are, how to use them, and how to create your own.

What Are OpenClaw Skills?

Skills are modular capability packages that teach OpenClaw how to do specific things. They contain:

• Instructions — What the skill does and when to use it
• Tools — Scripts and commands the skill can execute
• Configuration — Settings and API credentials

Think of skills like apps for your AI assistant. Just as you install apps on your phone to add functionality, you install skills on OpenClaw to expand what it can do.

Built-In Skills

OpenClaw comes with 50+ skills out of the box:

Productivity

• Gmail — Read, write, and organize emails
• Google Calendar — Schedule events, check availability
• Apple Reminders — Create and manage reminders
• Things 3 — Task management for Mac users

Development

• GitHub — Issues, PRs, repo management
• Coding Agent — Run Claude Code, Codex, or other AI coders
• Oracle — Query multiple AI models

Communication

• iMessage — Send messages on Mac
• WhatsApp — Message via wacli integration
• Himalaya — Email via IMAP/SMTP

Utilities

• Weather — Current conditions and forecasts
• Web Search — Brave Search integration
• Firecrawl — Web scraping and research
• 1Password — Secure credential management

How to Use Skills

List Available Skills

openclaw skills list

Or ask your assistant:

"What skills do you have?"

Install a Skill

Most skills are bundled with OpenClaw. For community skills:

# From ClawHub
clawdhub install weather

# From GitHub
git clone https://github.com/user/skill-name ~/.openclaw/skills/skill-name

Enable/Disable Skills

Skills are enabled by placing them in your workspace:

~/clawd/skills/          # Your custom skills
~/.openclaw/skills/      # Shared skills

OpenClaw automatically discovers and loads skills from these directories.

Skill Structure

Every skill has a SKILL.md file with this structure:

---
name: weather
description: Get weather forecasts and current conditions
---

# Weather Skill

## Usage
Ask about weather in any location:
- "What's the weather in Tokyo?"
- "Will it rain tomorrow?"

## Commands
\`\`\`bash
curl wttr.in/location
\`\`\`

The description field is crucial—OpenClaw uses it to decide when to activate the skill.

Creating Your Own Skills

Method 1: Ask OpenClaw

The easiest way:

"Create a skill to check my Todoist tasks"

OpenClaw will generate the skill files for you.

Method 2: Manual Creation

Create a directory with the required files:

my-skill/
├── SKILL.md      # Instructions (required)
├── tools/        # Scripts (optional)
│   └── check.sh
└── config.json   # Configuration (optional)

SKILL.md Example:

---
name: todoist
description: Manage Todoist tasks - list, create, complete, and delete tasks
---

# Todoist Integration

When the user asks about tasks or todos, use the Todoist CLI.

## Available Commands

- `todoist list` — Show all tasks
- `todoist add "task name"` — Create a task
- `todoist complete <id>` — Mark task as done

## Requirements
- Todoist CLI installed: `pip install todoist-cli`
- API token in `~/.todoist.cfg`

Method 3: Use the Skill Creator

OpenClaw includes a skill-creator skill:

"Use the skill-creator to make a Notion integration"

This provides a structured wizard for building skills.

Advanced Skill Features

Environment Variables

Skills can define required environment variables:

---
name: openai-whisper
env:
  - WHISPER_MODEL: base
---

Tool Scripts

Add executable scripts in the tools/ directory:

#!/bin/bash
# tools/transcribe.sh
whisper "$1" --model $WHISPER_MODEL

Dependencies

Specify required CLI tools:

## Requirements
- ffmpeg (video processing)
- whisper (speech-to-text)

Community Skills

ClawHub Marketplace

Browse and install skills from clawhub.com:

clawdhub search "crypto"
clawdhub install polymarket-skill

Popular Community Skills

• DeFi Operations — Swap tokens, check balances
• Polymarket — Prediction market trading
• MCP Servers — Model Context Protocol integrations
• Browser Automation — Web scraping and testing
• Home Assistant — Smart home control

Best Practices

1. Clear Descriptions

Write descriptions that help OpenClaw know when to use your skill:

✅ Good: "Send messages via WhatsApp to any contact" ❌ Bad: "WhatsApp integration"

2. Comprehensive Instructions

Include examples of:

• What the user might ask
• How to respond
• Edge cases and errors

3. Secure Credentials

Never hardcode API keys. Use:

• Environment variables
• 1Password integration
• Config files (gitignored)

4. Error Handling

Tell OpenClaw how to handle failures:

## Error Handling
If the API returns 401, ask the user to refresh their token.
If the API is down, inform the user and try again later.

Security Considerations

Skills can execute arbitrary code, so:

• Review before installing — Check what commands run
• Use trusted sources — Prefer official and verified skills
• Limit permissions — Don't give skills more access than needed
• Monitor activity — Check logs for unexpected behavior

Recent security research found malicious skills in the wild. Always verify skill sources.

Troubleshooting

Skill Not Loading

1. Check the skill is in the correct directory
2. Verify SKILL.md has valid frontmatter
3. Look for syntax errors: openclaw doctor

Skill Not Activating

1. Make the description more specific
2. Add trigger phrases in the instructions
3. Ask directly: "Use the X skill to..."

Commands Failing

1. Check required tools are installed
2. Verify environment variables are set
3. Test commands manually in terminal

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Skills are what make OpenClaw truly powerful. Start with built-in skills, explore community creations, then build your own to automate your unique workflows.