OpenClaw Skills: How to Install and Use Them
Out of the box, OpenClaw can browse the web, read files, run commands, and chat via Telegram. But Skills take it much further. Think of Skills like apps for your AI agent — each one adds a specific new capability. This guide explains how the Skills system works, how to install Skills, and how to get the most out of them.
What Are OpenClaw Skills?
Skills are modular add-ons that extend what your OpenClaw agent can do. They’re typically a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions, plus any supporting scripts, templates, or reference data.
When you install a Skill, your agent gains access to new knowledge and new abilities. The SKILL.md file tells your agent when and how to use the Skill — in plain English, not code. This makes Skills accessible to both developers and non-technical users.
Some Skills are general-purpose, while others are highly specialized:
- Weather Skill: Fetch current weather and forecasts for any location
- Coding Agent Skill: Delegate software development tasks to a sub-agent
- Healthcheck Skill: Audit your server’s security and configuration
- MCP Porter Skill: Connect and manage MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers
- Node Connect Skill: Diagnose connection issues with OpenClaw companion apps
How Skills Work
When you send your agent a task, it scans the available Skills to see if any are relevant. If a match is found, the agent reads that Skill’s SKILL.md instructions before proceeding. This gives the agent specialized context it wouldn’t otherwise have.
For example, if you ask about the weather, the Weather Skill tells your agent exactly which API to use, what format to request, and how to present the result clearly. Without the Skill, your agent could figure out weather lookup on its own — but the Skill makes it faster, more consistent, and more accurate.
Where Skills Are Stored
Skills are stored in the OpenClaw package directory, typically:
- Windows:
%APPDATA%npmnode_modulesopenclawskills
- macOS/Linux:
/usr/local/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/
Each Skill is a subfolder with at minimum a SKILL.md file inside it.
Built-In Skills
OpenClaw ships with several Skills pre-installed:
weather
What it does: Gets current weather and forecasts using wttr.in or Open-Meteo APIs (no API key needed).
When it activates: Whenever you ask about weather, temperature, or forecasts for any location.
Example prompts: “What’s the weather in Chicago?” / “Will it rain this weekend in Seattle?”
coding-agent
What it does: Delegates complex coding tasks to a specialized sub-agent (Codex, Claude Code, etc.) that can explore your codebase and build features iteratively.
When it activates: For building new features, reviewing code, refactoring large codebases, or iterative development tasks.
Example prompts: “Build a Python script to parse my invoices” / “Review the code in /projects/myapp and suggest improvements”
healthcheck
What it does: Audits your host’s security configuration — firewall rules, SSH settings, system updates, and overall risk posture.
When it activates: When you ask for security audits, hardening recommendations, or version checks.
Example prompts: “Run a security check on this server” / “What’s my current risk exposure?”
mcporter
What it does: Manages MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers — letting your agent call external tools and services directly.
When it activates: When managing or calling MCP server tools.
node-connect
What it does: Diagnoses connection issues between OpenClaw and companion apps (Android, iOS, macOS).
When it activates: When you have QR code or pairing failures, connection errors, or setup code issues.
skill-creator
What it does: Helps create, edit, improve, or audit Skills themselves — including writing SKILL.md files and organizing Skill directories.
When it activates: When asked to “create a skill,” “improve a skill,” “audit a skill,” etc.
Installing a New Skill
There are two ways to add Skills to OpenClaw:
Method 1: From npm (Official Skills)
If a Skill is published as an npm package, install it with:
npm install -g openclaw-skill-[name]
The Skill will be placed in the correct location automatically.
Method 2: Manually (Custom Skills)
For custom or community Skills:
- Download or create the Skill folder
- Place it in the
skills/ directory of your OpenClaw installation
- Make sure it contains a valid
SKILL.md file
- Restart OpenClaw
Creating Your Own Skills
Skills are surprisingly easy to create — the core of any Skill is just a plain text markdown file. A basic SKILL.md contains:
- A description of what the Skill does
- Instructions for when to activate it
- Step-by-step guidance for the agent
- Any relevant reference data, API details, or scripts
You write Skills in plain English. No coding required for basic Skills.
Example: You could create a “social-media” Skill that tells your agent the exact format, hashtags, and tone to use when drafting posts for your brand’s social media accounts.
Use the built-in skill-creator Skill to get help writing new Skills:
Create a Skill for [describe what you want it to do]
Tips for Getting the Most from Skills
- Keep Skills focused: One Skill, one job. Don’t try to cram everything into one SKILL.md
- Test with clear prompts: After installing a Skill, test it with prompts that closely match its description to confirm it activates correctly
- Update regularly: Official Skills may be updated with bug fixes and improvements — keep OpenClaw updated to get them
- Document your custom Skills: If you build a Skill for your own use, write clear notes in the SKILL.md about what it does and what prompts activate it
- Use reference files: Large reference data (like a product catalog or FAQ) can be stored in the Skill’s
references/ subfolder and loaded when needed
Skill Ideas for Common Use Cases
Here are some custom Skills worth building for everyday users:
- email-summarizer: Instructions for how to summarize your emails with the right priority levels and format
- social-media: Brand voice, posting schedule, and hashtag guidelines for your social accounts
- research-reporter: A template and process for how to produce research reports on any topic
- client-communications: Tone, phrasing, and protocol for responding to client emails in your freelance business
- daily-briefing: Format and content for your agent’s morning summary
Related Guides
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