A technical framework for building reusable prompt templates and automation scripts that enhance the intelligence of OpenClaw and ClawHub agents.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install skill-dev-guide
2. Manual Installation
Copy the skill folder to one of these locations
~/.openclaw/skills/ <project>/skills/ Priority: Workspace > Local > Bundled
3. Prompt Installation
Copy this prompt to OpenClaw to install it automatically.
Help me install skill-dev-guide using Clawhub. If Clawhub is not installed, install it first (npm i -g clawhub).
Prefer to download?
Get the raw skill files in a ZIP archive.
What is Skill Development Guide?
The Skill Development Guide provides a standardized structure for developers to extend AI functionality through the SKILL.md specification. By utilizing Openclaw Skills, developers can create modular, repeatable, and secure instructions that dictate how an AI assistant handles specific tasks, from code reviews to complex data validation.
This framework bridges the gap between static prompts and dynamic automation. It allows developers to define exactly how an agent should behave while providing the necessary hooks to execute local shell scripts, making Openclaw Skills a vital component for anyone looking to build production-grade AI agent workflows.
Skill Development Guide Use Cases
- Standardizing AI behavior across multiple team projects
- Automating local CLI tasks using bash script integration
- Building secure, sandbox-aware tools for AI coding assistants
- Deploying custom prompt templates for specialized technical workflows
- Integrating external APIs into the agent context through documented scripts
How Skill Development Guide Works
- Initialize a SKILL.md file in your repository to serve as the manifest for the AI agent.
- Configure the instructions block to establish the identity, guidelines, and task-specific boundaries for the LLM.
- Define optional automation scripts in YAML format to enable the agent to perform real-world actions on the file system.
- Declare required system binaries (like curl or jq) in the allowed_commands section to ensure transparency and security.
- Validate the skill through a security scan to ensure no sensitive data is leaked via environment variables.
- Deploy and test the functionality using the CLI to see your Openclaw Skills in action.
Skill Development Guide Setup
To begin building Openclaw Skills, create a file named SKILL.md (case-sensitive) in your root directory. Ensure any companion scripts are executable.
# Create the skill manifest
touch SKILL.md
# If using scripts, ensure they have execution permissions
chmod +x ./scripts/your-script.sh
# Use the CLI to test the skill locally
clawhub test .
Skill Development Guide Data Schema & Taxonomy
The skill configuration is managed via a structured Markdown file with YAML front-matter or blocks. Openclaw Skills follow this organization:
| Section | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| name | The human-readable name of the skill | Yes |
| instructions | The core prompt logic and AI persona | Yes |
| scripts | A list of executable bash scripts with descriptions | No |
| allowed_commands | Whitelist of CLI tools the skill can invoke | No |
| meta_data | Taxonomy and versioning information | No |
Skill Development Guide Advanced Features
- Secure Variable Handling: Prevents accidental credential leaks by forbidding global exports like
set -a. - MCP Integration: Full compatibility with Model Context Protocol for advanced data verification.
- Modular Automation: Supports multi-step workflows by breaking complex tasks into discrete, scriptable steps.
- Security Scanning: Built-in patterns to pass automated security audits for Openclaw Skills deployment.
- Sandbox Awareness: Designed to operate within controlled environments while maintaining high utility.
SKILL.md
Loading
Related Openclaw Skills
Daily Life Compass
A sophisticated lifestyle advisor that blends traditional Eastern philosophical metaphors with modern data to provide actionable daily guidance.
Sum2Slides
Sum2Slides is a powerful automation skill that transforms raw text summaries into professionally structured and themed PowerPoint presentation slide decks.
ELN Template Creator
A specialized tool for generating standardized, high-quality experiment record templates for Electronic Laboratory Notebooks across multiple scientific disciplines.
Media.io Google Veo Video Generator
A high-performance AI video generation skill that leverages Google Veo 3.1 models via the Media.io OpenAPI to produce cinematic content from text and images.
Runbook Skill Kit Template Factory
A production-grade generator that converts validated manual workflows into standardized knowledge documentation and self-contained AI skill bundles.
Blueprint to Deployment
A specialized skill designed to transform abstract AI agent blueprints into fully documented, deployable workspaces and guided platform integrations.
Featured*
