A comprehensive framework for writing and publishing standardized Markdown-based skills that AI coding agents use to execute tasks and follow technical instructions.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install skill-writer
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-writer 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 Writer?
The Skill Writer provides the essential specification for developing SKILL.md files, the primary format for extending the capabilities of AI coding agents. By defining a strict schema for frontmatter and content organization, it ensures that your technical documentation is not only human-readable but also optimized for machine consumption. Utilizing Openclaw Skills standards allows developers to create a library of actionable knowledge that agents can discover through semantic search and execute with high precision.
This framework focuses on task-oriented documentation rather than abstract concepts. It guides developers through the process of defining triggers, requirements, and multi-platform support, ensuring that every piece of technical advice is accompanied by runnable code examples. This structured approach is critical for building reliable agent workflows in modern development environments.
Skill Writer Use Cases
- Creating new documentation from scratch that is natively compatible with AI coding agents.
- Structuring existing technical guides into machine-readable Openclaw Skills for better automation.
- Optimizing skill descriptions to improve semantic search ranking and agent activation accuracy.
- Developing cross-platform CLI tool references that agents can use across Linux, macOS, and Windows.
- Publishing and versioning skill sets to a central registry for team-wide or public access.
How Skill Writer Works
- Initialize a Markdown file with YAML frontmatter containing the skill name, description, and metadata.
- Define specific binary requirements and OS compatibility to inform the agent of the necessary execution environment.
- Craft a trigger-heavy description that the registry uses for vector embeddings and semantic search.
- Organize the main body into task-based sections, ensuring every technical instruction includes a language-specific code block.
- Incorporate a tips section with actionable, non-obvious insights to prevent common errors during agent execution.
- Use the CLI to validate the skill structure and publish it to the registry for immediate use by Openclaw Skills compatible agents.
Skill Writer Setup
To begin developing and managing your Openclaw Skills, you need the Molthub CLI. Use the following commands to search for existing skills or publish your own:
# Search for existing skills to avoid slug collisions
npx molthub@latest search "your-skill-slug"
# Publish a new skill to the registry
npx molthub@latest publish ./skills/my-skill \
--slug my-skill \
--name "My Skill" \
--version 1.0.0 \
--changelog "Initial release"
Skill Writer Data Schema & Taxonomy
Openclaw Skills follow a strict organizational schema to ensure agents can parse and execute the contained instructions effectively.
| Component | Format | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Frontmatter | YAML/JSON | Contains name, description, and metadata for registry indexing. |
| Metadata | JSON | Defines emoji, requires.anyBins (CLI dependencies), and os support. |
| When to Use | List | 4-8 bullet points describing concrete trigger scenarios for the agent. |
| Content | Markdown | Task-oriented sections with language-specific (e.g., bash, python) code blocks. |
| Tips | List | 5-10 actionable insights focusing on gotchas and non-obvious behaviors. |
Skill Writer Advanced Features
- Semantic search optimization via specific verb-noun description patterns for better agent discovery.
- Multi-platform support targeting Linux, Darwin (macOS), and Win32 environments within a single skill.
- Standardized templates for CLI references, language frameworks, and complex multi-step workflows.
- Automated versioning and changelog management via the Molthub CLI for professional lifecycle maintenance.
- Cross-skill referencing capabilities to build modular and interconnected knowledge bases within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem.
SKILL.md
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