A local Python HTTP server utility designed to preview static HTML files and enable browser automation for web development.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install static-server
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 static-server 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 Static Server?
The Static Server skill is a fundamental utility for developers utilizing Openclaw Skills to bridge the gap between local file development and browser-based validation. It allows you to quickly spin up a Python HTTP server to serve static assets, HTML, and CSS directly from your local directory. This approach is superior to opening files directly because it provides a proper localhost environment, which is necessary for testing modern web APIs and bypassing security restrictions inherent to the file protocol.
By integrating this tool into your development workflow, you ensure that your AI agents can interact with your web projects exactly as they would on a live server. Whether you are building simple landing pages or complex frontend prototypes, this addition to your Openclaw Skills toolkit provides the infrastructure needed for reliable previewing and debugging.
Static Server Use Cases
- Testing static HTML pages within a standard localhost environment to ensure script compatibility.
- Previewing web designs and layouts locally before committing to a deployment pipeline.
- Overcoming browser security limitations that block the execution of scripts or local resource loading via the file protocol.
- Providing a stable network URL for automated browser testing and screenshot generation within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem.
How Static Server Works
- The user provides a file path or directory as the root for the local server.
- The skill executes a Python script that initializes a simple HTTP server on a specified port (defaulting to 8000).
- A localhost URL is generated, mapping the local file structure to a web-accessible address.
- Browser tools or AI agents navigate to the URL to perform interactions, testing, or visual verification.
- Upon completion of the task, the server process is stopped to free up system resources.
Static Server Setup
To use this component of Openclaw Skills, you can invoke the server script directly via the command line. Ensure Python is installed on your system before running the following:
python scripts/serve.py <path> [--port PORT]
For a quick directory serve without the dedicated script, you can use the built-in Python module:
python -m http.server 8000 --directory /path/to/dir
Static Server Data Schema & Taxonomy
The Static Server skill operates by mapping filesystem paths to network ports. It tracks the lifecycle of the server process to ensure clean execution environments. The primary data points handled include:
| Parameter | Type | Description |
|---|---|---|
| target_path | String | The absolute or relative path to the file or directory being served. |
| port | Integer | The network port used for the local server (Default: 8000). |
| access_url | String | The resulting http://localhost address used for browser access. |
| process_id | Integer | The system PID used to manage and eventually kill the server background task. |
Static Server Advanced Features
- Background execution mode allows the server to run silently while other Openclaw Skills perform browser actions.
- Support for custom port configuration to prevent conflicts with other local development services.
- Automated cleanup logic that integrates with process management tools to ensure no orphaned server instances remain.
- Script-based file targeting that automatically identifies the parent directory when a specific HTML file is provided.
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