A digital guardian that monitors long-running computer tasks and automatically clears interfering popups to ensure uninterrupted completion.
Install & Download
1. ClawHub CLI
The fastest way to install a skill directly from the registry.
npx clawhub@latest install task-watchdog
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 task-watchdog 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 Task Watchdog?
Task Watchdog is a specialized utility within the Openclaw Skills ecosystem designed to act as a virtual caretaker for your workstation during long-running operations. Whether you are rendering high-resolution video, processing large datasets, or downloading massive files, this skill ensures that your machine stays on track while you are away from the desk. It functions as a persistent monitor that watches the screen for specific progress indicators and takes action to keep the environment clear of distractions.
By utilizing sophisticated visual recognition, the skill identifies blocking elements like system update prompts, memory warnings, or software advertisements that might otherwise halt a critical process. It provides peace of mind for professionals who need to leave their hardware running for hours, transforming a standard computer into a self-managing workstation through the power of Openclaw Skills.
Task Watchdog Use Cases
- Monitoring multi-hour video rendering or 3D exports to ensure they aren't interrupted by system prompts.
- Guarding large-scale data processing or web scraping tasks that require constant window focus.
- Protecting overnight file downloads from being stalled by accidental sleep mode or network error popups.
- Automatically dismissing recurring software registration or update reminders that steal focus from primary applications.
How Task Watchdog Works
- The agent uses visual perception to identify and lock onto the primary task window, focusing on progress bars, percentage strings, or 'estimated time remaining' markers.
- It enters a background monitoring loop, waking every 5 minutes to scan the screen for any overlapping windows or interfering dialog boxes.
- When a popup is detected, the skill identifies the correct dismissal button (such as 'X', 'Close', or 'Ignore') and simulates a mouse click to remove the obstruction.
- Every 15 minutes, it performs a progress verification; if the progress bar has not moved for three consecutive checks, it identifies a 'stalled' state.
- In the event of a fatal error or a stalled task, it captures a full screenshot and triggers a remote notification via the user's configured alert system.
Task Watchdog Setup
To integrate this skill into your environment, ensure your agent has the necessary permissions for screen capture and mouse interaction. You can configure the monitoring frequency and alert webhooks within your local settings file.
# Enable the skill in your local environment
openclaw skills add task-watchdog
# Configure your notification webhook (optional)
export WATCHDOG_WEBHOOK="https://your-alert-endpoint.com/notify"
Task Watchdog Data Schema & Taxonomy
Task Watchdog organizes monitoring data and error logs to provide a clear history of task performance. It uses the following data structure for internal tracking:
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Progress Anchor | Coordinates and visual metadata of the progress bar or counter. |
| Patrol Log | A timestamped record of every screen scan and any popups successfully closed. |
| Error Capture | Local storage of screenshots taken when a task is determined to be stalled or crashed. |
| Status Metadata | Current percentage, estimated time, and last movement timestamp. |
Task Watchdog Advanced Features
- Intelligent vision-based button detection to prevent accidental clicks on 'Restart' or 'Update' buttons.
- Webhook integration for real-time remote alerting when manual intervention is required.
- Multi-check progress validation to differentiate between slow tasks and genuinely frozen applications.
- Resource-efficient idle mode that minimizes CPU usage between patrol cycles.
SKILL.md
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