OpenClaw Skill Examples
Learn how OpenClaw skills work with real skill.md code examples and templates. From simple tasks to advanced workflows — copy, customize, and deploy.
Real Skill Examples
Simple Task Manager
A basic to-do list skill that demonstrates skill.md structure, metadata, and simple prompts.
Key features:
--- name: Task Manager description: Simple to-do list with priorities author: ClawHub Community version: 1.0.0 --- # Task Manager Manage your tasks with priorities and due dates. ## Instructions When the user asks to create a task: 1. Ask for task name, priority (high/medium/low), and due date 2. Store in markdown format 3. Show current task list ## Example User: "Add task: Review PR, high priority, due Friday" Assistant: "✓ Added: Review PR (High priority, Due: Friday)"
GitHub PR Reviewer
Automated code review with security scanning, style checks, and inline suggestions.
Key features:
--- name: GitHub PR Reviewer description: Automated pull request code review requires_api: github permissions: [read_repo, write_comments] --- # PR Reviewer Automatically review pull requests for code quality. ## Tools Required - GitHub API access - Read repository permission - Write comment permission ## Review Checklist - Security vulnerabilities - Code style violations - Best practice violations - Performance issues - Missing tests
SEO Content Optimizer
Analyze and optimize content for search engines with keyword analysis and competitive insights.
Key features:
--- name: SEO Content Optimizer description: Analyze and optimize content for SEO requires_api: [serp, readability] version: 2.1.0 --- # SEO Content Optimizer Analyze content and provide SEO recommendations. ## Analysis Steps 1. Extract primary and secondary keywords 2. Calculate keyword density 3. Analyze readability (Flesch score) 4. Check meta tags (title, description) 5. Compare with top 10 competitors 6. Generate optimization recommendations ## Output Format - SEO Score (0-100) - Keyword opportunities - Readability improvements - Meta tag suggestions
Anatomy of a Skill
Front Matter (YAML)
Metadata about the skill including name, description, version, author, and required APIs.
--- name: My Skill description: What this skill does author: Your Name version: 1.0.0 requires_api: [github, slack] ---
Main Prompt
Instructions for OpenClaw on how to behave when this skill is active.
# My Skill You are a helpful assistant that helps users with [task]. When the user asks you to [action]: 1. First, do [step 1] 2. Then, do [step 2] 3. Finally, output [result]
Tools & Permissions
Specify which tools and permissions the skill needs to function.
## Tools Required - GitHub API access - Write file permission - Read repository permission ## Permissions This skill needs access to: - Your GitHub repositories - Local file system (read/write)
Examples
Provide example usage to help OpenClaw understand expected behavior.
## Examples User: "Review this PR" Assistant: [Fetches PR, analyzes code, provides feedback] User: "What issues did you find?" Assistant: [Lists specific issues with line numbers]
Skill Templates
Simple Skill Template
Basic template for beginners
Best for:
Text processing, simple automation
API Integration Template
Connect to external APIs
Best for:
GitHub, Slack, Google, third-party services
File Processing Template
Read and write files
Best for:
CSV analysis, document generation
Multi-Step Workflow Template
Complex workflows with multiple steps
Best for:
Data pipelines, automated reports
Frequently Asked Questions
What is skill.md?
skill.md is the file format for OpenClaw skills. It's a markdown file with YAML front matter that defines metadata, instructions, and examples. OpenClaw reads these files to extend its capabilities with custom workflows.
How complex can skills be?
Skills can range from simple (50 lines) to very complex (500+ lines). Simple skills handle single tasks like formatting text. Advanced skills can integrate multiple APIs, handle multi-step workflows, and maintain state across conversations.
Do I need to know programming to create skills?
No! Skills are written in plain markdown with natural language instructions. You don't need to write code — you write instructions that OpenClaw follows. However, understanding APIs and data formats helps for advanced skills.
Can I test skills before publishing?
Yes! Place the skill.md file in your OpenClaw skills directory and test it locally. Make sure to test edge cases and error scenarios. Once it works reliably, you can publish it to ClawHub.
Where can I find more examples?
Browse ClawHub for 100+ real skills you can learn from. All free skills are open-source, so you can read their source code. You can also check the OpenClaw GitHub repository for official examples.
Need Help Building Custom Skills?
Our expert developers can build custom skills tailored to your exact workflow. From simple automation to complex integrations.