TL;DR
OpenClaw uses Tools (low-level capabilities like reading files or running commands) and Skills (workflows combining tools for specific jobs like code review or meeting summaries). This guide walks through all 25 default tools, 53+ community skills, enabling/disabling tools, and building custom skills.
Tools vs Skills: Understanding the Difference
- Tools = What OpenClaw can do (capabilities)
- Skills = What OpenClaw knows how to do (workflows)
Example:
Without Skills:
You: "Review this pull request"
OpenClaw: "I can read files and search the web, but I don't know how to review code. Can you be more specific?"
With Skills:
You: "Review this pull request"
OpenClaw: [Uses code_review skill]
- Reads the changed files (read tool)
- Checks for common mistakes
- Searches for similar issues (web_search tool)
- Posts comments (github tool)
Skills orchestrate tools to automate complex tasks.
The 25 Default Tools
Tools are built-in. Enable or disable them to control what OpenClaw can do.
File System Tools
1. read
- Reads file contents
- Use: View code, check configs, analyze logs
-
Example:
You: "Read package.json" OpenClaw: [Shows file contents]
2. write
- Creates or modifies files
- Use: Generate code, update configs
-
Example:
You: "Create a file called test.txt with 'Hello World'" OpenClaw: "Done. Created test.txt"
3. list
- Lists files and directories
-
Example:
You: "List files in src/" OpenClaw: "src/ contains: - api/ - components/ - utils/ - index.js"
4. search
- Searches file contents (like grep)
-
Example:
You: "Search for 'TODO' in all JavaScript files" OpenClaw: "Found 12 matches..."
Execution Tools
5. exec
- Runs shell commands
- High risk — can run any command
-
Example:
You: "Run npm test" OpenClaw: [Executes tests and shows results] Enable only if you fully trust OpenClaw.
6. python
- Executes Python code
-
Example:
You: "Calculate the average of [10, 20, 30, 40]" OpenClaw: [Runs Python] "Average: 25"
7. node
- Executes Node.js code
-
Example:
You: "Fetch data from https://api.example.com/users" OpenClaw: [Runs Node.js fetch] "Retrieved 50 users"
Web Tools
8. web_search
- Searches the internet
-
Example:
You: "Search for OpenClaw documentation" OpenClaw: "Found: 1. docs.openclaw.ai ... "
9. web_fetch
- Downloads web page content
-
Example:
You: "Fetch the content of https://example.com" OpenClaw: [Downloads and shows content]
10. web_screenshot
- Captures webpage screenshots
-
Example:
You: "Screenshot https://myapp.com" OpenClaw: "Saved screenshot to screenshots/myapp.png"
Memory Tools
11. memory
- Stores and retrieves info across sessions
-
Example:
You: "Remember that I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript" OpenClaw: "Saved to memory."
12. context
- Manages conversation context
-
Example:
You: "I'm working on the user authentication feature" OpenClaw: "Noted. I'll keep this context..."
Scheduling Tools
13. schedule
- Creates recurring tasks (cron-like)
-
Example:
You: "Check Hacker News every morning at 8 AM and send me the top 3 posts" OpenClaw: "Scheduled. I'll run this daily at 8 AM."
14. heartbeat
- Runs background tasks at intervals
-
Example:
You: "Monitor https://api.myapp.com every 5 minutes" OpenClaw: "Heartbeat started. Checking every 5 minutes."
Communication Tools
15. email
- Sends emails
-
Example:
You: "Email the team a summary of today's deployments" OpenClaw: "Sent email to team@company.com"
16. slack
- Posts to Slack channels
-
Example:
You: "Post to #engineering: 'Deployment complete'" OpenClaw: "Posted to #engineering"
17. discord
- Sends Discord messages
-
Example:
You: "Send a message to #general: 'Server maintenance in 10 minutes'" OpenClaw: "Message sent to #general"
Integration Tools
18. github
- Interacts with GitHub (repos, PRs, issues)
-
Example:
You: "Create an issue: 'Fix login bug on mobile'" OpenClaw: "Created issue #456 in myapp repo"
19. jira
- Manages Jira tasks
-
Example:
You: "What tasks are assigned to me?" OpenClaw: "You have 3 tasks: ..."
20. database
- Queries databases (SQL, MongoDB)
- High risk — can modify data
-
Example:
You: "How many users signed up today?" OpenClaw: [Queries database] "47 new users today"
Utility Tools
21. calculator
- Performs calculations
-
Example:
You: "Calculate 15% of $1,250" OpenClaw: "$187.50"
22. date_time
- Handles dates and times
-
Example:
You: "What time is it in Tokyo?" OpenClaw: "3:45 AM JST (March 6, 2026)"
23. image_gen
- Generates images (DALL-E, Stable Diffusion)
-
Example:
You: "Generate an image of a robot using a computer" OpenClaw: [Generates image] "Saved to images/robot.png"
24. pdf
- Creates and reads PDFs
-
Example:
You: "Convert report.md to PDF" OpenClaw: "Created report.pdf"
25. zip
- Compresses and extracts files
-
Example:
You: "Zip the src/ directory" OpenClaw: "Created src.zip (2.3 MB)"
Managing Tools
View enabled tools:
You: "What tools do I have enabled?"
OpenClaw: "Enabled tools: ✓ read, write, list, search ... ✗ exec (disabled)"
Enable a tool:
You: "Enable the exec tool"
OpenClaw: "⚠️ Warning: exec allows running shell commands. Are you sure?"
You: "Yes"
OpenClaw: "Enabled exec tool"
Disable a tool:
You: "Disable the database tool"
OpenClaw: "Disabled database tool. I can no longer query databases."
Security Best Practices
- Start minimal: Only enable what you need.
-
High-risk:
exec,database,email— Only enable if you fully trust OpenClaw. -
Medium-risk:
write,github,slack— Enable as needed, monitor usage. -
Low-risk:
read,list,search,web_search,web_fetch,memory— Safe to enable by default.
The 53+ Community Skills
Skills are ready-made workflows. The community maintains 53+ skills.
Development Skills
code_review
- Reviews code for quality, bugs, style
- Uses: read, search, web_search, github
-
Example:
You: "Review PR #42" OpenClaw: [Analyzes code, checks for issues, posts comments]
debug_assistant
- Helps debug errors
- Uses: read, search, exec, web_search
-
Example:
You: "Debug this error: TypeError: ..." OpenClaw: [Analyzes code, suggests fixes]
test_generator
- Generates unit tests
- Uses: read, write, exec
-
Example:
You: "Generate tests for src/api/users.js" OpenClaw: [Creates test file with comprehensive tests]
refactor_assistant
- Suggests code improvements
- Uses: read, write, search
-
Example:
You: "Refactor src/utils/helpers.js" OpenClaw: [Suggests improvements, applies changes]
Productivity Skills
meeting_summary
- Summarizes meetings, extracts action items
- Uses: memory, context
-
Example:
You: [Forwards meeting transcript] OpenClaw: [Generates structured summary]
task_manager
- Manages tasks across Jira, Asana, Trello
- Uses: jira, memory, schedule
-
Example:
You: "What's on my plate this week?" OpenClaw: [Lists all tasks]
email_assistant
- Drafts and sends emails
- Uses: email, memory
-
Example:
You: "Draft an email to the team about tomorrow's deployment" OpenClaw: [Generates professional email]
Content Skills
blog_writer
- Writes blog posts
- Uses: web_search, write, memory
-
Example:
You: "Write a blog post about OpenClaw use cases" OpenClaw: [Researches, writes post]
social_media_manager
- Creates social media content
- Uses: web_search, memory, slack
-
Example:
You: "Create a Twitter thread about our new feature" OpenClaw: [Generates thread]
video_script_writer
- Writes video scripts
- Uses: web_search, write, memory
-
Example:
You: "Write a 10-minute YouTube script about OpenClaw setup" OpenClaw: [Generates script]
Monitoring Skills
api_monitor
- Monitors API health
- Uses: web_fetch, heartbeat, slack
-
Example:
You: "Monitor https://api.myapp.com" OpenClaw: [Checks API every 5 min, alerts on issues]
error_tracker
- Tracks/analyzes errors
- Uses: read, search, memory, slack
-
Example:
You: "Monitor error logs and alert me on new errors" OpenClaw: [Watches logs, sends alerts]
deployment_watcher
- Monitors deployments
- Uses: github, exec, slack
-
Example:
You: "Watch for new deployments and run smoke tests" OpenClaw: [Monitors, tests, reports]
Installing Skills
Browse available skills:
You: "List available skills"
OpenClaw: "Available skills: code_review, debug_assistant, ... Use 'install skill [name]' to add a skill."
Install a skill:
You: "Install skill code_review"
OpenClaw: "Installing code_review skill...
Required tools:
✓ read (enabled)
✓ search (enabled)
✓ web_search (enabled)
✗ github (not enabled)
Enable github tool? (y/n)"
You: "y"
OpenClaw: "Enabled github tool
✓ Installed code_review skill
Try it: 'Review PR #42'"
Uninstall a skill:
You: "Uninstall skill blog_writer"
OpenClaw: "Uninstalled blog_writer skill"
Creating Custom Skills
Skills are YAML files defining workflows.
Skill structure:
name: daily_standup
description: Generates daily standup report
tools:
- jira
- github
- slack
steps:
- action: query_jira
query: "assignee = currentUser() AND status = 'In Progress'"
- action: query_github
query: "author:me is:pr is:open"
- action: format_report
template: |
Daily Standup Report
**Yesterday:**
{completed_tasks}
**Today:**
{in_progress_tasks}
**Blockers:**
{blockers}
- action: post_slack
channel: "#standup"
message: "{report}"
Example: Custom Backup Skill
name: backup_project
description: Backs up project files to cloud storage
tools:
- zip
- exec
steps:
- action: create_zip
source: "."
output: "backup-{date}.zip"
exclude:
- node_modules
- .git
- action: upload
command: "aws s3 cp backup-{date}.zip s3://my-backups/"
- action: notify
message: "✓ Backup complete: backup-{date}.zip"
Install custom skill:
# Save skill to ~/.openclaw/skills/backup_project.yaml
openclaw skill install ~/.openclaw/skills/backup_project.yaml
Use it:
You: "Run backup_project skill"
OpenClaw: [Executes backup workflow]
Skill Combinations
Combine skills for advanced automation.
Example: Automated Code Review + Deployment
You: "When a PR is merged to main, review the code, run tests, and deploy to staging"
OpenClaw: "Created workflow:
1. Monitor GitHub for merges to main
2. Run code_review skill
3. Run test_generator skill
4. If tests pass, run deployment_watcher skill
5. Post results to #engineering Slack
Workflow active."
💡 For API-focused projects, you can extend this workflow by integrating Apidog to automatically run API contract tests and update documentation after successful deployments.
Example: Content Pipeline
You: "Every Monday at 9 AM, research trending AI topics, write a blog post, and create a Twitter thread"
OpenClaw: "Created workflow:
1. Schedule: Monday 9 AM
2. Run trend_monitor skill
3. Run blog_writer skill
4. Run social_media_manager skill
5. Send draft for approval
Workflow scheduled."
Troubleshooting
Skill fails to install:
You: "Enable tools: github, slack"
OpenClaw: "Enabled github and slack"
You: "Install skill code_review"
OpenClaw: "✓ Installed code_review"
Skill doesn't work as expected:
You: "Show logs for code_review skill"
OpenClaw: [Shows detailed execution logs]
Tool permission denied:
You: "Enable exec tool"
OpenClaw: "Enabled exec tool"
Best Practices
1. Start with Safe Tools
Enable only: read, list, search, web_search, web_fetch, memory.
Add exec, write, etc., only when needed.
2. Install Skills Gradually
Start with 2-3 skills for immediate needs.
3. Review Skill Code
Check YAML before installing community skills.
4. Monitor Usage
You: "Show tool usage stats"
OpenClaw: "Tool usage (last 7 days): - read: 342 times - web_search: 89 times - write: 45 times - exec: 12 times"
5. Create Skill Aliases
You: "Create alias 'review' for 'run code_review skill'"
OpenClaw: "Alias created. Use 'review' to run code_review."
FAQ
Q: Can I disable all tools?
A: Yes, but OpenClaw will be limited. Needs at least memory and context.
Q: Are skills safe?
A: Community skills are reviewed, but always check the YAML yourself.
Q: Can I modify existing skills?
A: Yes, copy the YAML to ~/.openclaw/skills/ and edit.
Q: How many skills can I install?
A: No limit, but too many slow things down. Install only what you use.
Q: Do skills cost money?
A: Skills are free, but some tools (like image_gen) may use paid APIs.
Q: Can I share custom skills?
A: Yes, publish them to the OpenClaw GitHub community repo.
Q: What if a skill breaks?
A: Uninstall it and report the issue.
Q: Can skills access my files?
A: Only if read or write tools are enabled.
Conclusion
Tools give OpenClaw its capabilities. Skills enable complex workflows. Together, they make OpenClaw a powerful automation platform.
Get started:
- Enable safe tools (
read,web_search,memory) - Install a few skills for your immediate needs (
code_review,meeting_summary) - Enable powerful tools (
exec,database) as you gain confidence - Build and share your own skills
The OpenClaw ecosystem is growing. Join the community, contribute skills, and automate your workflows.
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