TL;DR
OpenClaw uses Tools and Skills to take action. Tools are low-level capabilities (read files, run commands, search web). Skills are pre-built workflows that combine multiple tools (code review, meeting summary). This guide explains all 25 default tools, 53+ community skills, how to enable/disable them, and how to create custom skills.
Tools vs Skills: Understanding the Difference
OpenClaw's power comes from two systems working together:
Tools = What OpenClaw CAN do (capabilities)
Skills = What OpenClaw KNOWS how to do (workflows)
Think of tools as organs and skills as learned behaviors. Tools give OpenClaw the ability to read files or execute commands. Skills teach it how to use those tools for specific tasks like reviewing code or summarizing meetings.
Example: Code Review
Without Skills (Tools Only):
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 (analysis)
- Searches for similar issues (web_search tool)
- Posts comments (github tool)
Skills orchestrate tools to accomplish complex tasks.
The 25 Default Tools
Tools are built into OpenClaw. You enable or disable them based on what you trust OpenClaw to do.
File System Tools
1. read
What it does: Reads file contents
Use cases: View code, check configs, analyze logs
Security: Read-only, can't modify files
Example:
You: "Read package.json"
OpenClaw: [Shows file contents]
2. write
What it does: Creates or modifies files
Use cases: Generate code, update configs, create documents
Security: Can overwrite files—use carefully
Example:
You: "Create a file called test.txt with 'Hello World'"
OpenClaw: "Done. Created test.txt"
3. list
What it does: Lists files and directories
Use cases: Explore project structure, find files
Security: Read-only
Example:
You: "List files in src/"
OpenClaw: "src/ contains:
- api/
- components/
- utils/
- index.js"
4. search
What it does: Searches file contents (like grep)
Use cases: Find code patterns, locate functions
Security: Read-only
Example:
You: "Search for 'TODO' in all JavaScript files"
OpenClaw: "Found 12 matches:
- src/api/users.js:45
- src/utils/helpers.js:23
..."
Execution Tools
5. exec
What it does: Runs shell commands
Use cases: Run tests, build projects, deploy code
Security: HIGH RISK—can execute any command
Example:
You: "Run npm test"
OpenClaw: [Executes tests and shows results]
Security Note: Only enable exec if you trust OpenClaw completely. It can run destructive commands like rm -rf.
6. python
What it does: Executes Python code
Use cases: Data analysis, scripting, automation
Security: Can run arbitrary Python code
Example:
You: "Calculate the average of [10, 20, 30, 40]"
OpenClaw: [Runs Python] "Average: 25"
7. node
What it does: Executes Node.js code
Use cases: JavaScript scripting, API calls
Security: Can run arbitrary JavaScript
Example:
You: "Fetch data from https://api.example.com/users"
OpenClaw: [Runs Node.js fetch] "Retrieved 50 users"
Web Tools
8. web_search
What it does: Searches the internet (Google, Bing)
Use cases: Research, fact-checking, finding docs
Security: Low risk—read-only
Example:
You: "Search for OpenClaw documentation"
OpenClaw: "Found:
1. docs.openclaw.ai - Official docs
2. github.com/openclaw - Repository
..."
9. web_fetch
What it does: Downloads web page content
Use cases: Scrape data, read articles, monitor sites
Security: Low risk—read-only
Example:
You: "Fetch the content of https://example.com"
OpenClaw: [Downloads and shows page content]
10. web_screenshot
What it does: Captures screenshots of web pages
Use cases: Visual testing, monitoring, documentation
Security: Low risk
Example:
You: "Screenshot https://myapp.com"
OpenClaw: "Saved screenshot to screenshots/myapp.png"
Memory Tools
11. memory
What it does: Stores and retrieves information across sessions
Use cases: Remember preferences, save context
Security: Low risk—local storage only
Example:
You: "Remember that I prefer TypeScript over JavaScript"
OpenClaw: "Saved to memory."
[Later]
You: "Generate a new API endpoint"
OpenClaw: "Creating TypeScript endpoint..." [Uses remembered preference]
12. context
What it does: Manages conversation context
Use cases: Track multi-step tasks, maintain state
Security: Low risk
Example:
You: "I'm working on the user authentication feature"
OpenClaw: "Noted. I'll keep this context for our conversation."
You: "Add password validation"
OpenClaw: [Knows you're still working on auth] "Adding validation to the auth feature..."
Scheduling Tools
13. schedule
What it does: Creates recurring tasks (cron-like)
Use cases: Daily reports, monitoring, reminders
Security: Medium risk—runs tasks automatically
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
What it does: Runs background tasks at intervals
Use cases: Monitoring, polling, periodic checks
Security: Medium risk
Example:
You: "Monitor https://api.myapp.com every 5 minutes"
OpenClaw: "Heartbeat started. Checking every 5 minutes."
Communication Tools
15. email
What it does: Sends emails
Use cases: Notifications, reports, alerts
Security: Medium risk—can send emails on your behalf
Example:
You: "Email the team a summary of today's deployments"
OpenClaw: "Sent email to team@company.com"
16. slack
What it does: Posts to Slack channels
Use cases: Team notifications, alerts, updates
Security: Medium risk
Example:
You: "Post to #engineering: 'Deployment complete'"
OpenClaw: "Posted to #engineering"
17. discord
What it does: Sends Discord messages
Use cases: Community updates, bot interactions
Security: Medium risk
Example:
You: "Send a message to #general: 'Server maintenance in 10 minutes'"
OpenClaw: "Message sent to #general"
Integration Tools
18. github
What it does: Interacts with GitHub (repos, PRs, issues)
Use cases: Code reviews, issue management, deployments
Security: Medium risk—can modify repos
Example:
You: "Create an issue: 'Fix login bug on mobile'"
OpenClaw: "Created issue #456 in myapp repo"
19. jira
What it does: Manages Jira tasks
Use cases: Project management, task tracking
Security: Medium risk
Example:
You: "What tasks are assigned to me?"
OpenClaw: "You have 3 tasks:
- PROJ-123: Fix authentication
- PROJ-124: Update docs
- PROJ-125: Code review"
20. database
What it does: Queries databases (SQL, MongoDB)
Use cases: Data analysis, reporting, debugging
Security: HIGH RISK—can modify data
Example:
You: "How many users signed up today?"
OpenClaw: [Queries database] "47 new users today"
Utility Tools
21. calculator
What it does: Performs calculations
Use cases: Math, conversions, estimates
Security: No risk
Example:
You: "Calculate 15% of $1,250"
OpenClaw: "$187.50"
22. date_time
What it does: Handles dates and times
Use cases: Scheduling, time zones, calculations
Security: No risk
Example:
You: "What time is it in Tokyo?"
OpenClaw: "3:45 AM JST (March 6, 2026)"
23. image_gen
What it does: Generates images (DALL-E, Stable Diffusion)
Use cases: Thumbnails, mockups, illustrations
Security: Low risk—costs API credits
Example:
You: "Generate an image of a robot using a computer"
OpenClaw: [Generates image] "Saved to images/robot.png"
24. pdf
What it does: Creates and reads PDFs
Use cases: Reports, documentation, invoices
Security: Low risk
Example:
You: "Convert report.md to PDF"
OpenClaw: "Created report.pdf"
25. zip
What it does: Compresses and extracts files
Use cases: Backups, file transfers, archives
Security: Low risk
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
✓ web_search, web_fetch
✓ memory, context
✓ schedule, heartbeat
✗ exec (disabled)
✗ database (disabled)"
Enable a Tool
You: "Enable the exec tool"
OpenClaw: "⚠️ Warning: exec allows running shell commands. This is powerful but risky. 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:
Enable only the tools you need. You can always add more later.
High-Risk Tools:
exec- Can run any commanddatabase- Can modify dataemail- Can send emails on your behalf
Only enable these if you trust OpenClaw completely.
Medium-Risk Tools:
write- Can overwrite filesgithub- Can modify reposslack- Can post messages
Enable these when you need automation but monitor their usage.
Low-Risk Tools:
read,list,search- Read-onlyweb_search,web_fetch- External read-onlymemory- Local storage
Safe to enable by default.
The 53+ Community Skills
Skills are pre-built workflows. The community has created 53+ skills for common tasks.
Development Skills
code_review
What it does: Reviews code for quality, bugs, and style
Tools used: read, search, web_search, github
Example:
You: "Review PR #42"
OpenClaw: [Analyzes code, checks for issues, posts comments]
debug_assistant
What it does: Helps debug errors
Tools used: read, search, exec, web_search
Example:
You: "Debug this error: TypeError: Cannot read property 'name' of undefined"
OpenClaw: [Analyzes code, suggests fixes]
test_generator
What it does: Generates unit tests
Tools used: read, write, exec
Example:
You: "Generate tests for src/api/users.js"
OpenClaw: [Creates test file with comprehensive tests]
refactor_assistant
What it does: Suggests code improvements
Tools used: read, write, search
Example:
You: "Refactor src/utils/helpers.js"
OpenClaw: [Suggests improvements, applies changes]
Productivity Skills
meeting_summary
What it does: Summarizes meetings and extracts action items
Tools used: memory, context
Example:
You: [Forwards meeting transcript]
OpenClaw: [Generates structured summary with action items]
task_manager
What it does: Manages tasks across tools (Jira, Asana, Trello)
Tools used: jira, memory, schedule
Example:
You: "What's on my plate this week?"
OpenClaw: [Lists all tasks from connected tools]
email_assistant
What it does: Drafts and sends emails
Tools used: email, memory
Example:
You: "Draft an email to the team about tomorrow's deployment"
OpenClaw: [Generates professional email]
Content Skills
blog_writer
What it does: Writes blog posts
Tools used: web_search, write, memory
Example:
You: "Write a blog post about OpenClaw use cases"
OpenClaw: [Researches topic, writes comprehensive post]
social_media_manager
What it does: Creates social media content
Tools used: web_search, memory, slack
Example:
You: "Create a Twitter thread about our new feature"
OpenClaw: [Generates engaging thread]
video_script_writer
What it does: Writes video scripts
Tools used: web_search, write, memory
Example:
You: "Write a 10-minute YouTube script about OpenClaw setup"
OpenClaw: [Generates structured script]
Monitoring Skills
api_monitor
What it does: Monitors API health
Tools used: web_fetch, heartbeat, slack
Example:
You: "Monitor https://api.myapp.com"
OpenClaw: [Checks API every 5 minutes, alerts on issues]
error_tracker
What it does: Tracks and analyzes errors
Tools used: read, search, memory, slack
Example:
You: "Monitor error logs and alert me on new errors"
OpenClaw: [Watches logs, sends alerts]
deployment_watcher
What it does: Monitors deployments
Tools used: 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:
**Development:**
- code_review
- debug_assistant
- test_generator
- refactor_assistant
**Productivity:**
- meeting_summary
- task_manager
- email_assistant
**Content:**
- blog_writer
- social_media_manager
- video_script_writer
**Monitoring:**
- api_monitor
- error_tracker
- deployment_watcher
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 that define workflows. You can create your own.
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 powerful workflows.
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."
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
Error: "Missing required tools"
Fix: Enable the required tools first:
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
Error: "Skill execution failed"
Fix: Check skill logs:
You: "Show logs for code_review skill"
OpenClaw: [Shows detailed execution logs]
Tool Permission Denied
Error: "Permission denied: exec tool"
Fix: Enable the tool:
You: "Enable exec tool"
OpenClaw: "Enabled exec tool"
Best Practices
1. Start with Safe Tools
Enable read-only tools first:
- read, list, search
- web_search, web_fetch
- memory
Add execution tools (exec, write) only when needed.
2. Install Skills Gradually
Don't install all 53 skills at once. Start with 2-3 that solve immediate problems.
3. Review Skill Code
Before installing community skills, review the YAML file to understand what it does.
4. Monitor Usage
Check which tools and skills OpenClaw uses:
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
Shorten common commands:
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 won't be able to do much. It needs at least memory and context to function.
Q: Are skills safe?
A: Community skills are reviewed, but always check the code before installing. Malicious skills could misuse tools.
Q: Can I modify existing skills?
A: Yes, copy the skill YAML to ~/.openclaw/skills/ and edit it.
Q: How many skills can I install?
A: No limit, but too many skills slow down OpenClaw. Install only what you use.
Q: Do skills cost money?
A: Skills are free, but they may use tools that cost money (e.g., image_gen uses API credits).
Q: Can I share custom skills?
A: Yes, publish them to the OpenClaw community repository on GitHub.
Q: What if a skill breaks?
A: Uninstall it and report the issue to the skill author.
Q: Can skills access my files?
A: Only if you enable the read or write tools. Skills can't bypass tool permissions.
Conclusion
Tools give OpenClaw capabilities. Skills teach it workflows. Together, they transform OpenClaw from a chatbot into an automation powerhouse.
Start with safe tools (read, web_search, memory). Install a few skills that solve real problems (code_review, meeting_summary). As you gain confidence, enable more powerful tools (exec, database) and create custom skills.
The 25 tools and 53+ skills represent just the beginning. The OpenClaw community adds new capabilities daily. Join the ecosystem, share your custom skills, and help build the future of AI automation.
