Skills & Tools
Skills are plugins that give your agent new abilities — from web search to smart home control.
What are Skills?
Skills are modular packages that extend what your agent can do. Each skill adds one or more tools that the agent can call during conversations. For example, a weather skill lets your agent check forecasts, a coding skill lets it run code, and a smart home skill lets it control your lights.
Skills are installed as npm packages or local folders. They come with their own instructions (a SKILL.md file) that teaches the agent how and when to use the skill.
The Skills Browser
ClawManager includes a built-in Skills Browser that shows all available and installed skills. From here you can:
- • See which skills are enabled, ready, or need setup
- • Enable or disable individual skills with a toggle
- • View what each skill requires (API keys, system binaries, config)
- • Test skills to verify they work
- • Filter by category, status, or search by name
Installing Skills
Many skills come pre-installed with OpenClaw. To add more:
After installing, the skill appears in ClawManager's Skills Browser. Some skills may need additional setup — like providing an API key or installing a system dependency.
Skill Requirements
Skills may need certain things to work. The Skills Browser shows these clearly:
API Keys
Some skills need API keys (e.g., a weather API key, a search API key). ClawManager shows which keys are missing and where to get them.
Environment Variables
Skills may require environment variables set in your shell or .env file.
System Binaries
Some skills need programs installed on your system (e.g., ffmpeg for media, signal-cli for Signal).
OS Compatibility
A few skills are platform-specific (e.g., iMessage requires macOS). Incompatible skills are flagged.
Setup Guides
Many skills include built-in setup guides. When a skill needs configuration, click the Setup Guide button in the Skills Browser. This opens a step-by-step walkthrough specific to that skill — telling you exactly where to get API keys, what to install, and how to configure it.
Skill Categories
Security & Skill Allowlists
Skills can be controlled by the Security Manager. If you have a security allowlist configured, only explicitly allowed skills will be enabled. Skills blocked by the allowlist show a 🚫 indicator in the browser. This is useful for locked-down deployments where you want precise control over agent capabilities.
Next Steps
Set up automated tasks with Automation or lock things down with Security.