Skills on emsenn.net

How to Write an Effective Skill

Tue, 31 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

A skill is a markdown file that loads into an agent’s context when the agent decides it is relevant. The file has YAML frontmatter for metadata and a markdown body for instructions. The agent reads the frontmatter to decide whether to load the skill. If it loads, the agent follows the body’s instructions. If it does not load, the skill costs nothing — it is inert.

This guide covers how to write skills that activate at the right time and provide useful guidance when they do.

ClawHub

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

ClawHub is the public skill registry for OpenClaw. It provides a discovery and distribution surface for versioned skill bundles.

¶Role

The official docs position ClawHub as the normal way to search, install, update, and publish OpenClaw skills. Its CLI supports search, installation, updates, and sync-based publishing.

¶Function

ClawHub turns skills into portable, shareable artifacts rather than only local folders. It therefore extends OpenClaw’s skill system with a public registry layer.

OpenClaw Skill

Mon, 09 Mar 2026 00:00:00 +0000

An OpenClaw skill is a directory-based instruction and tool bundle that teaches an OpenClaw agent how to perform a specialized task. The official docs define a skill as a directory containing a SKILL.md file and, optionally, scripts or other resources.

¶Loading model

The official skills documentation describes three main loading locations:

bundled skills shipped with OpenClaw
managed or local skills under ~/.openclaw/skills
workspace skills under <workspace>/skills

When names conflict, workspace skills take precedence over shared and bundled skills.