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Guide

OpenClaw Skills and ClawHub: How to Extend Your Agent

Extensibility guide.

Complete guide to OpenClaw skills, ClawHub, and writing your own tools. Extend your agent safely in 2026.

By Liyam Flexer, Founder & EditorPublished Last reviewed
At a glance
Type
Guide
Topics
OpenClaw, ClawHub, Agent skills
Evidence
Editorial interpretation
Written by
Liyam Flexer

The short answer

OpenClaw skills extend agent capabilities through built-in tools (shell, files, browser), community packages from the ClawHub registry, workspace-private tools, and Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers. After installing a skill with a single command, reload the Gateway to make the new tools available, always auditing tool permissions before activation.

Skills are the primary way to add capabilities to OpenClaw.

  • Built-in skills cover shell, files, browser, and messaging.
  • ClawHub hosts thousands of community skills you can install with a single command.
  • Workspace skills stay private to one project.
  • You can write your own skills or connect MCP servers.

After installing a skill, restart the Gateway or reload so the agent can use it. Popular categories include email, calendar, GitHub, browser automation, and custom data tables. Always review a skill’s permissions before enabling it.

Evidence in this article Editorial interpretation Our reading of what the evidence means. Judgment, clearly separated from the evidence itself.

Frequently asked questions

What is ClawHub?

ClawHub is OpenClaw's official community package registry, hosting thousands of modular skills for calendar, email, GitHub, databases, and custom automation.

Does OpenClaw support Model Context Protocol (MCP)?

Yes. OpenClaw connects natively to external MCP servers, allowing agents to query databases, call APIs, and execute tools via standardized MCP definitions.

How do I create a private skill in OpenClaw?

Place your custom skill definition and tool scripts into the `.openclaw/skills/` directory within your project workspace, which keeps the skill private to that project.

Sources

  1. OpenClaw Skills Documentation OpenClaw Foundation, accessed .
  2. OpenClaw Official Site OpenClaw Foundation, accessed .