Skills are how OpenClaw teaches an agent to use tools reliably. A skill is a folder with a `SKILL.md` that contains metadata and instructions. Skills keep your workflow behavior consistent across sessions and make automation much easier to maintain.
Skills are the difference between “the agent sometimes does the right thing” and “the agent behaves predictably.” Put tool usage rules and examples in skills so you can maintain them like code.
OpenClaw loads skills from multiple locations. When the same skill exists in more than one place, precedence determines which one wins. This is useful for overrides and environment-specific customization.
A skill is a directory. The required piece is a `SKILL.md` file with YAML frontmatter and clear instructions about when to use it and how to use tools safely.
Example SKILL.md skeleton
---
name: research_brief
description: Create a cited research brief using web_search and web_fetch.
---
# Research Brief
## When to use
Use this skill when the user asks for research, comparisons, or a cited summary.
## How to do it
1. Use web_search for sources.
2. Use web_fetch to read sources.
3. Write a brief with citations.
## Safety
- Do not claim certainty when sources conflict.
- Prefer primary sources where possible.Skills are most valuable when they run in stable, always-on environments. Clawdguy gives you managed OpenClaw hosting so you can deploy a set of skills, keep them updated, and run consistent workflows without rebuilding your infrastructure every time.
That matters if your skills are powering real operations rather than one-off demos.