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ClawHub

docs/tools/clawhub.md

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ClawHub is the public registry for OpenClaw skills and plugins.

  • Use native openclaw commands to search, install, and update skills, and to install plugins from ClawHub.
  • Use the separate clawhub CLI for registry auth, publish, delete/undelete, and sync workflows.

Site: clawhub.ai

Quick start

<Steps> <Step title="Search"> ```bash openclaw skills search "calendar" ``` </Step> <Step title="Install"> ```bash openclaw skills install <skill-slug> ``` </Step> <Step title="Use"> Start a new OpenClaw session — it picks up the new skill. </Step> <Step title="Publish (optional)"> For registry-authenticated workflows (publish, sync, manage), install the separate `clawhub` CLI:
```bash
npm i -g clawhub
# or
pnpm add -g clawhub
```
</Step> </Steps>

Native OpenClaw flows

<Tabs> <Tab title="Skills"> ```bash openclaw skills search "calendar" openclaw skills install <skill-slug> openclaw skills update --all ```
Native `openclaw` commands install into your active workspace and
persist source metadata so later `update` calls can stay on ClawHub.
</Tab> <Tab title="Plugins"> ```bash openclaw plugins search "calendar" openclaw plugins install clawhub:<package> openclaw plugins update --all ```
`plugins search` queries the ClawHub plugin catalog and prints install-ready
package names. Use `clawhub:<package>` when you want ClawHub resolution.
Bare npm-safe plugin specs install from npm during the launch cutover:

```bash
openclaw plugins install openclaw-codex-app-server
```

`npm:<package>` is also npm-only and is useful when a spec could otherwise
be ambiguous:

```bash
openclaw plugins install npm:openclaw-codex-app-server
```

Plugin installs validate advertised `pluginApi` and
`minGatewayVersion` compatibility before archive install runs, so
incompatible hosts fail closed early instead of partially installing
the package. When a package version publishes a ClawPack artifact,
OpenClaw prefers the exact uploaded npm-pack `.tgz`, verifies the ClawHub
digest header and downloaded bytes, and records the artifact kind, npm
integrity, npm shasum, tarball name, and ClawPack digest metadata for later
updates. Older package versions without ClawPack metadata still use the
legacy package archive verification path.
</Tab> </Tabs> <Note> `openclaw plugins install clawhub:...` only accepts installable plugin families. If a ClawHub package is actually a skill, OpenClaw stops and points you at `openclaw skills install <slug>` instead.

Anonymous ClawHub plugin installs also fail closed for private packages. Community or other non-official channels can still install, but OpenClaw warns so operators can review source and verification before enabling them. </Note>

What ClawHub is

  • A public registry for OpenClaw skills and plugins.
  • A versioned store of skill bundles and metadata.
  • A discovery surface for search, tags, and usage signals.

A typical skill is a versioned bundle of files that includes:

  • A SKILL.md file with the primary description and usage.
  • Optional configs, scripts, or supporting files used by the skill.
  • Metadata such as tags, summary, and install requirements.

ClawHub uses metadata to power discovery and safely expose skill capabilities. The registry tracks usage signals (stars, downloads) to improve ranking and visibility. Each publish creates a new semver version, and the registry keeps version history so users can audit changes.

Workspace and skill loading

The separate clawhub CLI also installs skills into ./skills under your current working directory. If an OpenClaw workspace is configured, clawhub falls back to that workspace unless you override --workdir (or CLAWHUB_WORKDIR). OpenClaw loads workspace skills from <workspace>/skills and picks them up in the next session.

If you already use ~/.openclaw/skills or bundled skills, workspace skills take precedence. For more detail on how skills are loaded, shared, and gated, see Skills.

Service features

FeatureNotes
Public browsingSkills and their SKILL.md content are publicly viewable.
SearchEmbedding-powered (vector search), not just keywords.
VersioningSemver, changelogs, and tags (including latest).
DownloadsZip per version.
Stars and commentsCommunity feedback.
Security scan summariesDetail pages show the latest scan state before install or download.
Scanner detail pagesVirusTotal, ClawScan, and static-analysis results have deep links.
Owner recovery dashboardPublishers can see scan-held owned content from /dashboard.
Owner-requested rescansOwners can request limited rescans for false-positive recovery.
ModerationApprovals and audits.
CLI-friendly APISuitable for automation and scripting.

Security and moderation

ClawHub is open by default — anyone can upload skills, but a GitHub account must be at least one week old to publish. This slows down abuse without blocking legitimate contributors.

<AccordionGroup> <Accordion title="Security scans"> ClawHub runs automated security checks on published skills and plugin releases. Public detail pages summarize the current result, and scanner rows link to dedicated detail pages for VirusTotal, ClawScan, and static analysis.
Scan-held or blocked releases may be unavailable on public catalog and
install surfaces while still visible to their owner in `/dashboard`.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Reporting"> - Any signed-in user can report a skill. - Report reasons are required and recorded. - Each user can have up to 20 active reports at a time. - Skills with more than 3 unique reports are auto-hidden by default. </Accordion> <Accordion title="Moderation"> - Moderators can view hidden skills, unhide them, delete them, or ban users. - Abusing the report feature can result in account bans. - Interested in becoming a moderator? Ask in the OpenClaw Discord and contact a moderator or maintainer. </Accordion> </AccordionGroup>

ClawHub CLI

You only need this for registry-authenticated workflows such as publish/sync.

Global options

<ParamField path="--workdir <dir>" type="string"> Working directory. Default: current dir; falls back to OpenClaw workspace. </ParamField> <ParamField path="--dir <dir>" type="string" default="skills"> Skills directory, relative to workdir. </ParamField> <ParamField path="--site <url>" type="string"> Site base URL (browser login). </ParamField> <ParamField path="--registry <url>" type="string"> Registry API base URL. </ParamField> <ParamField path="--no-input" type="boolean"> Disable prompts (non-interactive). </ParamField> <ParamField path="-V, --cli-version" type="boolean"> Print CLI version. </ParamField>

Commands

<AccordionGroup> <Accordion title="Auth (login / logout / whoami)"> ```bash clawhub login # browser flow clawhub login --token <token> clawhub logout clawhub whoami ```
Login options:

- `--token <token>` — paste an API token.
- `--label <label>` — label stored for browser login tokens (default: `CLI token`).
- `--no-browser` — do not open a browser (requires `--token`).
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Search"> ```bash clawhub search "query" ```
Searches skills. For plugin/package discovery, use `clawhub package explore`.

- `--limit <n>` — max results.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Browse / inspect plugins"> ```bash clawhub package explore --family code-plugin clawhub package explore "episodic-claw" --family code-plugin clawhub package inspect episodic-claw ```
`package explore` and `package inspect` are the ClawHub CLI surfaces for plugin/package discovery and metadata inspection. Native OpenClaw installs still use `openclaw plugins install clawhub:<package>`.

Options:

- `--family skill|code-plugin|bundle-plugin` — filter package family.
- `--official` — show only official packages.
- `--executes-code` — show only packages that execute code.
- `--version <version>` / `--tag <tag>` — inspect a specific package version.
- `--versions`, `--files`, `--file <path>` — inspect package history and files.
- `--json` — machine-readable output.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Install / update / list"> ```bash clawhub install <slug> clawhub update <slug> clawhub update --all clawhub list ```
Options:

- `--version <version>` — install or update to a specific version (single slug only on `update`).
- `--force` — overwrite if the folder already exists, or when local files do not match any published version.
- `clawhub list` reads `.clawhub/lock.json`.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Publish skills"> ```bash clawhub skill publish <path> ```
Options:

- `--slug <slug>` — skill slug.
- `--name <name>` — display name.
- `--version <version>` — semver version.
- `--changelog <text>` — changelog text (can be empty).
- `--tags <tags>` — comma-separated tags (default: `latest`).
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Publish plugins"> ```bash clawhub package publish <source> ```
`<source>` can be a local folder, `owner/repo`, `owner/repo@ref`, or a
GitHub URL.

Options:

- `--dry-run` — build the exact publish plan without uploading anything.
- `--json` — emit machine-readable output for CI.
- `--source-repo`, `--source-commit`, `--source-ref` — optional overrides when auto-detection is not enough.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Request rescans"> ```bash clawhub skill rescan <slug> clawhub skill rescan <slug> --yes --json
clawhub package rescan <name>
clawhub package rescan <name> --yes --json
```

Rescan commands require a logged-in owner token and target the latest
published skill version or plugin release. In non-interactive runs, pass
`--yes`.

JSON responses include the target kind, name, version, rescan status, and
remaining/max request counts for that version or release.
</Accordion> <Accordion title="Delete / undelete (owner or admin)"> ```bash clawhub delete <slug> --yes clawhub undelete <slug> --yes ``` </Accordion> <Accordion title="Sync (scan local + publish new or updated)"> ```bash clawhub sync ```
Options:

- `--root <dir...>` — extra scan roots.
- `--all` — upload everything without prompts.
- `--dry-run` — show what would be uploaded.
- `--bump <type>` — `patch|minor|major` for updates (default: `patch`).
- `--changelog <text>` — changelog for non-interactive updates.
- `--tags <tags>` — comma-separated tags (default: `latest`).
- `--concurrency <n>` — registry checks (default: `4`).
</Accordion> </AccordionGroup>

Common workflows

<Tabs> <Tab title="Search"> ```bash clawhub search "postgres backups" ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Find a plugin"> ```bash clawhub package explore --family code-plugin clawhub package explore "memory" --family code-plugin clawhub package inspect episodic-claw ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Install"> ```bash clawhub install my-skill-pack ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Update all"> ```bash clawhub update --all ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Publish a single skill"> ```bash clawhub skill publish ./my-skill --slug my-skill --name "My Skill" --version 1.0.0 --tags latest ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Sync many skills"> ```bash clawhub sync --all ``` </Tab> <Tab title="Publish a plugin from GitHub"> ```bash clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin --dry-run clawhub package publish your-org/your-plugin clawhub package publish your-org/[email protected] clawhub package publish https://github.com/your-org/your-plugin ``` </Tab> </Tabs>

Plugin package metadata

Code plugins must include the required OpenClaw metadata in package.json:

json
{
  "name": "@myorg/openclaw-my-plugin",
  "version": "1.0.0",
  "type": "module",
  "openclaw": {
    "extensions": ["./src/index.ts"],
    "runtimeExtensions": ["./dist/index.js"],
    "compat": {
      "pluginApi": ">=2026.3.24-beta.2",
      "minGatewayVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
    },
    "build": {
      "openclawVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2",
      "pluginSdkVersion": "2026.3.24-beta.2"
    }
  }
}

Published packages should ship built JavaScript and point runtimeExtensions at that output. Git checkout installs can still fall back to TypeScript source when no built files exist, but built runtime entries avoid runtime TypeScript compilation in startup, doctor, and plugin loading paths.

Versioning, lockfile, and telemetry

<AccordionGroup> <Accordion title="Versioning and tags"> - Each publish creates a new **semver** `SkillVersion`. - Tags (like `latest`) point to a version; moving tags lets you roll back. - Changelogs are attached per version and can be empty when syncing or publishing updates. </Accordion> <Accordion title="Local changes vs registry versions"> Updates compare the local skill contents to registry versions using a content hash. If local files do not match any published version, the CLI asks before overwriting (or requires `--force` in non-interactive runs). </Accordion> <Accordion title="Sync scanning and fallback roots"> `clawhub sync` scans your current workdir first. If no skills are found, it falls back to known legacy locations (for example `~/openclaw/skills` and `~/.openclaw/skills`). This is designed to find older skill installs without extra flags. </Accordion> <Accordion title="Storage and lockfile"> - Installed skills are recorded in `.clawhub/lock.json` under your workdir. - Auth tokens are stored in the ClawHub CLI config file (override via `CLAWHUB_CONFIG_PATH`). </Accordion> <Accordion title="Telemetry (install counts)"> When you run `clawhub sync` while logged in, the CLI sends a minimal snapshot to compute install counts. You can disable this entirely:
```bash
export CLAWHUB_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1
```
</Accordion> </AccordionGroup>

Environment variables

VariableEffect
CLAWHUB_SITEOverride the site URL.
CLAWHUB_REGISTRYOverride the registry API URL.
CLAWHUB_CONFIG_PATHOverride where the CLI stores the token/config.
CLAWHUB_WORKDIROverride the default workdir.
CLAWHUB_DISABLE_TELEMETRY=1Disable telemetry on sync.