Skills

Turn repeated OpenClaw work into skills and SOPs

A useful skill is not a giant all-purpose brain. It captures a high-frequency action with a stable decision path so that you and your team can reuse it.

DepthPilot Summary

This lesson teaches how to turn repeated judgment into a team asset

The value of a skill is not a universal brain. It is a repeatable action with a stable decision path and a clear acceptance rule. DepthPilot focuses on choosing the right repeated work, separating core flow from references and scripts, and validating the skill with real triggers and stable outputs.

Start with repeated high-value work

If the same action shows up for the third time, it deserves a reusable form.
Bootstrap checks, triage flows, and pre-launch checks are stronger first skills than giant automations.
Solve repeated labor before you chase sophistication.

Separate the structure

Let SKILL.md carry the short flow, references carry long context, and scripts carry deterministic logic.
The more a skill reads like an essay, the harder it is to reuse and maintain.
A strong skill is defined by clear boundaries, not by volume.

Validate with stable outputs

If outputs vary wildly, the skill is still too broad.
Validation should check stable triggering, stable output shape, and stable next-step guidance.
The real artifact is a reusable team capability, not a clever folder name.

What should be turned into a skill first

Project start checks: doctor, channel probe, search provider, pairing status.

Daily ops checks: latest failed tasks, plugin health, permission errors, queued work.

Pre-plugin-launch checks: version, Gateway restart, minimum regression validation.

Chat or ticket triage: repair context first, then decide whether to use tools, a skill, or human escalation.

How to write one without making it bloated

Keep the core workflow in `SKILL.md` and move long details into `references/`.

Put deterministic logic in `scripts/` instead of natural-language instructions.

One skill should solve one stable scenario. Do not start with a universal controller.

How to validate the skill after writing it

Prepare 2 to 3 real trigger phrases and see whether the skill is invoked consistently.

Require a stable output shape such as a checklist, issue summary, or next-step plan.

If outputs vary wildly, the skill is still too broad and should be narrowed.

Starter Template

The project already includes a reusable `SKILL.md` starter and a bootstrap checklist. Start with a simple project bootstrap skill before you optimize further.

Download starter SKILL.md

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