Skills (macOS)

The macOS app surfaces OpenClaw skills via the gateway; it does not parse skills locally.

Data source

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  skills.status
  (gateway) returns all skills plus eligibility and missing requirements (including allowlist blocks for bundled skills).
• Requirements are derived from
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  metadata.openclaw.requires
  in each
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  SKILL.md
  .

Install actions

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  metadata.openclaw.install
  defines install options (brew/node/go/uv).
• The app calls
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  skills.install
  to run installers on the gateway host.
• Built-in dangerous-code
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  critical
  findings block
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  skills.install
  by default; suspicious findings still warn only. The dangerous override exists on the gateway request, but the default app flow stays fail-closed.
• If every install option is
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  download
  , the gateway surfaces all download choices.
• Otherwise, the gateway picks one preferred installer using the current install preferences and host binaries: Homebrew first when
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  skills.install.preferBrew
  is enabled and
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  brew
  exists, then
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  uv
  , then the configured node manager from
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  skills.install.nodeManager
  , then later fallbacks like
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  go
  or
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  download
  .
• Node install labels reflect the configured node manager, including
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  yarn
  .

Env/API keys

• The app stores keys in
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  ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json
  under
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  skills.entries.<skillKey>
  .
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  skills.update
  patches
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  enabled
  ,
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  apiKey
  , and
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  env
  .

Remote mode

• Install + config updates happen on the gateway host (not the local Mac).

Related

• Skills
• macOS app