Install
openclaw skills install openclaw-i18n-skillOpenclaw I18n Skill
Internationalization and localization layer for OpenClaw. Auto-detects language, enforces correct diacritics, formats dates/currency per locale, and pipes output through a post-processing cleaner. Supports Romanian and German at launch.
openclaw-i18n — Internationalization Layer for OpenClaw
What This Skill Does
OpenClaw is a powerful AI agent framework — but by default, models generate output that often has wrong diacritics, mixed languages, or mechanically garbled text when users communicate in non-English languages. This skill fixes that with two layers:
Layer 1 — SKILL.md: Configures the agent to think and respond correctly in the user's language. Language detection, diacritics enforcement, locale formatting, cultural communication norms.
Layer 2 — Post-Processor: A Python script that mechanically cleans the model's raw output before it reaches the user. This is the unique part — no other ClawHub skill does this. It catches the specific mechanical errors that models reliably produce on non-English text: missing diacritics, stray Chinese/Russian characters, merged words, common typos.
Language Detection
How It Works
- Auto-detect user language from conversation context
- Signals: explicit language statements, user names, place references, writing style, diacritic usage
- Confidence scoring — if below 80%, ask the user to confirm
Supported Languages
| Language | Code | Status | Diacritics | Launch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Romanian | ro | Stable | ă â î ș ț | v1.0 |
| German | de | Stable | ü ö ä ß | v1.0 |
| French | fr | Planned | à â ç é è ê ë î ï ô û ü | v1.1 |
| Spanish | es | Planned | á é í ó ú ñ ü ¿ ¡ | v1.1 |
| Italian | it | Planned | à è é ì ò ó ù | v1.2 |
| Portuguese | pt | Planned | à á â ã ç é ê í ó ô õ ú | v1.2 |
English (en) is always the fallback when detection fails.
Configuration Commands
User: "Set language to Romanian" → sets active language to RO
User: "Setează limba la română" → same
User: "Stelle Sprache auf Deutsch" → sets active language to DE
User: "Reset language to auto-detect" → reverts to auto-detection
Configuration persists across sessions via OpenClaw memory tools.
Output Rules
Language Enforcement
- Always respond in the detected or configured language
- Never switch languages mid-response without explicit reason
- If a user writes in Romanian, respond in Romanian — never English
- If a user writes in German, respond in German — never English
Character Rules
- Never output Chinese, Russian, Arabic, or non-Latin characters in non-intentional contexts. Stray characters that appear in Romanian or German output are model errors — the post-processor removes them.
- Words are always separated by correct spaces — never merge two words into one. Example: "sivei" should never appear as "știu" split wrongly.
- Always use correct diacritics for the active language
Diacritics — Never Approximate
Romanian: ă â î ș ț — always correct, never write "s" instead of "ș" or "t" instead of "ț" in Romanian words.
German: ü ö ä ß — never substitute with "ue", "oe", "ae" unless user explicitly asks for old spelling.
What NOT To Do
- No filler phrases: "Desigur!", "Absolut!", "With pleasure!"
- No language mixing: English sentence fragments in a Romanian response
- No transliteration of diacritics: never write "sch" for "ș" in Romanian
- No "obviously", "of course", "as you know" — condescending patterns
Locale-Specific Formatting
Romanian (RO)
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Date | 15 martie 2026 |
| Currency | 150 lei / 30 euro / 29,99 € |
| Phone | +40 734 270 188 / 0721 234 567 |
| Address | Strada Victoriei nr. 10, București |
German (DE)
| Element | Format |
|---|---|
| Date | 15. März 2026 / 15.03.2026 |
| Currency | 29,99 € / 150 € |
| Phone | +49 30 12345678 / 0171 2345678 |
| Address | Hauptstraße 10, 10115 Berlin |
Cultural Communication Norms
German (DE) — Formal by Default
- Use Sie (capitalized) unless the user explicitly switches to du
- Formal address: "Sie" not "du", "Ihnen" not "dir"
- Titles: Herr, Frau, Dr. are relevant in professional contexts
- Email tone: structured, clear subject lines, bullet points appreciated
- When in doubt: over-formal beats casual
Romanian (RO) — Warm but Professional
- First name basis is standard once rapport is established
- Direct communication — say what you mean
- Professional but not stiff — Romanians appreciate warmth
- Avoid: excessive formality, bureaucratic language, impersonal templates
Post-Processor Integration
The i18n_processor.py script runs after the model generates output and
before it reaches the user. This is critical — it fixes mechanical errors
that slip through even when the model "knows" the correct form.
What the Post-Processor Fixes (deterministic, high-confidence):
- Missing diacritics in common words (RO: "vrau"→"vreau", DE: "Mueller"→"Müller")
- Stray non-Latin characters — single Chinese/Russian chars inserted by M2.7
- Merged words — obvious cases where two words lost their space
- Whitespace errors — double spaces, trailing/leading spaces
- Common typos — model-specific patterns that are consistent and fixable
What the Post-Processor Does NOT Fix:
- Grammar errors requiring context understanding
- Wrong word choice (semantic errors)
- Stylistic improvements
- Sentence structure problems
Integration Instructions
The agent should pipe output through the processor:
from i18n_processor import process
cleaned = process(raw_output, language_code)
# send 'cleaned' to user
Invoking from SKILL.md Context
When this skill is active, every model response should be treated as raw
output and passed through process(response, detected_language) before
delivery. The agent never sees this step — it's transparent to the user.
Configuration Memory
Language preference is stored via OpenClaw memory tools:
- Key:
i18n_language— the active language code (e.g., "ro", "de") - Key:
i18n_mode— "auto" or "manual" - Key:
i18n_detection_confidence— last confidence score (0.0–1.0)
When i18n_mode is "auto", the agent re-evaluates language on each session
start but respects manual overrides until reset.
Quick Reference
| Command | Effect |
|---|---|
| "Set language to Romanian" | Lock to RO |
| "Setează limba la română" | Lock to RO |
| "Stelle Sprache auf Deutsch" | Lock to DE |
| "Reset language to auto-detect" | Back to auto |
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ă â î ș ț | Romanian diacritics |
| ü ö ä ß | German diacritics |
| 🌐 | Language indicator |
| 🌍 | i18n skill active |
Error Handling
If the post-processor encounters ambiguous text:
- Do not change if confidence < 95%
- Log the case for review
- Never risk a false positive that makes output worse
Rule: The cost of a missed diacritic is lower than the cost of a wrong one.