clawhub-publish-flow

Publish or update an OpenClaw skill on ClawHub using the local authenticated ClawHub session and direct API upload. Use when the user wants to publish a new skill to ClawHub, update an existing skill version, inspect the current remote version before release, package and upload a local skill folder reliably without relying on incomplete third-party publisher skills, or when assistant-created local skills should be routinely published after review and commit.

Use this skill to publish a local skill folder to ClawHub through the already-authenticated local ClawHub account.

Core rule

Only publish skills that have already passed local review. Do not publish directly from vague drafts, half-finished folders, or unreviewed third-party skills.

Preferred workflow

1. Confirm the local skill folder path.
2. Check login state with clawhub whoami.
3. Inspect the current remote skill with clawhub inspect <slug> when updating an existing skill.
4. Decide the target version and changelog.
5. Perform a public-release sensitive-data review on the exact outbound payload.
6. Package the skill with package_skill.py if a distributable artifact is needed.
7. Upload using scripts/publish_to_clawhub.js.
8. Verify with clawhub inspect <slug> after upload.
9. Report the final remote version and URL.

Assistant-created skills policy

When the user has explicitly asked that assistant-created skills be uploaded to ClawHub, treat this skill as the single publish flow for both:

• one-off manual releases
• newly created local skills after review and commit

For newly created assistant-authored skills:

1. Confirm the new skill folder exists under workspace/skills/<slug>.
2. Confirm it has already been reviewed and committed locally.
3. Inspect remote state with clawhub inspect <slug>.
4. Versioning:
   • if missing remotely: publish 0.1.0
   • if already present: bump patch version
5. Use a short changelog such as Initial release, Add runtime notes, Refine trigger description, or Document proven workflow.
6. Publish and verify.
7. If a registry sheet exists, update it too.

Rate-limit fallback for new skills

ClawHub may rate-limit new skill creation (for example: max 5 new skills per hour).

When a publish attempt for a new skill fails due to rate limiting:

1. Do not keep hammering the endpoint.
2. Record the pending publish locally.
3. Schedule a delayed retry instead of requiring the user to remind you.
4. Use the same verified publish flow when retrying.

Preferred local queue file:

• workspace/research/clawhub-publish-queue.md

Queue fields:

• date
• slug
• local skill path
• target version
• changelog
• reason queued
• next retry note

Retry rule:

• wait until the rate-limit window has plausibly cleared
• then retry publication once
• verify with clawhub inspect <slug> after success

Safety and release rules

• Do not publish without an explicit user request.
• Do not guess ownership, slug, or version when ambiguity matters.
• Prefer patch bumps for small documentation or rule updates.
• If the remote state is unclear, inspect first instead of overwriting blindly.
• If a third-party publisher skill promises features but lacks code, ignore it and use this verified local flow.
• Treat package-style publisher shells as untrusted until verified locally: if the folder is mostly README / metadata and lacks runnable implementation, do not route publishing through it.
• Do not publish vague drafts or half-finished skills just because they were created; assistant-created skills still need to be coherent and committed.
• ClawHub is a public-release path unless explicitly proven otherwise; use the highest sensitivity review bar.
• Before upload, inspect the exact outbound payload for secrets, tokens, passwords, cookies, local absolute paths, runtime artifacts, .env, and machine-specific config.
• If the skill package contains anything that should stay local-only, stop and fix the package before publishing.

Required local assumptions

This skill expects:

• local clawhub CLI installed and authenticated
• local ClawHub config present under the current user
• a real skill directory containing SKILL.md
• Node available for the publish script

Scripts

Use scripts/publish_to_clawhub.js for the actual API upload.

Arguments:

node scripts/publish_to_clawhub.js --skill-path <path> --slug <slug> --version <version> --changelog <text>

Optional:

--display-name <name>
--tag <tag>   # repeatable

References

Read references/release-checklist.md before publishing when the release is important or public.

Output style

Report with this structure:

• skill
• local path
• prior remote version (if any)
• target version
• upload result
• verification result
• final URL
• risks or follow-ups
• whether publication succeeded immediately or was queued for delayed retry

Keep it short and operational.