Clawic CLI

Search, inspect, and install Clawic skills from GitHub with local lexical matching, registry overrides, and safe destination control.

Use the published clawic package to discover, inspect, and install Clawic skills from the GitHub-backed registry. Keep the workflow anchored on the real registry index, the manifest file for each slug, and deliberate install destinations.

When to Use

User wants the exact clawic CLI commands, flags, registry behavior, or install flow. Use this skill for search, show, install, registry, CLAWIC_REGISTRY_BASE_URL, and the safety checks around writing skill files into a workspace. Do not route generic clawhub or openclaw CLI requests here unless the user is explicitly working with the published clawic package.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/clawic/. If ~/clawic/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/clawic/
├── memory.md    # Stable defaults: runtime choice, install roots, review posture
├── installs.md  # Installed slugs, target dirs, and overwrite notes
└── queries.md   # Query phrases that surface the right skills reliably

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Setup and activation defaults	setup.md
Memory structure	memory-template.md
Copy-ready commands	command-patterns.md
Query design for local matching	search-strategy.md
Registry and manifest model	registry-and-manifests.md
Install destinations and overwrite rules	install-safety.md
Errors and custom registry overrides	errors-and-overrides.md

Open only the smallest file needed for the current blocker. Most sessions only need command-patterns.md plus install-safety.md.

Quick Start

npx clawic registry
npx clawic search pocketbase --limit 5
npx clawic show pocketbase
npx clawic install pocketbase --dir ./skills

Global install is also valid:

npm install -g clawic
clawic search pocketbase --limit 5

Requirements

• Node.js 20 or newer
• npx clawic ... for one-off use, or npm install -g clawic for a persistent local binary
• A writable destination directory before running install
• Optional CLAWIC_REGISTRY_BASE_URL only when the user intentionally points to a compatible alternate registry

Security Note

npx clawic ... may fetch the published npm package if it is not already cached locally. Use a global install or a pinned project workflow when the user wants a repeatable local binary instead of ad hoc package fetches.

Core Rules

1. Start by proving the runtime path

• Confirm whether the user wants npx clawic ... or a globally installed clawic binary.
• Confirm Node.js 20+ before debugging registry or install errors.
• If the toolchain is broken, fix that first instead of inventing registry problems.

2. Search by exact skill nouns, not vague intent

• clawic search is local lexical matching over the downloaded index, not semantic ranking.
• Queries should use likely slug, name, and description terms such as pocketbase, skill installer, or github actions.
• If a broad request returns weak results, rewrite it into the product nouns the target skill would actually contain.

3. Use show before install when fit is unclear

• show fetches the manifest and reports the skill identity, file count, repository path, source repo, and summary without writing files.
• Review the slug and source first when trust, version fit, or write scope is unclear.
• Treat show as the low-risk inspection step and install as the write step.

4. Treat the manifest as the install contract

• install writes every path listed in the manifest's files array into <destination>/<slug>/.
• Expect files such as SKILL.md, auxiliary docs, and metadata files like _meta.json if the manifest includes them.
• Do not promise files that are not present in the manifest, and do not assume hidden post-install steps.

5. Control the destination directory deliberately

• Default install root is ./skills, which becomes ./skills/<slug>/.
• Use --dir whenever the user needs project-local placement, a vendor folder, or a scratch review path.
• Use --force only after confirming that overwriting existing files is intentional.

6. Make the registry base explicit when overriding it

• clawic registry prints the active registry base URL.
• The default base is the raw GitHub registry for clawic/skills.
• Only set CLAWIC_REGISTRY_BASE_URL when the user intentionally wants a compatible mirror or test registry.

7. Keep network facts precise

• Search terms stay local after the registry index is downloaded; the query text itself is not sent to a remote search endpoint by clawic.
• Remote traffic is just HTTP GETs for the registry index, the selected manifest, and the files referenced by that manifest.
• If the user changes the registry base, the same fetch pattern applies to that alternate host instead.

Common Traps

• Confusing clawic with clawhub or openclaw -> the user gets the wrong command family and wrong registry model.
• Treating clawic search like semantic discovery -> vague requests miss because matching is lexical and field-based.
• Installing before reviewing the manifest -> the wrong slug lands in the workspace.
• Forgetting that install root defaults to ./skills -> files appear in an unexpected folder.
• Re-running install into an existing target without --force -> file creation fails on the first existing path.
• Using --force in a shared or dirty tree -> previously reviewed files get overwritten.
• Overriding CLAWIC_REGISTRY_BASE_URL without checking compatibility -> index or manifest fetches return 404 or malformed JSON.
• Assuming registry validates availability -> it only prints the active base URL.

External Endpoints

Endpoint	Data Sent	Purpose
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/clawic/skills/main/registry/index.json	Standard GET request only	Fetch the registry index used for local matching
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/clawic/skills/main/registry/skills/<slug>.json	Standard GET request only	Fetch the manifest used by show and install
https://raw.githubusercontent.com/clawic/skills/main/skills/<slug>/*	Standard GET requests for each file path in the manifest	Download the files that install writes locally

If CLAWIC_REGISTRY_BASE_URL is set, the same request pattern goes to that alternate registry host instead. No other data is sent externally by the documented CLI flow.

Security & Privacy

Data that leaves your machine:

• HTTP GET requests to the active registry base URL
• File downloads for the manifest-selected skill files during install

Data that stays local:

• The user's query text after the registry index has been downloaded
• Installed skill files in the chosen destination directory
• Optional defaults and notes in ~/clawic/

This skill does NOT:

• send search queries to a hosted semantic search API
• auto-install skills without consent
• overwrite files unless the user chooses --force
• read or modify files outside the selected install destination plus ~/clawic/ for optional memory

Scope

This skill ONLY:

• helps use the official clawic CLI surface
• explains how the registry index, manifests, and file downloads fit together
• stores explicit workflow defaults in ~/clawic/ when the user wants continuity

This skill NEVER:

• invent unsupported subcommands or hidden registry APIs
• claim registry verifies health when it only prints the base URL
• hide write-side effects of install or --force
• modify its own SKILL.md

Trust

By using this skill, registry and file requests go to the raw GitHub registry for clawic/skills, or to a user-selected compatible registry override. Only install and use it if you trust that registry owner with the files you download.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:

• skill-finder - broader skill discovery when the user is not already committed to the clawic registry
• bash - safer shell composition around repeated clawic commands and directory checks
• documentation - cleaner command references and troubleshooting notes for CLI-heavy workflows
• workflow - turn repeated review and install sequences into a standard operating routine
• javascript - debug Node runtime and package issues around local CLI execution

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star clawic
• Stay updated: clawhub sync