ELI5

Explain complex topics in the simplest possible words — like talking to a 5-year-old. Uses analogies, no jargon, everyday language.

Security Scan

Instruction-only 'ELI5' skill is internally consistent with its stated purpose (simplified explanations), requests no credentials or installs, and poses low risk; minor note: it references a read-only env var that isn't declared in the registry metadata.

Purpose & Capability

The skill's name and description (translate complex topics into simple analogies) align with the SKILL.md rules and examples. It does not request unrelated binaries, credentials, or config paths. Behavior (optional web fetch via platform search) is coherent with a freshness feature.

Instruction Scope

Runtime instructions stay on-topic: produce simple explanations, optional web fetch, and a freshness indicator. They do reference one environment variable (ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG) and describe loading SKILL.md into context (standard for instruction-only skills). Note: SKILL.md reads ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG but the registry metadata did not list any required env vars — this is a minor metadata mismatch, not an active data-exfiltration behavior.

Install Mechanism

No install spec and no code files — instruction-only. This is lowest-risk: nothing is downloaded or written to disk by the skill itself.

Credentials

The skill does not request credentials or sensitive environment variables. It does mention a read-only ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG env var (used for default language) but the metadata lists no required env vars. No other env vars or secrets are referenced.

Persistence & Privilege

always is false and the skill is user-invocable. It does not request persistent system privileges or claim to modify other skills or system configuration. Autonomous invocation is allowed (platform default) but not combined with any elevated access.

Assessment

This skill is an instruction-only helper for simplifying explanations and appears coherent and low-risk: it asks for no credentials and installs nothing. Two small things to consider before enabling: (1) SKILL.md reads a read-only env var named ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG but the registry metadata doesn't mark it as required — if you plan to set that variable, be aware the skill will read it; (2) turning on the fetch feature causes the platform to run web searches to refresh content — review your platform's web/query privacy/logging settings if you care about what gets searched or recorded. Also remember ELI5 intentionally oversimplifies answers, so avoid relying on it for precise or security-sensitive information.

ELI5 — Explain Like I'm 5

Turn any complex topic into something a child could understand.

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Why it exists

Most explanations are written for people who already halfway know the answer. They hand-wave the hard parts, use words that need the explanation itself to make sense, and leave you more lost than before.

ELI5 is different. It forces a clean picture — one familiar analogy, a few short steps, and one concrete example.

How ELI5 works (technical)

ELI5 works by loading SKILL.md into the conversation context. When you type /eli5 <concept>, OpenClaw matches the description and injects the skill's rules into the model.

The model reads the rules and examples, then generates an explanation following the same pattern.

Switching models: Works as long as the model can follow contextual instructions. If a model ignores rules in context, results may vary.

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Quick start

/eli5 schrödinger's cat   # explain any concept
/eli5 help                 # show all commands
/eli5 lang <lang>          # switch language (en/zh/es/kr/...)
/eli5 bonus on             # enable bonus explanations
/eli5 steps 5              # adjust max steps (default: 3, max: 5)
/eli5 fetch on             # enable auto-fetch from web

Default language: Controlled by ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG env var (read-only). If not set, fallback to English.

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The Rules

1. Language priority:
   • ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG env var (read-only) — set once, use forever
   • /eli5 lang <lang> — switch and hold until next switch
   • Fallback: English
2. Be conversational, not formulaic — sound like a smart friend explaining, not a textbook. Skip the formula if it feels stiff.
3. Assume nothing — the user knows zero technical terms
4. Bridge: unknown → known — pick one familiar thing (toy, friend, magic box) and stick with it
5. Max n steps — short sentences, one action each. Default is 3, configurable via /eli5 steps <n>
6. Concrete example — one real thing the reader can picture. REQUIRED unless already perfectly clear.
7. Have personality — vary your explanations. A good comparison, a touch of humor, or a memorable contrast beats dry lists every time.
8. Bonus (default: off) — only show when bonus on or genuinely needed
9. Freshness indicator (always shown, in current language):
   • After the explanation, add a brief note:
     • Format: [Data: ~2024] [Freshness: ██████░░░░ 65%] [→ --fetch]
     • Visual bar: filled = fresh, empty = outdated
     • Scoring guidelines (subjective, use as reference):
       • Stable fields (philosophy, math, proven theories): 85-100
       • Technology that evolves slowly (OS, hardware): 70-85
       • Active tech fields (AI, frameworks, libraries): 50-70
       • Fast-moving topics (startups, trends, new releases): 30-50
     • Score 80-100: "Stable" → no action needed
     • Score 50-79: "Evolving" → consider --fetch
     • Score 0-49: "Outdated" → recommend --fetch strongly
     • If --fetch succeeded but data itself is old: use actual date + score based on how old the data is
     • If --fetch succeeded and data is latest: show actual date + high score
   • Example: [Data: 2024.03] [Freshness: ██████░░░░ 60%] [v1.2.0 — older]
10. Fresh fetch (default: off):
    • /eli5 fetch on → enable auto-fetch from web (GitHub, official docs, etc.)
    • /eli5 fetch off → disable
    • /eli5 <concept> --fetch → one-time fetch for this concept
    • If fetch succeeds → use latest content from web
    • If fetch fails → fall back to training data knowledge
    • Note: Fetch relies on OpenClaw's web search capability. If unavailable, falls back to training data.

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Word Rules

Banned Words — Core Principle

Grandmother Test: Would my 80-year-old grandmother know this word? If NO → replace it or explain it immediately.

Happy Openings — Core Principle

Paint a picture. Make them visualize. Start with: "Imagine...", "Think of it as...", "Picture this..."

Forbidden Phrases — Core Principle

Never sound condescending, technical, or dismissive. Avoid: "Obviously...", "As you already know...", "Technically...", "In simple terms..."

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Commands

/eli5 <concept>              # explain anything
/eli5 help                 # show this help (in current language)
/eli5 lang <lang>        # switch and hold language (en/zh/es/kr/...)
/eli5 bonus on|off          # toggle bonus (default: off)
/eli5 steps <n>             # set max steps (default: 3, max: 5)
/eli5 fetch on|off          # toggle auto-fetch from web (default: off)
/eli5 <concept> steps 5    # override steps for one answer
/eli5 <concept> in ZH      # override language for one answer
/eli5 <concept> --fetch   # fetch latest content for one answer

Env var (read-only): Set ELI5_DEFAULT_LANG in your environment. Skill reads it, does not write it.

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Examples

** Schrödinger's cat** A cat that is both alive AND dead — until you open the box. Try it: /eli5 what is schrödinger's cat

** The Chinese Room** A person who pretends to understand Chinese but follows a rulebook instead. Try it: /eli5 what is the chinese room

** The Ship of Theseus** If you replace every plank of a ship, is it still the same ship? Try it: /eli5 what is the ship of theseus