OpenClaw Skill Reviewer

Performs a three-level audit of OpenClaw skills for format, content quality, functional correctness, and adherence to best practices.

Skill Reviewer

Comprehensive skill review and validation for OpenClaw skills.

Overview

This skill provides a systematic three-level review process to ensure skills are:

• Valid - Proper structure and format
• Complete - All required components present
• Correct - Generated outputs match OpenClaw specifications
• High-quality - Follows best practices

Review Workflow

Level 1: Format Validation

Run automatic validation using package_skill.py:

python3 /home/yupeng/.npm-global/lib/node_modules/openclaw/skills/skill-creator/scripts/package_skill.py <skill-path>

Checks:

• YAML frontmatter format and required fields
• Skill naming conventions and directory structure
• Description completeness and quality
• File organization and resource references

Outcome: ✅ Valid or ❌ Validation errors

Level 2: Content Quality Assessment

Manually review SKILL.md for:

Frontmatter:

• name is concise and follows naming conventions
• description is comprehensive and includes "when to use" information
• No extraneous fields in YAML

Body Structure:

• Clear organization (workflow-based, task-based, or reference-based)
• Progressive disclosure pattern (metadata → SKILL.md → references)
• Concise and focused content
• Imperative/infinitive form for instructions

Writing Quality:

• No filler or redundant explanations
• Concrete examples and realistic scenarios
• Clear guidance on when to read reference files
• Avoids duplication between SKILL.md and references

Level 3: Functional Verification

Critical Step - Verify that generated outputs match actual OpenClaw specifications.

For skills that generate templates:

• Compare generated templates with actual OpenClaw specification files
• Example: If skill generates AGENTS.md templates, compare with /home/yupeng/.openclaw/workspace/AGENTS.md
• Check for missing required sections (session startup, memory workflow, safety rules, group chat etiquette, heartbeat mechanism)
• Verify all critical requirements are present

For skills with scripts:

• Test scripts to ensure they work correctly
• Verify output matches expected format
• Check error handling

For skills with references:

• Verify reference files are accurate and up-to-date
• Check that references are properly linked from SKILL.md

Level 4: Best Practices Check

Verify the skill follows OpenClaw skill best practices:

Progressive Disclosure:

• SKILL.md body is concise (<500 lines preferred)
• Detailed information moved to references/
• References are properly linked and described

Resource Organization:

• Only necessary resource directories created
• No extraneous files (README.md, INSTALLATION_GUIDE.md, etc.)
• Scripts/ references/ assets/ used appropriately

Context Efficiency:

• Information lives in either SKILL.md OR references, not both
• Essential procedural instructions in SKILL.md
• Detailed reference material in references/

Triggering Accuracy:

• description clearly states when the skill should be used
• All "when to use" information is in description, not body

Common Issues Found

Missing Functional Verification:

• Skill generates templates but they don't match actual specifications
• Example: AGENTS.md template missing session startup requirements

Incomplete Descriptions:

• Description doesn't include "when to use" information
• Body contains "When to Use This Skill" sections (should be in description)

Duplication:

• Same information in both SKILL.md and references
• Wastes context window tokens

Extraneous Files:

• README.md, CHANGELOG.md, etc. in skill directory
• Should only contain SKILL.md and necessary resources

Poor Progressive Disclosure:

• SKILL.md too verbose
• References not properly linked or described

Review Checklist

For each skill, verify:

• Level 1: Format validation passes
• Level 2: SKILL.md structure and quality are good
• Level 3: Generated templates match OpenClaw specifications
• Level 4: Best practices are followed
• No extraneous files
• Description includes "when to use" information
• References are properly linked from SKILL.md
• Scripts work correctly (if present)

Resources

scripts/

• review_skill.py - Automated review script (optional enhancement)

references/

• openclaw-specs.md - OpenClaw specifications for comparison
• best-practices.md - Skill design best practices