Publish To ClawHub

Prepare and publish a local skill to ClawHub and GitHub using a workflow that keeps the local publish directory clean. Use this skill when the user wants to update an already published skill, release a local skill safely, improve the skill structure before publishing, or keep GitHub as a backup and showcase without leaving README files in the local publish folder.

Use this skill when a local skill should be updated, published, and backed up with a clean repeatable workflow.

Typical requests:

• "Publish this skill to ClawHub."
• "Help me put this skill on GitHub and ClawHub."
• "Improve this skill, publish it, then sync GitHub."
• "Keep the local skill folder clean but still show a README on GitHub."

Safety First

This workflow can involve:

• structural edits to the skill itself
• GitHub authentication
• git push to a public remote
• ClawHub CLI publishing

Rules:

• never ask the user to paste a long-lived token into chat unless there is no safer option
• prefer browser login, credential manager, or SSH when available
• never store credentials in files
• never force-push without explicit user confirmation
• prefer a temporary GitHub README over leaving README.md in the local publish directory

Prerequisites

Confirm these before publishing:

• the skill exists locally
• SKILL.md is present
• GitHub repo target is known if backup/showcase sync is needed
• ClawHub CLI is installed and logged in if ClawHub publishing is required

Detailed checks are in references/publish-checklist.md.

Workflow

1. Inspect And Improve The Skill First

Review the skill folder for:

• non-English content that should be internationalized
• private or proprietary references
• user-specific file paths
• tokens, emails, or placeholders that should not be published
• unclear skill structure or stale instructions

Check SKILL.md, scripts, references, notebooks, and optional metadata.

If the skill itself needs cleanup, improve it before publishing. For substantial skill revisions, validate the structure first, then publish the revised skill rather than publishing a known rough draft.

2. Normalize The Publishable Skill Content

Before publishing:

• convert the skill description and instructions to clear English if the release is meant for a broader audience
• replace proprietary names with generic placeholders when needed
• remove secrets, personal addresses, and private identifiers
• make examples understandable to an outside user
• keep the local publish directory minimal and skill-focused

Keep SKILL.md focused on how the AI should use the skill, not on project history.

3. Publish To ClawHub First

When the user's priority is the actual skill update, publish the local skill to ClawHub before creating or restoring a GitHub README.

Before publishing:

• verify clawhub whoami
• choose the next semantic version
• write a short changelog that reflects the real skill update
• publish from the local skill folder

After publishing:

• confirm the returned version or package identifier
• verify the updated listing if needed

4. Add A Temporary GitHub README

If GitHub backup or showcase is desired:

• create a concise README.md that explains what the skill does for human readers
• keep SKILL.md as the AI-facing file and README.md as the GitHub-facing file
• treat the README as temporary in the local publish directory if the user wants a pure local skill folder

5. Sync To GitHub

Use SSH or a local credential helper when possible.

Recommended flow:

• clone or update a clean GitHub working copy
• copy in the latest skill files plus the temporary README
• review what will be committed
• commit with a clear message
• push to the intended repository

This keeps the local publish folder and the GitHub sync folder serving different purposes.

6. Remove The Local README If The User Wants A Pure Skill Folder

After the GitHub push succeeds:

• delete the local README.md from the publish directory if the user's preferred workflow is "clean local skill, richer GitHub repo"
• keep the GitHub version with README intact

7. Report What Happened

Summarize clearly:

• what files were cleaned or changed
• whether ClawHub publish succeeded
• whether GitHub push succeeded
• whether the local README was removed afterward
• any follow-up steps still needed from the user

Decision Rules

• If the skill is still private or contains sensitive material, stop before publishing.
• If the user only wants GitHub backup, skip ClawHub publishing.
• If the user wants the clean-local-folder workflow, publish to ClawHub before adding README.
• If ClawHub CLI is missing, explain the blocker and continue with GitHub prep only if that still helps.
• If the remote repo already contains conflicting starter files, resolve carefully rather than overwriting blindly.
• If renaming the repo, slug, or published skill would break existing links, pause and confirm before changing names.

Common Failure Modes

Use references/publish-checklist.md for:

• pre-publish checklist
• common errors
• safe credential guidance
• suggested commands
• the clean local / GitHub showcase workflow