SKILL.md Complete Guide — Claude & OpenClaw

Claude SKILL.md OpenClaw Agent Skills

SKILL.md is the instruction file that teaches Claude how to perform a specific task. Skill selection is driven by a single description line; the body, scripts/, and references/ load only when needed. The reference below covers 14 sections—from file layout to OpenClaw and Skill Gap.

At a glance

Level	What loads	Takeaway
Level 1	`name` + `description`	Always in context · the only basis for picking a skill
Level 2	`SKILL.md` body	Loads after trigger · keep under ~500 lines
Level 3	`scripts/` · `references/` · `assets/`	On explicit reference · no size cap

Key: Put both what it does and when to use it (trigger keywords) in description. Claude tends to under-trigger skills; wording closer to “must use” works better than “consider using.”

Full reference guide

Includes sidebar TOC, code examples, good vs bad comparisons, checklists, and sections on OpenClaw, Universe Skills, and Skill Gap.

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Why skills matter

A well-designed skill pins down repeatable workflows and encodes expert judgment in a file, narrowing the Skill Gap. The same principles—single responsibility, clear triggers, progressive loading—apply beyond Claude Code and Cowork to agent platforms like OpenClaw.