> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.profclaw.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Skills Overview

> Skills are plain Markdown instruction sets that specialize the AI for specific tasks. 50 built-in skills, community ClawHub skills, and custom SKILL.md files.

## What Are Skills?

A skill is a `SKILL.md` file that gives the AI a focused set of instructions, context, and behaviors for a particular task domain. When a skill is active, the AI's system prompt is extended with that skill's instructions - making it an expert in that specific area.

Examples:

* The `code-review` skill makes the AI a thorough code reviewer with a specific feedback format
* The `git-workflow` skill teaches branching conventions and safe commit practices
* The `web-research` skill instructs structured information gathering with citations

Skills are **plain Markdown** with a YAML frontmatter header. No code required - anyone can write one.

## Skill Architecture

Skills are loaded from multiple sources in priority order. Later sources override earlier ones by skill name:

```
Loading Priority (lowest to highest):
1. Extra directories    (config.load.extraDirs)
2. Built-in skills      (50 bundled with profClaw)
3. Managed skills       (~/.profclaw/skills/)
4. Workspace skills     (<project>/skills/)
```

Your workspace `skills/` directory always wins, allowing you to override any built-in skill for a specific project.

## Skill File Format

```markdown theme={null}
---
name: code-review
description: Analyze diffs, suggest improvements, and review PRs
version: 1.0.0
metadata: {"profclaw": {"emoji": "magnifying-glass", "category": "development", "priority": 85}}
---

# Code Review

You are a thorough code reviewer...

## What This Skill Does
...
```

The YAML frontmatter defines the skill's identity and behavior flags. The Markdown body is injected as system instructions when the skill is active.

## Frontmatter Fields

| Field | Type | Description |
| - | - | - |
| `name` | string | Unique skill identifier (kebab-case) |
| `description` | string | Short description shown in the UI |
| `version` | string | Semver version |
| `user-invocable` | boolean | Show as a slash command users can invoke |
| `disable-model-invocation` | boolean | Prevent the AI from auto-activating this skill |
| `command-dispatch` | `"tool"` | Route slash command directly to a specific tool |
| `command-tool` | string | Tool name for `command-dispatch` mode |
| `command-arg-mode` | `"raw"` or `"parsed"` | How arguments are passed to the tool |
| `metadata` | JSON string | Extended metadata: category, emoji, trigger patterns |

## How Skills Are Activated

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Slash Commands">
    User-invocable skills respond to `/skill-name` commands. Arguments after the command name are passed through:

    ```
    /code-review
    /git-workflow commit my changes
    /web-research latest Hono middleware docs
    /summarize src/chat/
    ```
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="AI Auto-Activation">
    Skills with `triggerPatterns` in their metadata are auto-activated when the AI detects a matching intent in the user's message:

    * "review my code" activates `code-review`
    * "commit my changes" activates `git-workflow`
    * "search for..." activates `web-research`

    Disable auto-activation for a specific skill with `disable-model-invocation: true` in frontmatter.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Preset Assignment">
    Skills can be assigned to a preset (persona) so they are always active for a specific channel or use case:

    ```yaml theme={null}
    # settings.yml
    presets:
      code-assistant:
        skills:
          - code-review
          - git-workflow
          - debug-helper
    ```
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

## Skill Sources

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Built-in Skills" icon="box" href="/skills/built-in">
    50 pre-installed skills covering development, productivity, and media workflows.
  </Card>

  <Card title="ClawHub" icon="store" href="/skills/clawhub">
    Community skill marketplace. Browse and install with `profclaw skills install`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Creating Skills" icon="pen" href="/skills/creating-skills">
    Write your own SKILL.md files for custom behavior. No code required.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Using Skills" icon="play" href="/skills/using-skills">
    How to invoke, list, manage, and configure skills.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Managing Skills via CLI

```bash theme={null}
# List all available skills
profclaw skills list

# Search for skills on ClawHub
profclaw skills search code-review

# Install a skill from ClawHub
profclaw skills install @profclaw/skill-debug-helper

# Show skill details
profclaw skills show git-workflow

# Disable a built-in skill
profclaw skills disable web-research
```

## Skills vs Tools vs Plugins

Understanding when to use each extension mechanism:

| | Skills | Tools | Plugins |
| - | - | - | - |
| **Format** | SKILL.md (Markdown) | TypeScript code | npm package |
| **Purpose** | AI instructions and behavior | Executable functions | System extensions |
| **Complexity** | Simple - text only | Medium - typed functions | Full - npm package |
| **Requires code** | No | Yes | Yes |
| **Can call tools** | Yes (by instruction) | N/A | Yes |
| **Can add tools** | No | Yes (via plugin) | Yes |

Skills are the easiest and fastest way to extend profClaw behavior. Use [Plugins](/plugins/overview) when you need to add executable tools or system-level integrations.


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