How to Publish and Monetize an OpenClaw Skill

OpenClaw has over 180,000 stars on GitHub and a growing user base across every industry. The skills ecosystem is expanding fast — over 8,000 skills on ClawHub, 560+ vetted skills on the KiwiClaw marketplace. If you have built a useful integration, workflow, or utility for OpenClaw, there is an audience for it.

This guide walks through the entire process: creating a skill from scratch, writing a proper SKILL.md manifest, testing locally, submitting to the KiwiClaw marketplace, getting through the vetting process, and setting up monetization if you want to charge for your work.

Why Build OpenClaw Skills?

Three reasons the OpenClaw skills ecosystem is worth building for in 2026:

Large and growing user base. OpenClaw is the most widely deployed autonomous AI agent. Skills that solve real problems get adopted quickly — top skills on the KiwiClaw marketplace have over 1,000 installs within weeks of publication.
Low barrier to entry. A skill is a directory with a manifest file and some code. No SDK to learn, no framework to adopt, no build system to configure. If you can write a Node.js script, you can write a skill.
Monetization is now possible. The KiwiClaw marketplace supports premium skills with revenue sharing. Developers who build valuable integrations can earn real income from their work.

Anatomy of an OpenClaw Skill

An OpenClaw skill is a directory containing at minimum two files: a SKILL.md manifest and the skill's source code. The manifest tells OpenClaw what the skill does, what permissions it needs, and how to run it. The source code implements the actual functionality.

A typical skill directory looks like this:

my-skill/
  SKILL.md          # Manifest (required)
  index.js          # Entry point (required)
  package.json      # Dependencies (if any)
  README.md         # Documentation (recommended)
  test/
    index.test.js   # Tests (recommended)

Step 1: Create Your Skill Repository

Start with a new directory. Initialize it with npm and create the basic structure:

mkdir openclaw-skill-example
cd openclaw-skill-example
npm init -y
touch SKILL.md index.js

If your skill has dependencies, install them now. Keep dependencies minimal — every dependency you add is a dependency the vetting scanner has to audit, and users have to trust.

Step 2: Write SKILL.md

The SKILL.md manifest is the most important file in your skill. It tells OpenClaw and the marketplace everything they need to know. Here is a complete example:

---
name: github-issue-manager
version: 1.2.0
description: Create, update, close, and search GitHub issues from OpenClaw.
author: your-name
license: MIT
homepage: https://github.com/your-name/openclaw-skill-github-issues
repository: https://github.com/your-name/openclaw-skill-github-issues

# What this skill can do
capabilities:
  - Create GitHub issues with title, body, labels, and assignees
  - Update existing issues (title, body, state, labels)
  - Close and reopen issues
  - Search issues by keyword, label, milestone, or assignee
  - List recent issues for a repository

# Required configuration
config:
  GITHUB_TOKEN:
    description: GitHub personal access token with repo scope
    required: true
    sensitive: true

# Network permissions - list every domain this skill contacts
network:
  - api.github.com

# Entry point
entry: index.js

# Tags for marketplace discovery
tags:
  - github
  - issues
  - project-management
  - developer-tools

# Category
category: developer-tools
---

# GitHub Issue Manager

Manage GitHub issues directly from your OpenClaw agent. Create, update,
search, and close issues without leaving your conversation.

## Setup

1. Generate a GitHub personal access token at
   https://github.com/settings/tokens
2. Grant the `repo` scope
3. Add the token to your OpenClaw config as `GITHUB_TOKEN`

## Usage

Ask your agent to:
- "Create a GitHub issue in my-org/my-repo about the login bug"
- "Close issue #42 in my-org/my-repo"
- "Search for open issues labeled 'bug' in my-org/my-repo"
- "List all issues assigned to me in my-org/my-repo"

Key things to get right in the manifest:

network — List every domain your skill contacts. The vetting scanner checks this against actual network behavior. Undeclared network calls will flag your skill for human review.
config with sensitive: true — Mark any credentials or API keys as sensitive. These will be handled securely and not logged.
capabilities — Be specific about what the skill can do. This is what users and agents see when deciding whether to install it.
tags and category — These drive marketplace discovery. Choose accurate tags that match what users would search for.

Step 3: Test Locally with OpenClaw

Before submitting to any registry, test your skill locally with a running OpenClaw instance. Copy your skill directory to OpenClaw's skills folder:

# Copy skill to OpenClaw's skills directory
cp -r ./my-skill ~/.openclaw/skills/my-skill

# Restart OpenClaw to pick up the new skill
openclaw restart

Then test it through conversation. Ask your agent to use the skill's capabilities and verify each one works correctly. Pay attention to:

Does the skill handle missing configuration gracefully?
Does it fail cleanly when the external API is unreachable?
Does it respect the permissions declared in the manifest?
Does it work with the latest version of OpenClaw?

Write tests if possible. Skills with tests are more likely to pass vetting quickly and earn higher trust from users.

Step 4: Submit to the KiwiClaw Marketplace

Once your skill is tested and working, submit it to the KiwiClaw marketplace:

Go to the KiwiClaw Developer Dashboard
Click "Submit a Skill"
Provide your skill's Git repository URL (public or private with access token)
Optionally add a description, screenshots, and demo video
Submit for vetting

Your skill enters the 6-pass vetting pipeline immediately. You can track the status in your developer dashboard.

What the 6-Pass Vetting Checks For

Understanding what the vetting pipeline checks will help you write skills that pass on the first try:

Pass	What It Checks	Common Reasons for Failure
1. Manifest	Valid SKILL.md with all required fields	Missing version, no network declarations, invalid YAML
2. Static Analysis	Dangerous patterns: eval, exec, encoded payloads	Using eval() when JSON.parse() would work, base64 strings
3. Dependencies	Known vulnerabilities in deps	Outdated packages with CVEs, unpinned versions
4. Network	Declared vs actual network calls	Calling domains not listed in manifest network section
5. Sandbox	Runtime behavior in isolation	Accessing files outside working dir, unexpected child processes
6. Human Review	Flagged items from passes 1-5	Only triggered if automated passes flag something

Pro tip: Run npm audit before submitting. Fix all critical and high-severity vulnerabilities in your dependencies. This alone prevents most Pass 3 failures.

Step 5: Get Verified

After your skill passes vetting and is live on the marketplace, you can apply for the KiwiClaw Verified badge. Verified skills get preferential placement in search results and a visual trust indicator on their listing.

Verification requires:

Skill has been live for at least 14 days
At least 50 installs with no security flags
Responsive maintainer (you respond to ClawBoard feedback and update issues within 7 days)
Good documentation (README with setup instructions, usage examples, and troubleshooting)

Verification is not permanent. If a future update introduces issues or the maintainer becomes unresponsive, the badge can be revoked. This keeps the Verified label meaningful.

Monetization: Free vs Premium Skills

KiwiClaw supports two monetization models:

Free Skills

Free skills are available to all KiwiClaw users at no cost. This is the right choice for open-source tools, community utilities, and skills you want maximum adoption for. Free skills often lead to consulting opportunities, enterprise contracts, and reputation in the ecosystem.

Premium Skills

Premium skills have a price set by the author. Users pay to install them. KiwiClaw handles payment processing via Stripe and takes a 15% platform fee. You receive 85% of the purchase price.

Pricing is flexible:

One-time purchase — User pays once, gets the skill and all future updates
Monthly subscription — Recurring revenue for skills that require ongoing maintenance, API costs, or data updates

To set up monetization, connect your Stripe account in the Developer Dashboard and set a price on your skill listing. Payouts are processed monthly.

What Sells

Skills that do well as premium products tend to share these characteristics:

Save significant time. A skill that automates 2 hours of weekly work is worth paying for.
Integrate with paid services. CRM integrations, accounting tools, premium APIs — users already paying for the service will pay for a good skill that connects it to OpenClaw.
Require domain expertise. Skills that embed specialized knowledge (legal research, medical coding, financial analysis) command higher prices.
Are well-maintained. Regular updates, responsive support, and good documentation justify ongoing subscription pricing.

Tips for Popular Skills

Write a good README. Your README is your landing page. Include a clear description, setup instructions, usage examples with expected output, and a troubleshooting section.
Add screenshots or a demo video. Show the skill in action. A 30-second screen recording of your skill doing something useful is more convincing than paragraphs of description.
Respond to feedback. When users post questions or bug reports on ClawBoard, respond promptly. Active maintainers build trust and earn the Verified badge faster.
Keep dependencies minimal. Fewer dependencies means faster vetting, smaller attack surface, and fewer things to break.
Version semantically. Use semver. Users and the marketplace rely on version numbers to understand the scope of updates.
Declare permissions honestly. Undeclared network calls and file access will flag your skill in vetting. Be transparent about what your skill does and why.

Developer Resources

KiwiClaw Skills Hub — Browse existing skills for inspiration and patterns
KiwiClaw MCP Server — Use the MCP server to test marketplace integration from your agent
Developer Dashboard — Submit skills, track vetting status, manage listings
ClawHub vs KiwiClaw — Understand the difference between the open registry and the vetted marketplace

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does skill vetting take?

Automated vetting (passes 1-5) completes in 5-15 minutes. If your skill is flagged for human review, expect 24-48 hours. Most well-structured skills with no suspicious patterns pass within minutes.

Can I publish a skill for free?

Yes. Publishing to the KiwiClaw marketplace is free. You can list your skill as free or set a premium price. There is no upfront cost to submit or maintain a listing.

What programming languages can I use?

OpenClaw skills are typically written in JavaScript or TypeScript (Node.js), but the skill system supports any language that can produce executables. Most marketplace skills are Node.js-based for maximum compatibility.

What is the revenue share for premium skills?

KiwiClaw takes a 15% platform fee on premium skill revenue. You receive 85% of the purchase price. Payouts are processed monthly via Stripe Connect.

Can I update my skill after publishing?

Yes. Submit an updated version and it goes through the vetting pipeline again. If it passes, the new version replaces the old one. Users are notified of updates and can choose to install them.

Ready to build? Head to the Developer Dashboard to submit your first skill, or browse the Skills Hub to see what is already out there. The ecosystem is growing fast, and there is room for builders who ship useful tools.