Install Skills OpenClaw Windows: One-Command Setup

OpenClaw runs natively on Windows or inside WSL2. The skill commands are the same in both. The difference is where your home folder is: native Windows uses %USERPROFILE%, and WSL2 uses its own Linux home folder.

Installing a Skill From TrustedSkills

Skills on TrustedSkills are SKILL.md skills. They are instruction files, not MCP servers, so there is no JSON config to edit. Run this from your OpenClaw agent workspace:

npx skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <name> -a openclaw

The skills CLI copies the skill into the skills/ folder of the current directory. Add -g to install it into %USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\skills\ instead, where every local agent can see it.

Installing a Skill From ClawHub

OpenClaw has its own skill commands for skills published on ClawHub. Skill names include the owner.

# Search ClawHub
openclaw skills search "calendar"

# Install into the active agent workspace
openclaw skills install @owner/<slug>

# Install into the shared skills folder for all local agents
openclaw skills install @owner/<slug> --global

Managing Your Skills

# See every skill OpenClaw can load
openclaw skills list

# Details for one skill
openclaw skills info <name>

# Which skills are ready, and which are missing requirements
openclaw skills check

# Update ClawHub skills
openclaw skills update --all

# Remove a skill installed with the skills CLI
npx skills remove <name> -a openclaw

# Remove a ClawHub skill (needs the ClawHub CLI: npm i -g clawhub)
clawhub uninstall @owner/<slug>

openclaw skills has no remove command. Use the tool you installed with.

When a New Skill Shows Up

OpenClaw takes a list of skills when a session starts. Its skills watcher can refresh that list during a session. If a new skill does not appear, start a new session.

Where Skills Are Stored

<workspace>\skills\              # skills for one agent (checked first)
%USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\skills\   # shared skills for all local agents

If you run OpenClaw in WSL2, the shared folder is ~/.openclaw/skills/ inside WSL.

Windows-Specific Notes

• No admin access needed. Skills install into your workspace or your user profile.
• If a command isn't found after installing Node.js or OpenClaw, open a new PowerShell window.
• Windows Defender may flag a download. See below.

Need Node.js?

The skills CLI runs with npx, so it needs Node.js. OpenClaw itself needs Node.js 24.16 or later. Install from nodejs.org.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I install OpenClaw skills on Windows?

For a TrustedSkills listing: npx skills add <owner>/<repo> --skill <name> -a openclaw in PowerShell. For ClawHub: openclaw skills install @owner/<slug>. No JSON editing.

Do I need admin privileges to install skills on Windows?

No. Skills go into your agent workspace or %USERPROFILE%\.openclaw\skills\. Neither needs admin access.

Windows Defender blocked a skill — what now?

Don't override Defender because of a badge. No TrustedSkills badge means the code was reviewed. Open the linked repository and read the source before you allow it.