---
title: "Skills config"
sidebarTitle: "Skills config"
summary: "Full reference for the skills.* config schema, agent allowlists, workshop settings, and sandbox env var handling."
read_when:
  - Configuring skill loading, install, or gating behavior
  - Setting per-agent skill visibility
  - Adjusting Skill Workshop limits or approval policy
---

Most skills configuration lives under `skills` in
`~/.openclaw/openclaw.json`. Agent-specific visibility lives under
`agents.defaults.skills` and `agents.list[].skills`.

```json5
{
  skills: {
    allowBundled: ["gemini", "peekaboo"],
    load: {
      extraDirs: ["~/Projects/agent-scripts/skills"],
      allowSymlinkTargets: ["~/Projects/manager/skills"],
      watch: true,
      watchDebounceMs: 250,
    },
    install: {
      preferBrew: true,
      nodeManager: "npm",
      allowUploadedArchives: false,
    },
    workshop: {
      autonomous: { enabled: false },
      allowSymlinkTargetWrites: false,
      approvalPolicy: "auto",
      maxPending: 50,
      maxSkillBytes: 40000,
    },
    entries: {
      "image-lab": {
        enabled: true,
        apiKey: { source: "env", provider: "default", id: "GEMINI_API_KEY" },
        env: { GEMINI_API_KEY: "GEMINI_KEY_HERE" },
      },
      peekaboo: { enabled: true },
      sag: { enabled: false },
    },
  },
}
```

<Note>
  For built-in image generation, use `agents.defaults.imageGenerationModel`
  plus the core `image_generate` tool instead of `skills.entries`. Skill
  entries are for custom or third-party skill workflows only.
</Note>

## Loading (`skills.load`)

<ParamField path="skills.load.extraDirs" type="string[]">
  Additional skill directories to scan, at the lowest precedence (below
  bundled and plugin skills). Paths are expanded with `~` support.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.load.allowSymlinkTargets" type="string[]">
  Trusted real target directories that symlinked skill folders may resolve
  into, even when the symlink lives outside the configured root. Use this for
  intentional sibling-repo layouts such as
  `<workspace>/skills/manager -> ~/Projects/manager/skills`. Keep this list
  narrow — do not point at broad roots like `~` or `~/Projects`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.load.watch" type="boolean" default="true">
  Watch skill folders and refresh the skills snapshot when `SKILL.md` files
  change. Covers nested files under grouped skill roots.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.load.watchDebounceMs" type="number" default="250">
  Debounce window for skill watcher events in milliseconds.
</ParamField>

## Install (`skills.install`)

<ParamField path="skills.install.preferBrew" type="boolean" default="true">
  Prefer Homebrew installers when `brew` is available.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.install.nodeManager" type='"npm" | "pnpm" | "yarn" | "bun"' default='"npm"'>
  Node package manager preference for skill installs. This only affects skill
  installs - the OpenClaw CLI and Gateway runtime require Node because the
  canonical state store uses `node:sqlite`. `openclaw setup --node-manager` and
  `openclaw onboard --node-manager` accept `npm`, `pnpm`, or `bun`; set
  `"yarn"` directly in config for Yarn-backed skill installs.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.install.allowUploadedArchives" type="boolean" default="false">
  Allow trusted `operator.admin` Gateway clients to install private zip
  archives staged through `skills.upload.*`. Normal ClawHub installs do not
  need this setting.
</ParamField>

## Operator Install Policy (`security.installPolicy`)

Use `security.installPolicy` when operators need a trusted local command to
approve or block skill and plugin installs with host-specific policy. The
policy runs after OpenClaw has staged source material and before the install
or update continues. It applies to ClawHub skills, uploaded skills, Git/local
skills, skill dependency installers, and plugin install/update sources.

```json5
{
  security: {
    installPolicy: {
      enabled: true,
      // Omit targets to cover every supported target.
      targets: ["skill", "plugin"],
      exec: {
        source: "exec",
        command: "/usr/local/bin/openclaw-install-policy",
        args: ["--json"],
        timeoutMs: 10000,
        noOutputTimeoutMs: 10000,
        maxOutputBytes: 1048576,
        passEnv: ["OPENCLAW_STATE_DIR", "PATH"],
        env: { POLICY_MODE: "strict" },
        trustedDirs: ["/usr/local/bin"],
      },
    },
  },
}
```

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.enabled" type="boolean" default="false">
  Enables operator-owned install policy. When enabled without a valid `exec`
  command, installs fail closed.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.targets" type='("skill" | "plugin")[]'>
  Optional target filter. When omitted, policy applies to every supported
  target so new installs do not unexpectedly fail open.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.command" type="string">
  Absolute path to the trusted policy executable. OpenClaw runs it without a
  shell and validates the path before use.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.args" type="string[]">
  Static arguments passed after `command`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.timeoutMs" type="number" default="10000">
  Maximum wall-clock runtime for one policy decision.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.noOutputTimeoutMs" type="number" default="timeoutMs">
  Maximum time without stdout or stderr output before the policy fails
  closed.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.maxOutputBytes" type="number" default="1048576">
  Maximum combined stdout and stderr bytes accepted from the policy process.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.env" type="Record<string, string>">
  Literal environment variables provided to the policy process.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.passEnv" type="string[]">
  Environment variable names copied from the OpenClaw process into the
  policy process. Only named variables are passed.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.trustedDirs" type="string[]">
  Optional allowlist of directories that may contain the policy executable.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.allowInsecurePath" type="boolean" default="false">
  Bypasses command path ownership and permission checks. Use only when the
  path is protected by another mechanism.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="security.installPolicy.exec.allowSymlinkCommand" type="boolean" default="false">
  Allows the configured command path to be a symlink. The resolved target
  must still satisfy the other path checks. Interpreter script arguments must
  be direct regular files, not symlinks.
</ParamField>

The policy receives one JSON object on stdin with `protocolVersion: 1`,
`openclawVersion`, `targetType`, `targetName`, `sourcePath`, `sourcePathKind`,
optional structured `source`, structured `origin`, and `request`. It must
write one JSON object on stdout: `{ "protocolVersion": 1, "decision": "allow" }`
or `{ "protocolVersion": 1, "decision": "block", "reason": "..." }`. Non-zero
exit, timeout, malformed JSON, missing fields, or unsupported protocol
versions fail closed.

OpenClaw does not execute install policy during normal Gateway startup.
Installs and updates fail closed when policy is enabled but unavailable.
`openclaw doctor` performs static validation; `openclaw doctor --deep`
executes a synthetic install probe against the configured command.

Bulk updates apply policy per target: a blocked skill or plugin update fails
that target without disabling the policy or skipping later targets in the
batch.

Example stdin:

```json
{
  "protocolVersion": 1,
  "openclawVersion": "2026.6.1",
  "targetType": "skill",
  "targetName": "weather",
  "sourcePath": "/var/folders/.../openclaw-skill-clawhub/root",
  "sourcePathKind": "directory",
  "source": {
    "kind": "clawhub",
    "authority": "openclaw",
    "mutable": false,
    "network": true
  },
  "origin": {
    "type": "clawhub",
    "registry": "https://clawhub.openclaw.ai",
    "slug": "weather",
    "version": "1.0.0"
  },
  "request": {
    "kind": "skill-install",
    "mode": "install",
    "requestedSpecifier": "clawhub:weather@1.0.0"
  },
  "skill": {
    "installId": "clawhub"
  }
}
```

Minimal policy command:

```js
#!/usr/bin/env node

let input = "";
process.stdin.setEncoding("utf8");
process.stdin.on("data", (chunk) => {
  input += chunk;
});
process.stdin.on("end", () => {
  const request = JSON.parse(input);
  if (request.targetType === "plugin" && request.source?.kind === "local-path") {
    process.stdout.write(
      JSON.stringify({
        protocolVersion: 1,
        decision: "block",
        reason: "local plugin paths are not approved on this host",
      }),
    );
    return;
  }
  process.stdout.write(JSON.stringify({ protocolVersion: 1, decision: "allow" }));
});
```

## Bundled skill allowlist

<ParamField path="skills.allowBundled" type="string[]">
  Optional allowlist for **bundled** skills only. When set, only bundled
  skills in the list are eligible. Managed, agent-level, and workspace
  skills are unaffected.
</ParamField>

## Per-skill entries (`skills.entries`)

Keys under `entries` match the skill `name` by default. If a skill defines
`metadata.openclaw.skillKey`, use that key instead. Quote hyphenated names
(JSON5 allows quoted keys).

<ParamField path="skills.entries.<key>.enabled" type="boolean">
  `false` disables the skill even when bundled or installed. The
  `coding-agent` bundled skill is opt-in — set it to `true` and ensure one of
  `claude`, `codex`, `opencode`, or another supported CLI is installed and
  authenticated.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.entries.<key>.apiKey" type='string | { source, provider, id }'>
  Convenience field for skills that declare `metadata.openclaw.primaryEnv`.
  Supports a plaintext string or a SecretRef: `{ source: "env", provider: "default", id: "VAR_NAME" }`.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.entries.<key>.env" type="Record<string, string>">
  Environment variables injected for the agent run. Only injected when the
  variable is not already set in the process.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.entries.<key>.config" type="object">
  Optional bag for custom per-skill configuration fields.
</ParamField>

## Agent allowlists (`agents`)

Use agent config when you want the same machine/workspace skill roots but a
different visible skill set per agent.

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      skills: ["github", "weather"], // shared baseline
    },
    list: [
      { id: "writer" }, // inherits github, weather
      { id: "docs", skills: ["docs-search"] }, // replaces defaults entirely
      { id: "locked-down", skills: [] }, // no skills
    ],
  },
}
```

<ParamField path="agents.defaults.skills" type="string[]">
  Shared baseline allowlist inherited by agents that omit
  `agents.list[].skills`. Omit entirely to leave skills unrestricted by
  default.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="agents.list[].skills" type="string[]">
  Explicit final skill set for that agent. Explicit lists **replace**
  inherited defaults — they do not merge. Set to `[]` to expose no skills for
  that agent.
</ParamField>

<Warning>
  Agent skill allowlists are a visibility and loading filter for OpenClaw
  skill discovery, prompts, slash-command discovery, sandbox sync, and skill
  snapshots. They are not a shell-time authorization boundary. If an agent
  can run host `exec`, that shell can still run external clients or read
  host files that are visible to the execution user, including MCP client
  registries such as `~/.openclaw/skills/config/mcporter.json`. For
  per-agent MCP isolation, combine skill allowlists with sandbox/OS-user
  isolation, deny or tightly allowlist host exec, and prefer per-agent
  credentials at the MCP server.
</Warning>

## Workshop (`skills.workshop`)

<ParamField path="skills.workshop.autonomous.enabled" type="boolean" default="false">
  When `true`, OpenClaw can create pending proposals from durable corrections
  and can review successful, substantial completed work after the system becomes
  idle. This can add a background model run after eligible turns. User-prompted
  skill creation and `/learn` continue to work when the setting is `false`.
</ParamField>

See [Self-learning](/tools/self-learning) for eligibility, privacy, cost,
proposal-only permissions, and troubleshooting.

<ParamField path="skills.workshop.approvalPolicy" type='"pending" | "auto"' default='"auto"'>
  `auto` allows agent-initiated apply, reject, or quarantine without an
  additional approval prompt. `pending` requires operator approval.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.workshop.allowSymlinkTargetWrites" type="boolean" default="false">
  Allow Skill Workshop apply to write through workspace skill symlinks whose
  real target is already trusted by `skills.load.allowSymlinkTargets`. Keep
  this disabled unless generated proposal applies should mutate that shared
  skill root.
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.workshop.maxPending" type="number" default="50">
  Maximum pending and quarantined proposals retained per workspace (allowed
  range: 1-200).
</ParamField>

<ParamField path="skills.workshop.maxSkillBytes" type="number" default="40000">
  Maximum proposal body size in bytes (allowed range: 1024-200000). Proposal
  descriptions are hard-capped at 160 bytes separately, because they appear
  in discovery and listing output.
</ParamField>

See [Skill Workshop](/tools/skill-workshop) for the proposal lifecycle, CLI
commands, agent tool parameters, and Gateway methods this config controls.

## Symlinked skill roots

By default, workspace, project-agent, extra-dir, and bundled skill roots are
containment boundaries. A symlinked skill folder under `<workspace>/skills`
that resolves outside the root is skipped with a log message.

To allow an intentional symlink layout, declare the trusted target:

```json5
{
  skills: {
    load: {
      extraDirs: ["~/Projects/manager/skills"],
      allowSymlinkTargets: ["~/Projects/manager/skills"],
    },
  },
}
```

With this config, `<workspace>/skills/manager -> ~/Projects/manager/skills`
is accepted after realpath resolution. `extraDirs` scans the sibling repo
directly; `allowSymlinkTargets` preserves the symlinked path for existing
layouts.

Skill Workshop apply does not write through those symlinks by default. To
let Workshop apply mutate skills under already-trusted symlink targets, opt
in separately:

```json5
{
  skills: {
    load: {
      allowSymlinkTargets: ["~/Projects/manager/skills"],
    },
    workshop: {
      allowSymlinkTargetWrites: true,
    },
  },
}
```

Managed `~/.openclaw/skills` and personal `~/.agents/skills` directories
already accept skill-directory symlinks unconditionally (per-skill
`SKILL.md` containment still applies) — `allowSymlinkTargets` is only needed
for workspace, extra-dir, and project-agent (`<workspace>/.agents/skills`)
roots.

## Sandboxed skills and env vars

<Warning>
  `skills.entries.<skill>.env` and `apiKey` apply to **host** runs only.
  Inside a sandbox they have no effect — a skill that depends on
  `GEMINI_API_KEY` will fail with `apiKey not configured` unless the sandbox
  is given the variable separately.
</Warning>

Pass secrets into a Docker sandbox with:

```json5
{
  agents: {
    defaults: {
      sandbox: {
        docker: {
          env: { GEMINI_API_KEY: "your-key-here" },
        },
      },
    },
  },
}
```

<Note>
  Users with Docker daemon access can inspect `sandbox.docker.env` values
  through Docker metadata. Use a mounted secret file, a custom image, or
  another delivery path when that exposure is not acceptable.
</Note>

## Loading order reminder

```text
workspace/skills      (highest)
workspace/.agents/skills
~/.agents/skills
~/.openclaw/skills
bundled skills
skills.load.extraDirs (lowest)
```

Changes to skills and config take effect on the next new session when the
watcher is enabled, or on the next agent turn when the watcher detects a
change.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Skills reference" href="/tools/skills" icon="puzzle-piece">
    What skills are, loading order, gating, and SKILL.md format.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Creating skills" href="/tools/creating-skills" icon="hammer">
    Authoring custom workspace skills.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Skill Workshop" href="/tools/skill-workshop" icon="flask">
    Proposal queue for agent-drafted skills.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Self-learning" href="/tools/self-learning" icon="brain">
    Conservative, opt-in proposals from completed work.
  </Card>
  <Card title="Slash commands" href="/tools/slash-commands" icon="terminal">
    Native slash-command catalog and chat directives.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>
