# Best OpenClaw Skills and Plugins to Install > The must-have ClawHub skills and plugins for OpenClaw from Gmail and GitHub to social posting. Each has its install command and a quick check that it is safe. - **Author**: Rishi Mohan - **Published**: 2026-11-01 - **Tags**: OpenClaw, AI Agents, Skills, ClawHub, MCP - **Read time**: 15 min read - **URL**: https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins --- The best OpenClaw skills give the agent a job it can't do alone, such as reading your Gmail, driving a browser or searching the web. Below are 12 skills and plugins, one per job. The short list: gog from OpenClaw's creator for Gmail, Calendar and Sheets, Orshot for social content and posting, github for issues and PRs, Brave for web search, WhatsApp to chat from your phone, and Skill Vetter to check skills first. Each pick has its exact install line and its ClawHub download count on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompt asking which skills and plugins to install first, surrounded by Gmail, GitHub, Orshot, WhatsApp, Brave, Obsidian and Gemini icons](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins.png) Install every one by its owner and slug, such as `@steipete/github`, never by the bare name. On November 1, seven different ClawHub skills were called "github" and eight were called "weather". Only one of each came from OpenClaw's creator. **TL;DR** — Which job should OpenClaw take over first? - **1. Mail, calendar and sheets**: [gog skill](#1-run-gmail-calendar-and-sheets-with-gog) — One skill for Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Contacts, Sheets and Docs, by OpenClaw's creator. - **2. Social content & posting**: [Orshot plugin](#2-social-content--posting-with-orshot) — Generates the image, carousel or video from a template and posts it to 15 platforms. - **7. Safety before anything else**: [Skill Vetter](#7-check-every-skill-before-install-with-skill-vetter) — Reads a new skill for red flags before you turn it on. - **12. Talk to OpenClaw from your phone**: [WhatsApp plugin](#12-chat-with-openclaw-on-whatsapp) — The most downloaded OpenClaw plugin on ClawHub. | Job | Pick | Type | Downloads | | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | | [1. Google Workspace](#1-run-gmail-calendar-and-sheets-with-gog) | @steipete/gog | skill | 198,535 | | [2. Social content & posting](#2-social-content--posting-with-orshot) | orshot | plugin | new | | [3. GitHub](#3-work-on-github-issues-and-prs-with-the-github-skill) | @steipete/github | skill | 203,532 | | [4. Browser automation](#4-browse-and-fill-web-pages-with-agent-browser) | @matrixy/agent-browser-clawdbot | skill | 158,991 | | [5. Web search](#5-search-the-web-with-the-brave-or-tavily-plugin) | @openclaw/brave-plugin | plugin | 21,847 | | [6. Memory](#6-remember-past-mistakes-with-self-improving-agent) | @pskoett/self-improving-agent | skill | 490,040 | | [7. Skill security](#7-check-every-skill-before-install-with-skill-vetter) | @spclaudehome/skill-vetter | skill | 280,680 | | [8. Notes](#8-write-to-your-obsidian-notes) | @steipete/obsidian | skill | 112,542 | | [9. PDF editing](#9-edit-pdfs-in-plain-words-with-nano-pdf) | @steipete/nano-pdf | skill | 123,317 | | [10. AI images](#10-generate-ai-images-with-nano-banana-pro) | @steipete/nano-banana-pro | skill | 108,173 | | [11. Voice notes](#11-transcribe-voice-notes-with-openai-whisper) | @steipete/openai-whisper | skill | 90,041 | | [12. Chat channel](#12-chat-with-openclaw-on-whatsapp) | @openclaw/whatsapp | plugin | 205,553 | Downloads are lifetime ClawHub counts from the [ClawHub API](https://clawhub.ai "target=_blank rel=nofollow") on November 1, 2026. ## How I Picked These I pulled the 40 most downloaded ClawHub packages and searched ClawHub for each job on November 1, 2026. For each job I kept the copy with the most downloads, a clean scan and a known publisher. Where an official `@openclaw` plugin exists, I preferred it. Then I read each SKILL.md and checked the commands against the [OpenClaw docs](https://docs.openclaw.ai/cli/skills "target=_blank rel=nofollow"). I left out skills that only do one narrow trick, crypto trading skills, and anything that asks you to paste a shell command from a third-party site. ## What Is the Difference Between an OpenClaw Skill and a Plugin? An OpenClaw skill is a folder with a `SKILL.md` file: plain instructions the agent reads, often telling it how to use a CLI you install separately. An OpenClaw plugin is an installable package that adds whole features, such as a chat channel, a model provider, web search, an MCP server or a set of skills. The install lines differ too: ```bash # a skill, always with the owner openclaw skills install @steipete/gog # a plugin, then restart the gateway openclaw plugins install @openclaw/whatsapp openclaw gateway restart ``` OpenClaw's docs split plugins in two. Native code plugins run inside OpenClaw and can register anything. Bundle plugins are content packs (skills plus MCP server settings) with a narrower trust boundary, which is the shape the Orshot plugin uses. **Rule of thumb:** a skill teaches OpenClaw to use a tool you already have; a plugin gives OpenClaw the tool itself. ## 1. Run Gmail, Calendar and Sheets with gog The gog skill lets OpenClaw read and send Gmail, book Calendar events, and edit Drive files, Contacts, Sheets and Docs through the `gog` CLI. It had 198,535 downloads on November 1, 2026, and ClawHub highlights it. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by the gog skill: Gmail drafts, a Calendar invite and a new Google Sheets row](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/gog.webp) **Pick this if** you want OpenClaw to triage your inbox, draft replies or update a sheet without you opening a tab. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/gog gog auth credentials /path/to/client_secret.json ``` **Things that bit me:** - You need your own Google Cloud OAuth client first; the skill doesn't create one. - Five skills on ClawHub use the slug "gog". Only `@steipete/gog` is by Peter Steinberger, who created OpenClaw. **Best for:** Gmail, Google Calendar and Sheets work from chat, using your own Google OAuth app. ## 2. Social Content & Posting with Orshot The Orshot plugin lets OpenClaw generate social media images, carousels and videos from templates, then post or schedule them to 15 platforms, including Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok and X. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by the Orshot plugin: a LinkedIn carousel posted, an Instagram post scheduled and a TikTok Reel posted](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/orshot.webp) Orshot is an API for automated image, PDF and video generation from templates. A template is a reusable design whose text and images change per post. Disclosure: I built Orshot. **Pick this if** you want weekly posts that look like your brand every time, made and posted from one chat message. ```bash openclaw plugins install clawhub:orshot openclaw mcp login orshot ``` The [Orshot plugin](https://clawhub.ai/orshot/plugins/orshot "target=_blank") is a bundle: it registers Orshot's hosted MCP server and ten skills, including the [social media scheduler](https://orshot.com/agents/skills/social-media-scheduler), carousel and video generator skills. The login opens your browser once, so no API key sits on the OpenClaw machine. Prompts you can copy are on the [Orshot for OpenClaw](https://orshot.com/agents/openclaw) page. ![What the Orshot plugin does in OpenClaw: one message turns into images, carousels, videos and PDFs from templates, then posts, schedules and tracks them on Instagram, LinkedIn, TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, X, Threads, Pinterest and Bluesky](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/orshot-hub.webp) - Generates the post from a template and posts it in the same chat, so there's no second tool - Posts are held as drafts until you approve them - OAuth login, no API key stored on the OpenClaw machine Cons: - You design or import the template once before posting at volume - Publishing to social accounts needs a paid plan; drafts and previews work on the free plan - New on ClawHub (October 22, 2026), with 33 downloads on November 1 next to the six-figure counts above **Make your first post from OpenClaw** — Free plan: 100 credits a month for images and videos up to 30 seconds, no card. Posting is $12 per connected account on paid plans. [Start free](https://orshot.com/pricing?via=blog-best-openclaw-skills-inline) The full setup, with real prompts and outputs, is in the guide on how to [automate social media posting with OpenClaw](https://orshot.com/blog/automate-social-media-posting-openclaw). **Best for:** branded social posts, carousels and videos made from templates and posted from OpenClaw. ## 3. Work on GitHub Issues and PRs with the github Skill The github skill teaches OpenClaw to use the official `gh` CLI for issues, pull requests, CI runs and `gh api` queries. With 203,532 downloads, it is the most downloaded skill from OpenClaw's own creator. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by the github skill: PRs waiting for review, a failed CI step and a new issue](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/github.webp) **Pick this if** you want to ask "which PRs are waiting on me?" or "why did CI fail on main?" and get an answer from the real repo. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/github gh auth login ``` **Things that bit me:** - The skill uses whatever account `gh` is logged in as, with that account's full access. Use a token with only the repos OpenClaw needs. - Seven skills share the slug "github". Check the owner before you install. **Best for:** GitHub triage and CI checks from chat, through the `gh` CLI you already trust. ## 4. Browse and Fill Web Pages with Agent Browser The agent-browser skill lets OpenClaw drive a headless browser: open pages, read them as an accessibility tree, click, type and fill forms by element reference. The `@matrixy/agent-browser-clawdbot` copy had 158,991 downloads on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by Agent Browser: three pricing pages compared, a demo form filled and a changelog read](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/agent-browser.webp) **Pick this if** a job needs a site with no API, such as a supplier portal, a dashboard export or a form. ```bash openclaw skills install @matrixy/agent-browser-clawdbot npm install -g agent-browser ``` **Things that bit me:** - The skill is a wrapper around the open-source `agent-browser` CLI. Install the CLI from npm yourself, and read what the skill tells OpenClaw to run. - A headless browser has no logins. Sites that need a session work better in your own browser with an extension. - The second most popular option, `@shawnpana/browser-use` (76,227 downloads), uses Browser Use instead. **Best for:** scraping and form filling on sites with no API. ## 5. Search the Web with the Brave or Tavily Plugin The official Brave Search plugin adds web search to OpenClaw as a built-in provider, with 21,847 downloads. The official Tavily plugin (13,133 downloads) does the same with Tavily's AI-tuned results. Both need an API key from the search provider. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by the Brave plugin: cited CRM sources, a nearby restaurant and a weekend forecast](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/brave.webp) **Pick this if** you want OpenClaw to look things up and cite sources instead of answering from memory. ```bash openclaw plugins install @openclaw/brave-plugin openclaw gateway restart ``` **Things that bit me:** - A third-party Tavily skill, `@jacky1n7/openclaw-tavily-search`, has more downloads (109,690) than the official plugin. I'd still take the plugin: it is published by the OpenClaw team and plugs into the built-in search tool. - No API key? The official DuckDuckGo and SearXNG plugins work without one. **Best for:** web search with sources, on a provider whose terms you already accept. ## 6. Remember Past Mistakes with self-improving-agent The self-improving-agent skill makes OpenClaw write down failed commands, your corrections and better approaches, then read that log before similar tasks. It had 490,040 downloads on November 1, 2026, the most of any package on ClawHub. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by self-improving-agent: a saved lesson, a reused lesson and a repeated error](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/self-improving-agent.webp) **Pick this if** you keep correcting OpenClaw on the same thing ("we use pnpm, not npm"). ```bash openclaw skills install @pskoett/self-improving-agent ``` **Things that bit me:** - The skill stores what it learns as plain files in your workspace. Read them now and then, because a wrong lesson gets reused too. - For memory that searches by meaning across months of chats, the official `@openclaw/memory-lancedb` plugin (20,206 downloads) adds a vector store with auto-recall. **Best for:** stopping repeat mistakes with no database to run. ## 7. Check Every Skill Before Install with Skill Vetter The Skill Vetter skill makes OpenClaw read a new skill for red flags, risky permissions and suspicious patterns before you turn it on. It had 280,680 downloads on November 1, 2026, the second most on ClawHub. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by Skill Vetter: a risky skill flagged, a safe skill passed and its permissions listed](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/skill-vetter.webp) **Pick this if** you install skills from people you don't know, which is most of ClawHub. ```bash openclaw skills install @spclaudehome/skill-vetter ``` **Things that bit me:** - A vetting skill is still a skill that reads instructions written by an attacker. Treat its verdict as a second opinion next to ClawHub's own scan, not a guarantee. - SkillScan (`@tokauthai/skillscan`, 183,108 downloads) is the other popular checker. Running both on a skill you're unsure about costs nothing. **Best for:** a quick red-flag pass on any skill before its first run. ## 8. Write to Your Obsidian Notes The obsidian skill lets OpenClaw read, search and write the plain Markdown notes in your Obsidian vault through `obsidian-cli`. It had 112,542 downloads on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by the obsidian skill: a filed standup note, a found decision and an updated reading list](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/obsidian.webp) **Pick this if** your notes live in Obsidian and you want OpenClaw to file meeting notes or pull up last month's decisions. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/obsidian ``` **Things that bit me:** point it at the vault path and nothing wider. Your notes folder is the one place an agent's mistake costs the most. Notes in Notion instead? `@steipete/notion` (105,114 downloads) does the same through the Notion API. **Best for:** an Obsidian vault the agent can search and add to. ## 9. Edit PDFs in Plain Words with nano-pdf The nano-pdf skill lets OpenClaw edit an existing PDF from a plain instruction ("change the date on page 2", "fix the typo in the title") through the nano-pdf CLI. It had 123,317 downloads on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by nano-pdf: a date, a typo and a phone number changed inside PDFs](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/nano-pdf.webp) **Pick this if** you fix one PDF at a time and don't want to open an editor. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/nano-pdf ``` **Things that bit me:** nano-pdf edits a PDF you already have. It doesn't produce a new branded PDF from data, such as an invoice or a certificate per row. That job needs a template, which the [Orshot plugin in pick 2](#2-social-content--posting-with-orshot) covers. **Best for:** quick fixes to single PDFs. ## 10. Generate AI Images with nano-banana-pro The nano-banana-pro skill lets OpenClaw create and edit images with Google's Gemini 3 Pro Image model, from text or from an input image, at 1K, 2K or 4K. It had 108,173 downloads on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by nano-banana-pro: an image from a prompt, an edited product photo and a 4K upscale](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/nano-banana-pro.webp) **Pick this if** you want a one-off illustration, a photo edit or a concept image from a prompt. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/nano-banana-pro ``` **Things that bit me:** - You pay Google per image with your own Gemini API key. - Every image is a new roll. For posts that must look the same each week, with your fonts, logo and exact text, a template works better than a prompt. That is what the [Orshot plugin](#2-social-content--posting-with-orshot) does. **Best for:** one-off AI images and photo edits. ## 11. Transcribe Voice Notes with openai-whisper The openai-whisper skill lets OpenClaw turn audio files into text with the Whisper CLI running on your machine, so there's no API key and no audio leaves the computer. It had 90,041 downloads on November 1, 2026. ![OpenClaw prompts answered by openai-whisper: a voice note turned into to-dos, call notes and a model pick](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/openai-whisper.webp) **Pick this if** you send OpenClaw voice notes or want meeting recordings turned into notes. ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/openai-whisper pip install -U openai-whisper ``` **Things that bit me:** the larger Whisper models are slow on a laptop CPU. Start with the `base` or `small` model and move up only if the transcript is wrong. **Best for:** private transcription with no per-minute cost. ## 12. Chat with OpenClaw on WhatsApp The official WhatsApp plugin connects OpenClaw to WhatsApp Web, so you can message your agent from your phone like any other contact. It had 205,553 downloads on November 1, 2026, the most of any OpenClaw plugin. ![OpenClaw replies on WhatsApp: today's calendar, a reminder and a three-line article summary](https://orshot.com/blog/best-openclaw-skills-and-plugins/whatsapp.webp) **Pick this if** you want to send OpenClaw a task while you're away from the computer. ```bash openclaw plugins install @openclaw/whatsapp openclaw gateway restart ``` **Things that bit me:** - WhatsApp Web links to your own number. Anyone who can message that number can reach your agent, so set an allowlist in the channel config. - Prefer Discord, Slack or Matrix? Each has an official channel plugin too (`@openclaw/discord` had 20,422 downloads). **Best for:** giving OpenClaw a phone-friendly front door. ## How to Install an OpenClaw Skill Safely To install an OpenClaw skill safely, check the ClawHub scan, install it by owner and slug at a pinned version, and read the SKILL.md before the first run. OpenClaw's own docs say to treat third-party skills as untrusted code. In February 2026, Koi Security audited 2,857 ClawHub skills and found 341 malicious ones, most from one campaign called ClawHavoc, according to [The Hacker News](https://thehackernews.com/2026/02/researchers-find-341-malicious-clawhub.html "target=_blank rel=nofollow"). Many asked users to paste a "setup" command that installed a password stealer. The same week, [Snyk](https://snyk.io/blog/openclaw-skills-credential-leaks-research/ "target=_blank rel=nofollow") found that 283 of 3,984 skills (7.1%) told the agent to handle API keys in ways that leak them. Those weren't malware, just careless instructions. ### Step 1: Check the scan on ClawHub Open the skill's page on ClawHub and look at its security audit. ClawHub [rates each release](https://docs.openclaw.ai/clawhub/security-audits "target=_blank rel=nofollow") Pass, Review, Warn or Malicious. Install only on Pass, and read the details on anything else. ### Step 2: Install by owner, at a pinned version ```bash openclaw skills install @steipete/gog --version openclaw skills verify @steipete/gog ``` Replace `` with the release shown on the skill's page. `verify` exits with an error if ClawHub has marked the release as failed. Plugins pin with a version suffix instead, such as `clawhub:orshot@1.2.3`. ### Step 3: Read the SKILL.md before the first run Open the skill folder and read `SKILL.md`. Stop if it asks you to paste a command from a pastebin, download a password-protected ZIP, or send keys anywhere other than the service it's for. ### Step 4: Give it the narrowest access Use OAuth logins and scoped tokens where the service offers them, and keep one agent per trust level. A skill that only needs one GitHub repo shouldn't get a token for all of them. **Verdict:** the scan, the owner check and a two-minute read of SKILL.md catch the failure modes behind both February reports. ## OpenClaw Skills FAQ **Q: What are OpenClaw skills?** OpenClaw skills are folders with a SKILL.md file: plain instructions that teach the OpenClaw agent how to do a job, often by calling a CLI or an API. OpenClaw loads them from your workspace skills folder and from ClawHub, its public skill registry. **Q: What can I do with OpenClaw?** OpenClaw can do any job its skills and plugins cover: triage Gmail and Calendar with gog, review GitHub PRs, fill web forms, search the web, edit PDFs, make AI images, transcribe voice notes, and create and post social content with Orshot, all from chat or WhatsApp. **Q: Where can I find OpenClaw skills?** ClawHub (clawhub.ai) is the public registry for OpenClaw skills and plugins. Search it from the terminal with openclaw skills search followed by a word such as calendar, or browse it on the web. Community lists on GitHub collect skills too, but install from ClawHub by owner and slug so its scan applies. **Q: How do I install skills in OpenClaw?** Run openclaw skills install @owner/slug, for example openclaw skills install @steipete/github. Add --version to pin a release. List installed skills with openclaw skills list. Removing one uses the standalone clawhub CLI: clawhub uninstall @owner/slug. **Q: How do I update OpenClaw skills?** Run openclaw skills update --all to update every installed ClawHub skill, or openclaw skills update @owner/slug for one. Check the new release's scan on ClawHub first, because an update is new instructions you haven't read yet. **Q: How do I create a custom OpenClaw skill?** Create a folder in ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills and add a SKILL.md file with a name and a one-line description in its frontmatter, then write the instructions below it. Run openclaw skills list to check it loaded and start a new session with /new. Publish it with clawhub skill publish. **Q: Can OpenClaw create its own skills?** Yes. With Skill Workshop, the OpenClaw agent writes learned skills itself. They apply at once and keep earlier versions, so any change can be undone. List them with openclaw skills workshop list and retire one with openclaw skills workshop archive followed by its name. **Q: Where are OpenClaw skills stored?** OpenClaw loads skills from six places. Workspace skills in the workspace skills folder win, then project agent skills, personal skills in ~/.agents/skills, managed skills in the state directory, Skill Workshop skills and the bundled ones. When two skills share a name, the higher source wins. **Q: What is the difference between OpenClaw skills and plugins?** An OpenClaw skill is instructions the agent reads. An OpenClaw plugin is an installed package that adds features such as chat channels, model providers, web search, MCP servers or a set of skills. Skills install with openclaw skills install; plugins with openclaw plugins install, followed by a gateway restart. **Q: What does plugins.allow do in OpenClaw?** plugins.allow is an allowlist in the OpenClaw config. When it is set, only the plugins on the list can load, and plugins.deny always wins over it. openclaw plugins install adds a new plugin's id to an existing allow list for you. **Q: Are OpenClaw skills safe?** Not by default. Anyone with a GitHub account past ClawHub's age check can publish there, and in February 2026 researchers found 341 malicious skills there. Install skills by owner and slug, only on a Pass scan, at a pinned version, and read the SKILL.md before the first run. **Q: What is the most downloaded OpenClaw skill?** The most downloaded OpenClaw skill on ClawHub is self-improving-agent by pskoett, with 490,040 downloads on November 1, 2026. Skill Vetter (280,680) and SkillScan (183,108), both security checkers, are second and seventh. **Q: How many skills can OpenClaw use at once?** OpenClaw has no small fixed limit, but every enabled skill adds its description to what the agent reads, which costs tokens and can confuse it about which skill to use. Keep only the skills you use each week turned on. **Q: What is the best OpenClaw skill for social media?** For posts that need a designed visual, the Orshot plugin generates the image, carousel or video from a template and posts or schedules it to 15 platforms from the same chat. It installs with openclaw plugins install clawhub:orshot and logs in with OAuth. **Q: What is Orshot?** Orshot is an API for automated image, PDF and video generation from templates. Developers, n8n workflows and AI agents such as OpenClaw and Claude fill a template with new text and images to generate posts, documents and videos, and can post them to social platforms. ## Install Your First Three Start with Skill Vetter, then the job you do most often (gog for mail, github for code), then a chat channel so you can reach OpenClaw from your phone. Add the rest one at a time, checking each scan as you go. If social posts are on that list, [start on Orshot's free plan](https://orshot.com/pricing?via=blog-best-openclaw-skills) and run `openclaw plugins install clawhub:orshot`.