How to Create Custom Skills

Why would I create a custom skill?

Team skills encode your organization's specific workflows, templates, and business logic. Instead of explaining your processes to a Claw every time, you package them as a skill that any team member can install. Common examples include internal reporting formats, company-specific approval workflows, and proprietary data lookups.

How do I start building a new skill?

Navigate to Settings > Skills and click Create Skill, or use the /skills/new command if you're working from the CLI. WorkClaw opens the skill editor with a scaffold that includes:

• Name and description — A human-readable name and short summary that appears in the marketplace.
• Instructions — The prompt template that tells the Claw how to use this skill. Write clear, specific instructions with examples of expected input and output.
• Tools — Optional tool definitions the skill exposes (API calls, data transformations, etc.).
• REQUIREMENTS.yaml — A manifest of connections, permissions, and dependencies the skill needs. See Skill Requirements for the full format.

How do I control who can see and use my skill?

Visibility is set during creation and can be changed later:

• Private — Only you can install this skill on your Claws. Useful for prototyping.
• Team — Anyone in your WorkClaw team can browse and install it. This is the most common setting for internal skills.
• Published — Submitted to the public marketplace for any WorkClaw user. Requires an approval review.

Change visibility from the skill's settings page under Access > Visibility.

What goes in REQUIREMENTS.yaml?

The REQUIREMENTS.yaml file declares everything your skill needs to function. At a minimum, it specifies required connections and their scopes. It can also declare dependencies on other skills, minimum plan tiers, and environment constraints. WorkClaw validates this file before allowing installation — if a user doesn't meet the requirements, they see a clear explanation of what's missing.

See Skill Requirements for the full schema and examples.

How does the approval process work?

Skills with Team visibility are available immediately to your organization — no approval step. Skills submitted to the public marketplace go through a review:

1. Submit the skill from its settings page by clicking Publish to Marketplace.
2. The WorkClaw team reviews the skill for quality, security, and policy compliance.
3. You receive feedback or approval within five business days.
4. Approved skills appear in the public marketplace and can be installed by any WorkClaw user.

You can continue to iterate on a private or team version while the review is in progress.

Can I update a skill after it's published?

Yes. Push a new version from the skill editor. Team skills update instantly. Published marketplace skills go through a lighter review for updates — typically approved within two business days. Existing installs are notified of the update and can choose when to upgrade.