Configure Skills

Skills are additional capability packages callable by Hermes. They extend concrete task handling beyond basic conversation, such as automatically organizing to-dos, generating daily reports, browsing web pages, searching news, generating images, and more.

All skills come from Skills.sh and ClawHub — the skill marketplaces shared by OpenClaw and Hermes.

This page covers

Relationship between Hermes and skills
Two installation methods: console installation and conversation installation
Skill usage examples
Deleting installed skills
FAQ

Positioning of skills

If Hermes combined with a large model gives users an intelligent AI assistant, skills are its "hands and feet". Skills can further extend the capability boundary of an already deployed Hermes.

You can think of skills as "applications" for Hermes:

Basic conversation capability = operating system
Skills = applications installed on demand

Each skill focuses on a single task, for example:

Browsing web pages and querying information with a browser
Automatically organizing daily to-dos
Sending scheduled news briefings
Generating images from descriptions
Querying real-time stock and fund information
Organizing chat records into structured notes

Hermes automatically determines whether to call the corresponding skill based on conversation context. Users do not need to specify it.

Method 1: Install through the console panel (coming soon)

The LightVela console provides a visual skill configuration entry in the "Skills" button. You can enter a skill name found on Skills.sh or ClawHub and install it quickly.

1. Enter the LightVela console

Sign in to LightVela, click "My AI Partners" in the upper-right corner to enter the console, and find the "Skills" button.

2. Search and install

Enter the recorded skill name in the search box (such as gmail) and click the + button.

3. Confirm availability in conversation

Return to a connected channel (WeChat / Telegram / WhatsApp / Discord). First ask Hermes to update its skill list, then check the currently available skills:

Please update your skill list

What skills are currently available?

If the newly installed skill appears in the list, you can start using it in conversation.

Method 2: Install directly through conversation

In addition to using the console panel, you can also ask Hermes to install a skill directly through conversation. The skill to install still needs to be listed on Skills.sh or ClawHub.

1. Confirm the conversation channel is available

First make sure Hermes is connected to at least one channel (WeChat / Telegram / WhatsApp / Discord) and can currently chat normally.

2. Tell Hermes which skill to install

Use the command below as a reference. Tell Hermes what skill you want to install and replace [skill name] with the actual name from Skills.sh or ClawHub:

Please install a skill from Skills.sh or ClawHub. Its name is [skill name]

For example, to install mcd (McDonald's assistant):

Please install a skill from Skills.sh or ClawHub. Its name is mcd

If everything goes well, Hermes will complete the installation directly and tell you the result.

3. Verify the installation result

You can ask Hermes to show how to use the skill to verify that installation succeeded:

Please show me how to use it

Or specify the skill name explicitly:

Please show me how to use mcd

Skill usage examples

Using the agent-browser browser-operation skill as an example, after installation you can ask Hermes to perform the following tasks.

Scenario 1: Browse a web page

Use the browser to visit Baidu and tell me what is on the page

Hermes opens the page and returns the content in text form.

Scenario 2: Search information through the browser

Use the browser to look up today's top 5 trending news stories

Scenario 3: Multi-step complex task

Use the browser to search ClawHub and find the currently most-installed email skill

This task includes multiple steps such as opening a web page, waiting for it to load, entering content, and clicking buttons. It is relatively complex. Hermes completes the steps and returns the result.

Delete installed skills

If you no longer use an installed skill, you can ask Hermes to delete it through conversation.

1. View currently installed skills

What skills do you currently have installed?

2. Request deletion of a specific skill

Find the skill you want to delete and send a deletion command:

Please delete the email skill

If everything goes well, Hermes will complete the deletion and tell you the result.

3. Verify the deletion result

Check the currently installed skills again and confirm the target skill has been removed from the list:

Check again what skills you currently have installed

Success state

The target skill appears in the "Installed skills" list in the console
When you make a related request in conversation, Hermes can correctly recognize and call the skill
The skill can be deleted normally through conversation

Installation safety tips

Skills have permission to call Hermes capabilities at runtime and may involve:

Calling external APIs (consuming the corresponding quota)
Reading or sending conversation content
Running scheduled operations

Before installation, confirm that the skill author is trustworthy. We recommend:

Prefer officially verified skills on Skills.sh or ClawHub
Prefer skills with high downloads and good reviews
Carefully read the permission description in the skill description
Stay cautious with skills that have unclear descriptions or unfamiliar authors

Send "Please update your skill list" in the conversation
Use a clearer instruction, such as "Use the XX skill to complete YY"

Installation says "rate limit triggered, please try again later"

Possible cause: Skills.sh and ClawHub apply API rate limits to protect service stability.

Solution: Wait for a while and try again. We recommend avoiding peak hours.

Skill calls keep failing

Possible causes:

External services required by the skill are temporarily unavailable
The skill version is outdated
The corresponding model does not support the capabilities required by the skill, such as tool calling

Solution:

Check the skill's comments and latest version information on Skills.sh or ClawHub
Try switching to a model that supports tool calling
If the issue persists, contact the skill author