{"title":"Stop letting 'skill,' like 'agents,' become a fig leaf for enterprise services – A comparison of Claude and OpenClaw's skills.","url":"/en/posts/2026-03-31-%E5%88%AB%E5%86%8D%E8%AE%A9-skill%E5%83%8F%E6%99%BA%E8%83%BD%E4%BD%93%E4%B8%80%E6%A0%B7%E6%88%90%E4%BA%86%E4%BC%81%E4%B8%9A%E6%9C%8D%E5%8A%A1%E9%81%AE%E7%BE%9E%E5%B8%83claude-%E5%92%8C-openclaw-%E7%9A%84-s/","date":"2026-03-31","type":"posts","content":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003eIn a nutshell: A Claude Skill is more like \u0026ldquo;letting the model know how,\u0026rdquo; while an OpenClaw Skill is more like \u0026ldquo;letting the system manage.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eI wanted an AI to write this article, not because the word \u0026ldquo;Skill\u0026rdquo; is new, but because I\u0026rsquo;ve been visiting partners and clients recently and have a subtle feeling that the Chinese market is starting to repeat the same old story with \u0026ldquo;agents.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePersonally, I believe OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s impact and significance for China\u0026rsquo;s B2B software are more critical. Essentially:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe dynamic of \u0026ldquo;people who can use AI replacing those who can\u0026rsquo;t\u0026rdquo; has shifted to \u0026ldquo;people who can manage Agents replacing those who can\u0026rsquo;t.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe following content, primarily written by an AI, compares the Skill capabilities and mechanisms of the Claude and OpenClaw platforms. However, I believe the B2B industry might be facing more fundamental changes in its software development and application supply chain. The AI\u0026rsquo;s analysis is still quite superficial, so I won\u0026rsquo;t go into that today.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e===== AI-Written Content Below =====\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOver the past few years, the concept of \u0026ldquo;agent\u0026rdquo; has been overused in China. Many companies claim to be building Agents while merely rebranding workflows, multi-turn conversations, tool calls, or even just simple Q\u0026amp;A wrappers as \u0026ldquo;agents.\u0026rdquo; When a concept gets hot, its definition expands; when the definition expands, the market becomes distorted. In the end, those genuinely building solid capabilities are overlooked, while those best at packaging concepts dominate the conversation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, when many teams talk about \u0026ldquo;Skills,\u0026rdquo; they aren\u0026rsquo;t discussing how to consolidate a professional capability into a reusable, callable, and governable unit. Instead, they\u0026rsquo;re using it as a new buzzword. What they were once hesitant to keep calling an \u0026ldquo;Agent\u0026rdquo; is now a \u0026ldquo;Skill.\u0026rdquo; What was just a prompt template is now a \u0026ldquo;Skill.\u0026rdquo; What was merely a layer of tool orchestration is also a \u0026ldquo;Skill.\u0026rdquo; The result is that the concept is being hyped up again, but the industry\u0026rsquo;s understanding has only become more chaotic.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat\u0026rsquo;s why I wanted to write this article—not to add more fuel to the fire around the word \u0026ldquo;Skill,\u0026rdquo; but quite the opposite. I want to pull it back down to earth and examine it within the boundaries of capability and system architecture.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThough they are both called \u0026ldquo;Skills,\u0026rdquo; what Claude and OpenClaw refer to are not the same thing.\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"1-dont-rush-to-ask-which-is-more-advanced-first-look-at-what-problems-they-are-each-trying-to-solve\"\u003e\n  1. Don\u0026rsquo;t rush to ask which is more advanced; first, look at what problems they are each trying to solve.\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#1-dont-rush-to-ask-which-is-more-advanced-first-look-at-what-problems-they-are-each-trying-to-solve\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe problem Claude aims to solve is, fundamentally: how to turn a reusable professional capability into a workflow unit that a model can automatically discover and invoke.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is why the official Anthropic documentation repeatedly emphasizes several points: first, a Skill is a modular capability; second, Claude will automatically use it when a request is relevant; and third, it uses a tiered, on-demand loading approach. The model is first made aware of available Skills, and only after one is triggered does it read the SKILL.md and additional resources, thereby reducing context consumption. Claude also explicitly organizes Skill content into three levels: metadata, the main description, and additional resources/code.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn other words, a Claude Skill is more like a form of \u0026ldquo;capability packaging.\u0026rdquo; Its focus isn\u0026rsquo;t on \u0026ldquo;writing longer prompts\u0026rdquo; but on organizing \u0026ldquo;when to trigger, what to read, how to reuse, and how to reduce context pollution\u0026rdquo; into a capability object that the model can reliably invoke.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe problem OpenClaw aims to solve is more aligned with platform engineering: how to make an Agent\u0026rsquo;s capabilities into modules that are installable, configurable, filterable, updatable, synchronizable, and distributable.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the OpenClaw documentation, the most prominent feature isn\u0026rsquo;t the prompt but the runtime mechanism: Skills are loaded from three levels—the built-in directory, the user directory, and the workspace directory—with clear priorities for resolving conflicts. They can also be extended through additional directories and are filtered at load time based on conditions like the operating system, the existence of binaries, environment variables, and configuration settings.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis shows that an OpenClaw Skill is no longer just about \u0026ldquo;how a model learns to do something,\u0026rdquo; but \u0026ldquo;how a platform incorporates a capability into its governance system.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"2-the-real-difference-isnt-in-the-file-structure-but-in-the-system-boundaries\"\u003e\n  2. The real difference isn\u0026rsquo;t in the file structure, but in the system boundaries.\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#2-the-real-difference-isnt-in-the-file-structure-but-in-the-system-boundaries\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn the surface, Claude and OpenClaw Skills do look very similar.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBoth emphasize SKILL.md; both emphasize the description; and neither treats a Skill as a simple prompt, but rather as a capability package with metadata, instructions, and resources. Claude\u0026rsquo;s official documentation requires Skills to use YAML frontmatter to describe their name and purpose, triggering automatically when relevant. OpenClaw also explicitly states that it follows the AgentSkills layout and intent.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBut what truly makes them different isn\u0026rsquo;t the similarity of their directory structures, but their completely different system boundaries.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaude\u0026rsquo;s boundary is primarily on the model side. It is concerned with: When should this capability be used by the model? Once used, what should the model read? How can untriggered content be kept in the file system without occupying context?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s boundary is primarily on the platform side. It is concerned with: Where is this capability loaded from? Does it meet the runtime conditions? Should it be included in the current run? Should an env or apiKey be injected? Should it be exposed only to user commands? Can it bypass the model and go directly to a tool? Can it be searched, installed, updated, and published through a registry?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, although both are called \u0026ldquo;Skill,\u0026rdquo; they are not abstracting the same object: Claude abstracts \u0026ldquo;how a capability is invoked by the model,\u0026rdquo; while OpenClaw abstracts \u0026ldquo;how a capability is loaded, governed, and distributed by the platform.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"3-a-chart-to-understand-the-fundamental-differences-between-claude-skill-and-openclaw-skill\"\u003e\n  3. A Chart to Understand: The Fundamental Differences Between Claude Skill and OpenClaw Skill\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#3-a-chart-to-understand-the-fundamental-differences-between-claude-skill-and-openclaw-skill\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ctable\u003e\n  \u003cthead\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eComparison Dimension\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eClaude Skill\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOpenClaw Skill\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n          \u003cth\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eIn a Nutshell\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/th\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/thead\u003e\n  \u003ctbody\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCore Positioning\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eMore like model-side capability encapsulation\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eMore like platform-side capability plugins\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eClaude leans towards \u0026ldquo;letting the model do it\u0026rdquo;; OpenClaw leans towards \u0026ldquo;letting the platform manage it\u0026rdquo;\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCore Objective\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eTeach the model domain knowledge, methods, and workflows for automatic invocation when relevant\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eIntegrate capabilities into a system for loading, filtering, configuration, commands, installation, and distribution\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOne emphasizes capability packaging, the other capability operations\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTriggering Method\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eUses the \u003ccode\u003edescription\u003c/code\u003e as an entry point for the model to autonomously decide when to use it\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eCan be invoked by the model, explicitly triggered by the user, or routed directly to a tool via \u003ccode\u003ecommand-dispatch\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eClaude favors semantic triggering; OpenClaw favors platform-level scheduling\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eContext/Execution Method\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eLayered, on-demand loading to minimize context usage\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eFirst checks for eligibility, then includes qualified Skills in the current run\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eClaude prioritizes context efficiency; OpenClaw prioritizes execution eligibility\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDependency Management\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eEmphasizes how instructions, resources, and scripts serve the model\u0026rsquo;s reasoning\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eEmphasizes runtime conditions like \u003ccode\u003eenv\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003eapiKey\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003ebinary\u003c/code\u003e, \u003ccode\u003econfig\u003c/code\u003e, and \u003ccode\u003esandbox\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOpenClaw is more like a true runtime system\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCommand System\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eSlash commands are a supplementary entry point, still fundamentally centered on model capabilities\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eSlash commands are a platform-level capability that can directly access a Skill or tool\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s command system is more platform-oriented\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLoading Hierarchy\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eMore like a model discovering and reading a capability\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eHas a clear priority order: \u003ccode\u003ebundled\u003c/code\u003e / \u003ccode\u003elocal\u003c/code\u003e / \u003ccode\u003eworkspace\u003c/code\u003e / \u003ccode\u003eextraDirs\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOpenClaw is more like a plugin system\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eEcosystem \u0026amp; Distribution\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eBetter suited for standardizing internal enterprise workflows and knowledge accumulation\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eBetter suited for a capability marketplace, registry, and handling installation, updates, and synchronization\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOpenClaw is clearly evolving towards a Skill marketplace\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n      \u003ctr\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMore Suitable Product Direction\u003c/strong\u003e\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eExpert Copilots, knowledge assistants, industry-specific intelligent assistants\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eAgent platforms, enterprise workbenches, plugin ecosystem platforms\u003c/td\u003e\n          \u003ctd\u003eOne is more like an intelligent expert layer, the other like a capability operating system layer\u003c/td\u003e\n      \u003c/tr\u003e\n  \u003c/tbody\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe factual basis for this table is straightforward: The official Claude documentation emphasizes automatic relevance-based triggers, file-system-based skills, and on-demand loading. In contrast, the official OpenClaw documentation highlights AgentSkills compatibility, directory priorities, pre-run filtering, command exposure, environment injection, and ClawHub distribution.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSo, while both are called \u0026ldquo;Skill,\u0026rdquo; Claude and OpenClaw are not abstracting the same concept. This isn\u0026rsquo;t a terminological difference; it\u0026rsquo;s a product roadmap divergence.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"4-concrete-scenarios-make-the-difference-clearer\"\u003e\n  4. Concrete Scenarios Make the Difference Clearer\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#4-concrete-scenarios-make-the-difference-clearer\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"scenario-1-creating-a-weekly-client-report-ppt-for-a-bank\"\u003e\n  Scenario 1: Creating a Weekly Client Report PPT for a Bank\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#scenario-1-creating-a-weekly-client-report-ppt-for-a-bank\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eImagine a salesperson says: \u0026ldquo;Help me organize this week\u0026rsquo;s progress with my banking clients into a presentation.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Claude context, the process would be: The system has a pre-existing \u0026ldquo;Create PPT\u0026rdquo; Skill. Claude first examines the skill\u0026rsquo;s description to determine its relevance to the request. If it matches, Claude reads the \u003ccode\u003eSKILL.md\u003c/code\u003e file and uses the specified templates, scripts, and resources to accomplish the task.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the OpenClaw context, the process is different: The platform first checks if the \u0026ldquo;Create PPT\u0026rdquo; Skill is installed, its directory level, if it meets all runtime conditions, whether it\u0026rsquo;s disabled, if an API Key needs to be injected, and if it\u0026rsquo;s exposed as a slash command. Only after these checks does it decide whether the Skill is eligible for the current agent run.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, for the same \u0026ldquo;Create PPT\u0026rdquo; Skill, Claude\u0026rsquo;s approach answers the question, \u0026ldquo;How does the model \u003cem\u003elearn\u003c/em\u003e this task?\u0026rdquo; while OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s approach answers, \u0026ldquo;How does the system \u003cem\u003epackage, manage, and distribute\u003c/em\u003e this capability?\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"scenario-2-creating-a-bid-proposal-response-skill\"\u003e\n  Scenario 2: Creating a \u0026ldquo;Bid Proposal Response\u0026rdquo; Skill\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#scenario-2-creating-a-bid-proposal-response-skill\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor instance, a fintech company wants to turn its workflow—\u0026ldquo;read tender document, extract requirements, match with product capabilities, generate initial draft\u0026rdquo;—into a reusable Skill.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Claude context, this would be like creating an \u0026ldquo;organizational knowledge pack.\u0026rdquo; You would place the workflow, guidelines, best-practice examples, templates, and auxiliary scripts into the Skill directory, enabling Claude to automatically use them for relevant tasks.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the OpenClaw context, the platform team would focus on a host of runtime questions: Is this Skill globally shared or workspace-specific? Should it be located in \u003ccode\u003e\u0026lt;workspace\u0026gt;/skills\u003c/code\u003e or \u003ccode\u003e~/.openclaw/skills\u003c/code\u003e? Should it be loaded via \u003ccode\u003eextraDirs\u003c/code\u003e? Does it need a private enterprise API key injected? Should it be invoked automatically by the model or exposed as an explicit command for the pre-sales team?\nSo the difference is: Claude focuses on encapsulating professional practices for the model; OpenClaw focuses on integrating enterprise capabilities into the platform\u0026rsquo;s runtime system.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"scenario-3-customer-service-operations-team-creating-a-qa-analysis-skill\"\u003e\n  Scenario 3: Customer Service Operations Team Creating a \u0026ldquo;QA Analysis Skill\u0026rdquo;\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#scenario-3-customer-service-operations-team-creating-a-qa-analysis-skill\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor another example, a customer service manager might say: \u0026ldquo;Perform sentiment analysis, compliance checks, and suggest improvements for yesterday\u0026rsquo;s 500 call recordings.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith Claude, the most natural approach is to encapsulate the quality inspection rules, scoring criteria, tagging system, and output format requirements into a Skill. This allows Claude to automatically apply this methodology when a QA task arises. Here, a Skill is more like a \u0026ldquo;business expert package.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith OpenClaw, beyond the rules themselves, the platform also considers: Does this Skill depend on external tools or binaries? Does it require environment variables? Should it run on the host machine or in a Docker sandbox? If in a sandbox, how should it be configured, since the host\u0026rsquo;s environment variables aren\u0026rsquo;t inherited by default?\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is why I say: Claude\u0026rsquo;s Skill is more like a capability specification + an instruction manual; OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s Skill is more like a capability package + a runtime plugin.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"scenario-4-exposing-skills-as-explicit-commands-for-frontline-teams\"\u003e\n  Scenario 4: Exposing Skills as Explicit Commands for Frontline Teams\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#scenario-4-exposing-skills-as-explicit-commands-for-frontline-teams\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eNot all capabilities are suitable for \u0026ldquo;letting the model decide when to use them.\u0026rdquo; Some capabilities are meant to be explicitly triggered by the user.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the Claude ecosystem, slash commands are an entry point, but the focus remains on whether the model will invoke the relevant capability at the appropriate time. The Claude SDK also supports custom slash commands, but they are a related yet distinct mechanism from Skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the OpenClaw ecosystem, slash commands are distinctly more platform-oriented. A user-invocable Skill can be exposed as a command. Default commands can still be handled by the model, but if a Skill declares \u003ccode\u003ecommand-dispatch: tool\u003c/code\u003e, it can bypass the model and follow a deterministic tool path directly.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe underlying philosophical difference is significant: Claude is saying that a capability can be both invoked by a user and recalled by the model. OpenClaw is saying that, in addition to being used by the model, a capability can also become part of the platform\u0026rsquo;s command system and tool gateway.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"v-what-are-the-real-inspirations-from-claudes-skills-and-openclaws-skills-for-b2b-software\"\u003e\n  V. What are the real inspirations from Claude\u0026rsquo;s Skills and OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s Skills for B2B Software?\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#v-what-are-the-real-inspirations-from-claudes-skills-and-openclaws-skills-for-b2b-software\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"1-software-that-is-knowledge-intensive-judgment-intensive-and-has-non-deterministic-workflows-is-better-suited-for-claude-style-skills\"\u003e\n  1) Software that is \u0026ldquo;knowledge-intensive, judgment-intensive, and has non-deterministic workflows\u0026rdquo; is better suited for Claude-style Skills\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#1-software-that-is-knowledge-intensive-judgment-intensive-and-has-non-deterministic-workflows-is-better-suited-for-claude-style-skills\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a software\u0026rsquo;s core value lies not in clicking buttons for the user, but in applying professional knowledge, industry experience, templates, and judgment frameworks on their behalf, then it is better suited to follow Claude\u0026rsquo;s path.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example, these scenarios are a good fit:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Finance/Government \u0026amp; Enterprise Pre-sales: Responding to bids, writing proposals, summarizing client visit notes, and competitor analysis.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Customer Service Operations: Quality assurance analysis, conversation reviews, agent coaching recommendations, and service strategy generation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Data Analysis Products: Evolving from \u0026ldquo;reporting tools\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;business assistants that can analyze data.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Legal/Compliance Products: Reviewing initial contract drafts, comparing clauses, and generating compliance checklists.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Enterprise Knowledge Products: Truly transforming SOPs, case studies, and best practices into work packages that a model can invoke.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe common thread in these scenarios is that the tasks are not entirely deterministic, but professional methodology is crucial.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eClaude\u0026rsquo;s Skill mechanism is well-suited for this type of software because it is naturally designed to accumulate domain knowledge, templates, scripts, and best practices, allowing the model to use them on-demand for relevant tasks, rather than relying on someone to manually copy and paste a prompt each time.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a B2B software company is better suited to this path, it typically needs to make three types of product changes: First, reorganize the experience scattered across implementation documents, training manuals, and pre-sales templates into capability packages. Second, enable the model with a mechanism to \u0026ldquo;automatically recall\u0026rdquo; this experience. Third, establish an evaluation system centered around these Skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"2-software-that-is-integration-intensive-permission-sensitive-and-has-highly-deterministic-processes-is-better-suited-for-openclaw-style-skills\"\u003e\n  2) Software that is \u0026ldquo;integration-intensive, permission-sensitive, and has highly deterministic processes\u0026rdquo; is better suited for OpenClaw-style Skills\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#2-software-that-is-integration-intensive-permission-sensitive-and-has-highly-deterministic-processes-is-better-suited-for-openclaw-style-skills\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a software\u0026rsquo;s core value lies in its need to connect to many systems, invoke numerous tools, handle various permissions and runtime dependencies, and where many operations are best executed deterministically, then it is better suited to follow OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s path.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor instance, these scenarios align more closely with OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s philosophy:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Enterprise Operations Workbench: Unified operations across CRM, ERP, ticketing, IM, calendar, and email.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· DevOps / IT Automation Platform: Alert handling, script execution, change management, and inspection routines.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Internal Office Assistant Platform: Explicit commands to trigger leave requests, expense reports, tickets, scheduling, and approvals.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· Multi-team Collaboration Platform: Assembling different capability packages for different departments, tenants, and workspaces.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e· ISV Ecosystem Platform: Enabling partners to publish, install, upgrade, and roll back various capability extensions.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe common thread in these scenarios is that capabilities must not only be \u0026ldquo;understood\u0026rdquo; but also \u0026ldquo;governed.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe reason OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s Skills are more like a plugin system is that they directly address the most challenging problems in enterprise software within the Skill itself: dependency existence, environment variable injection, capability visibility, whether it\u0026rsquo;s invoked by the model or a user command, whether it can directly use a tool, and how to handle installation, updates, and synchronization.\nIf a to-B software company is better suited for this path, then typically four types of changes need to be made to the product: First, capabilities must be abstracted into installable, versionable, and configurable runtime units; second, there must be a clear capability assembly layer; third, there must be a governance layer; and fourth, there must be a distribution layer.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"3-most-mature-to-b-software-in-the-future-will-evolve-towards-a-dual-layer-skill-architecture\"\u003e\n  3) Most Mature to-B Software in the Future Will Evolve Towards a \u0026ldquo;Dual-Layer Skill Architecture\u0026rdquo;\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#3-most-mature-to-b-software-in-the-future-will-evolve-towards-a-dual-layer-skill-architecture\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMy own judgment is that most mature to-B software in the future will not solely choose either the Claude-style or OpenClaw-style approach, but will form a dual-layer structure: the upper layer will be Claude-style Skills, responsible for endowing models with domain understanding, method invocation, and content generation capabilities; the lower layer will be OpenClaw-style Skills, responsible for managing tools, systems, permissions, environments, and distribution governance.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThat is to say: the upper layer solves \u0026ldquo;whether it can do it\u0026rdquo;; the lower layer solves \u0026ldquo;can it do it, is it stable, is it controllable.\u0026rdquo; Only when these two layers are stacked together does it truly resemble mature enterprise AI software.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor example, a financial industry AICC product, looking up, needs expert capabilities like \u0026ldquo;Complaint Analysis Skill,\u0026rdquo; \u0026ldquo;Quality Inspection Review Skill,\u0026rdquo; and \u0026ldquo;Marketing Strategy Skill\u0026rdquo;; looking down, it must handle platform-level issues such as CRM, work orders, call recordings, knowledge bases, permissions, approvals, and tenant isolation. The former is more like Claude-style Skills, while the latter is more like OpenClaw-style Skills.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch2 id=\"4-for-domestic-to-b-software-vendors-the-real-challenge-is-not-whether-they-can-talk-about-skills-but-whether-the-organization-needs-to-be-restructured\"\u003e\n  4) For domestic to-B software vendors, the real challenge is not \u0026ldquo;whether they can talk about Skills,\u0026rdquo; but whether the organization needs to be restructured\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#4-for-domestic-to-b-software-vendors-the-real-challenge-is-not-whether-they-can-talk-about-skills-but-whether-the-organization-needs-to-be-restructured\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eUltimately, this is not just about adding a new term to a product.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf you genuinely want to build software into a Skill-driven product, at least three things need to change organizationally: First, the way products are defined must change; second, the delivery method must change; and third, the business model may also need to change.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOnce Skills truly become capability units, they are not just deliverables, but can also become value-added packages, industry packages, partner packages, and market packages. At that time, what is sold is not just licenses, but capability assets.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"six-why-this-matters-skill-is-evolving-from-prompt-asset-to-runtime-asset\"\u003e\n  Six, Why This Matters: Skill is Evolving from Prompt Asset to Runtime Asset\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#six-why-this-matters-skill-is-evolving-from-prompt-asset-to-runtime-asset\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eMany people today talk about Skills, still stuck at \u0026ldquo;is it a more advanced prompt template.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis actually underestimates it.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf it were just a template, it would at most solve the problem of \u0026ldquo;reusing textual descriptions\u0026rdquo;; but from Claude to OpenClaw, this concept has been advancing. Claude turned Skills into professional capabilities that models can discover, load on demand, and reuse; OpenClaw further transformed Skills into installable, configurable, filterable, updatable, synchronizable, and distributable runtime units.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis means that the value of Skills is changing.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn the past, an organization\u0026rsquo;s method for accumulating AI experience was more about saving prompts, writing SOPs, and building knowledge bases; now, Skills attempt to transform these experiences into capability objects that the system can truly invoke, load, govern, and reuse. It is no longer just a documentation asset, but begins to resemble a software asset.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFrom this perspective, Claude and OpenClaw are not about who is right or wrong, but rather are on the same evolutionary curve, just stopped at different positions: Claude is closer to the model-side capability encapsulation; OpenClaw is closer to the platform-side capability operations.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"seven-whats-truly-worth-alerting-to-is-not-that-skill-has-become-popular-but-that-skill-is-about-to-be-overused-again\"\u003e\n  Seven, What\u0026rsquo;s Truly Worth Alerting to, is Not That Skill Has Become Popular, But That Skill is About to Be Overused Again\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#seven-whats-truly-worth-alerting-to-is-not-that-skill-has-become-popular-but-that-skill-is-about-to-be-overused-again\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday, many people in the market treat Skill as a new buzzword after Agent, but what is truly worth paying attention to is not whether the name has changed, but whether the boundaries of the capability unit have changed.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf a so-called Skill cannot improve the stable performance of a model in certain tasks, nor can it be loaded, governed, and distributed by the system, then it is likely just a rebranded prompt, workflow, or demo shell.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is also what I truly want to remind the market: Skill is not a more fashionable word; Skill should be a more serious capability encapsulation.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf we end up just overusing the word Agent, and then overusing Skill again, then the industry has not progressed; it has just put on a new fig leaf.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"eight-final-judgment\"\u003e\n  Eight, Final Judgment\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#eight-final-judgment\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf I had to summarize this article in one sentence, I would write it this way: The focus of Claude Skill is to enable models to reuse a capability more stably; the focus of OpenClaw Skill is to enable platforms to govern a capability more systematically.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTherefore, what is truly worth paying attention to in this discussion is not \u0026ldquo;which product also uses the term Skill,\u0026rdquo; but rather: Skill is evolving from \u0026ldquo;a way to reuse model prompts\u0026rdquo; to \u0026ldquo;a capability encapsulation and distribution unit in the Agent era.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe former leans towards capability packaging, and the latter leans towards capability operations; the former is more about defining \u0026ldquo;how to make the model capable,\u0026rdquo; and the latter is more about defining \u0026ldquo;how to make the system manage.\u0026rdquo;\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is where the concept of Skill truly has value. And this is why today we must quickly pull it back from the hype and put it back into the context of capability building and system building.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ch1 id=\"references\"\u003e\n  References\n  \u003ca class=\"heading-link\" href=\"#references\"\u003e\n    \u003ci class=\"fa-solid fa-link\" aria-hidden=\"true\" title=\"Link to heading\"\u003e\u003c/i\u003e\n    \u003cspan class=\"sr-only\"\u003eLink to heading\u003c/span\u003e\n  \u003c/a\u003e\n\u003c/h1\u003e\n\u003col\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthropic, Agent Skills Overview — \u003ca href=\"https://platform.claude.com/docs/zh-CN/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/overview\"  class=\"external-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://platform.claude.com/docs/zh-CN/agents-and-tools/agent-skills/overview\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAnthropic, Agent SDK Slash Commands — \u003ca href=\"https://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/slash-commands\"  class=\"external-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://platform.claude.com/docs/en/agent-sdk/slash-commands\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpenClaw, Skills — \u003ca href=\"https://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/skills\"  class=\"external-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/skills\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpenClaw, Skills Config — \u003ca href=\"https://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/skills-config\"  class=\"external-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/skills-config\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOpenClaw, ClawHub — \u003ca href=\"https://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/clawhub\"  class=\"external-link\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"\u003ehttps://docs.openclaw.ai/en/tools/clawhub\u003c/a\u003e\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ol\u003e\n","description":"In a nutshell: A Claude Skill is more like \u0026ldquo;letting the model know how,\u0026rdquo; while an OpenClaw Skill is more like \u0026ldquo;letting the system manage.\u0026rdquo;\nI wanted an AI to write this article, not because the word \u0026ldquo;Skill\u0026rdquo; is new, but because I\u0026rsquo;ve been visiting partners and clients recently and have a subtle feeling that the Chinese market is starting to repeat the same old story with \u0026ldquo;agents.\u0026rdquo;\nPersonally, I believe OpenClaw\u0026rsquo;s impact and significance for China\u0026rsquo;s B2B software are more critical. Essentially:\n"}