With 5,700+ skills in the OpenClaw directory, choosing the right combination is overwhelming. This guide provides decision trees and curated 'skill stacks' for four personas: developers, researchers, content creators, and business automation builders. Each stack is tested, reviewed, and installable with a single command.
Most users install too many skills. A loaded OpenClaw instance with 30+ active skills is slow, confusing (the model doesn't know which tool to use), and insecure (larger attack surface). Our security guide recommends keeping active skills under 10. The better approach: curated skill stacks — 3-7 skills that work together for a specific use case. Each stack is tested for compatibility, evaluated for security, and designed to cover a complete workflow without overlap. Think of it like a chef's knife set: you don't need every knife ever made. You need a chef's knife, a paring knife, and a serrated knife — three tools that cover 95% of tasks. Browse all skills in our directory, or follow the decision trees below to find your ideal stack.
The Stack: 1. Code Reviewer — Catch bugs, security issues, and anti-patterns 2. Test Generator — Generate unit, integration, and e2e tests 3. GitHub Manager — PR management, issue triage, release automation 4. Debug Assistant — Diagnose errors with stack trace analysis 5. API Generator — Generate REST/GraphQL APIs from specs 6. Docker Captain — Containerize and deploy Install all at once: `npx clawhub@latest install code-reviewer test-generator github-manager debug-assistant api-generator docker-captain` Why this combination: These 6 skills cover the complete development lifecycle: write → review → test → debug → deploy. They don't overlap, and they feed into each other naturally (Code Reviewer flags issues → Debug Assistant helps fix them → Test Generator verifies the fix). Who should add more: If you work with Kubernetes, add it. If you need CI/CD, add it. But start with these 6. For deeper coverage, see our developer guide.
The Stack: 1. Deep Research — Multi-source research with citations 2. Academic Search — Papers from Scholar, arXiv, PubMed 3. Knowledge Graph — Map entities and relationships 4. Web Scraper Pro — Extract data from any website 5. Notion Sync — Output to your knowledge base Install all at once: `npx clawhub@latest install deep-research academic-search knowledge-graph web-scraper-pro notion-sync` Why this combination: Deep Research handles the synthesis. Academic Search covers scholarly sources. Knowledge Graph maps relationships between findings. Web Scraper Pro fills gaps from non-academic sources. Notion Sync stores everything in an organized, searchable format. Who should add more: Competitive intelligence? Add News Aggregator. Patent research? Add Patent Search. For the full research toolkit, see our research guide.
The Stack: 1. Take the Wheel — Autonomous long-form content generation 2. SEO Analyzer — Keyword research and optimization 3. Content Calendar — Plan and schedule content 4. Social Media Manager — Multi-platform distribution 5. Deep Research — Research before writing Install all at once: `npx clawhub@latest install take-the-wheel seo-analyzer content-calendar social-media-manager deep-research` Why this combination: Research → Write → Optimize → Schedule → Distribute. The complete content production pipeline. Deep Research provides source material, Take the Wheel drafts the content, SEO Analyzer optimizes it, Content Calendar schedules it, and Social Media Manager distributes it. Who should add more: Email marketing? Add Email Campaign. Design assets? Add CSS Generator. For sales-focused workflows, see our founder's guide.
The Stack: 1. Gmail Connector — Email automation and management 2. Slack Connector — Team communication automation 3. Calendar Sync — Meeting management 4. Todoist Sync — Task management 5. Lead Generator — Automated prospecting 6. CRM Sync — Customer data management Install all at once: `npx clawhub@latest install gmail-connector slack-connector calendar-sync todoist-sync lead-generator crm-sync` Why this combination: Covers the three pillars of business automation: communication (Gmail + Slack), organization (Calendar + Todoist), and revenue (Lead Generator + CRM Sync). Most business processes touch these systems daily. For a detailed walkthrough of each integration, see our Gmail guide and Slack guide. For strategic use of these tools, see skills for founders.
Start here: What's your primary use case? → Writing code: Developer Stack. Add React Scaffolder for frontend work. → Gathering information: Researcher Stack. Add Semantic Search if you have a local knowledge base. → Creating content: Content Creator Stack. Add Vision Analyzer if you work with images. → Running a business: Business Automation Stack. Add Browser Pilot for tasks that require web interaction. → All of the above: Start with the Developer Stack (it's the most versatile), then add individual skills from other stacks as needed. Never install all four stacks simultaneously — the model performs worse with too many skills active. → Security-sensitive work: Before installing any stack, read our security guide and consider NanoClaw for enforced sandboxing.
How many skills should I have active at once? We recommend 5-10 active skills maximum. More than that overwhelms the model's tool selection and increases security surface area. Deactivate skills you're not using. Can I switch skill stacks easily? Yes. Skills can be activated/deactivated without reinstalling. Use `npx clawhub@latest enable [skill]` and `npx clawhub@latest disable [skill]`. Keep multiple stacks installed but only activate the one you need. Do skills in a stack conflict with each other? Our recommended stacks are tested for compatibility. Random combinations may have conflicts — especially skills that modify the same files or compete for the same tool slots. What if a skill I need isn't in any stack? Browse the full directory by category. If you can't find what you need, consider creating your own skill or requesting one from the community. Are all recommended skills verified? All skills in our recommended stacks have been through our review process. Check individual skill pages in the directory for verification status and security ratings.