mirror of https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
140 lines
6.4 KiB
Markdown
140 lines
6.4 KiB
Markdown
---
|
|
summary: "OpenClaw tools and plugins overview: what the agent can do and how to extend it"
|
|
read_when:
|
|
- You want to understand what tools OpenClaw provides
|
|
- You need to configure, allow, or deny tools
|
|
- You are deciding between built-in tools, skills, and plugins
|
|
title: "Tools and Plugins"
|
|
---
|
|
|
|
# Tools and Plugins
|
|
|
|
Everything the agent does beyond generating text happens through **tools**.
|
|
Tools are how the agent reads files, runs commands, browses the web, sends
|
|
messages, and interacts with devices.
|
|
|
|
## Tools, skills, and plugins
|
|
|
|
OpenClaw has three layers that work together:
|
|
|
|
<Steps>
|
|
<Step title="Tools are what the agent calls">
|
|
A tool is a typed function the agent can invoke (e.g. `exec`, `browser`,
|
|
`web_search`, `message`). OpenClaw ships a set of **built-in tools** and
|
|
plugins can register additional ones.
|
|
|
|
The agent sees tools as structured function definitions sent to the model API.
|
|
|
|
</Step>
|
|
|
|
<Step title="Skills teach the agent when and how">
|
|
A skill is a markdown file (`SKILL.md`) injected into the system prompt.
|
|
Skills give the agent context, constraints, and step-by-step guidance for
|
|
using tools effectively. Skills live in your workspace, in shared folders,
|
|
or ship inside plugins.
|
|
|
|
[Skills reference](/tools/skills) | [Creating skills](/tools/creating-skills)
|
|
|
|
</Step>
|
|
|
|
<Step title="Plugins package everything together">
|
|
A plugin is a package that can register any combination of capabilities:
|
|
channels, model providers, tools, skills, speech, image generation, and more.
|
|
Some plugins are **core** (shipped with OpenClaw), others are **external**
|
|
(published on npm by the community).
|
|
|
|
[Install and configure plugins](/tools/plugin) | [Build your own](/plugins/building-plugins)
|
|
|
|
</Step>
|
|
</Steps>
|
|
|
|
## Built-in tools
|
|
|
|
These tools ship with OpenClaw and are available without installing any plugins:
|
|
|
|
| Tool | What it does | Page |
|
|
| ---------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------- |
|
|
| `exec` / `process` | Run shell commands, manage background processes | [Exec](/tools/exec) |
|
|
| `browser` | Control a Chromium browser (navigate, click, screenshot) | [Browser](/tools/browser) |
|
|
| `web_search` / `web_fetch` | Search the web, fetch page content | [Web](/tools/web) |
|
|
| `read` / `write` / `edit` | File I/O in the workspace | |
|
|
| `apply_patch` | Multi-hunk file patches | [Apply Patch](/tools/apply-patch) |
|
|
| `message` | Send messages across all channels | [Agent Send](/tools/agent-send) |
|
|
| `canvas` | Drive node Canvas (present, eval, snapshot) | |
|
|
| `nodes` | Discover and target paired devices | |
|
|
| `cron` / `gateway` | Manage scheduled jobs, restart gateway | |
|
|
| `image` / `image_generate` | Analyze or generate images | |
|
|
| `sessions_*` / `agents_list` | Session management, sub-agents | [Sub-agents](/tools/subagents) |
|
|
|
|
For image work, use `image` for analysis and `image_generate` for generation or editing. If you target `openai/*`, `google/*`, `fal/*`, or another non-default image provider, configure that provider's auth/API key first.
|
|
|
|
### Plugin-provided tools
|
|
|
|
Plugins can register additional tools. Some examples:
|
|
|
|
- [Lobster](/tools/lobster) — typed workflow runtime with resumable approvals
|
|
- [LLM Task](/tools/llm-task) — JSON-only LLM step for structured output
|
|
- [Diffs](/tools/diffs) — diff viewer and renderer
|
|
- [OpenProse](/prose) — markdown-first workflow orchestration
|
|
|
|
## Tool configuration
|
|
|
|
### Allow and deny lists
|
|
|
|
Control which tools the agent can call via `tools.allow` / `tools.deny` in
|
|
config. Deny always wins over allow.
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
tools: {
|
|
allow: ["group:fs", "browser", "web_search"],
|
|
deny: ["exec"],
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|
|
|
|
### Tool profiles
|
|
|
|
`tools.profile` sets a base allowlist before `allow`/`deny` is applied.
|
|
Per-agent override: `agents.list[].tools.profile`.
|
|
|
|
| Profile | What it includes |
|
|
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------- |
|
|
| `full` | All tools (default) |
|
|
| `coding` | File I/O, runtime, sessions, memory, image |
|
|
| `messaging` | Messaging, session list/history/send/status |
|
|
| `minimal` | `session_status` only |
|
|
|
|
### Tool groups
|
|
|
|
Use `group:*` shorthands in allow/deny lists:
|
|
|
|
| Group | Tools |
|
|
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
|
|
| `group:runtime` | exec, bash, process |
|
|
| `group:fs` | read, write, edit, apply_patch |
|
|
| `group:sessions` | sessions_list, sessions_history, sessions_send, sessions_spawn, session_status |
|
|
| `group:memory` | memory_search, memory_get |
|
|
| `group:web` | web_search, web_fetch |
|
|
| `group:ui` | browser, canvas |
|
|
| `group:automation` | cron, gateway |
|
|
| `group:messaging` | message |
|
|
| `group:nodes` | nodes |
|
|
| `group:openclaw` | All built-in OpenClaw tools (excludes plugin tools) |
|
|
|
|
### Provider-specific restrictions
|
|
|
|
Use `tools.byProvider` to restrict tools for specific providers without
|
|
changing global defaults:
|
|
|
|
```json5
|
|
{
|
|
tools: {
|
|
profile: "coding",
|
|
byProvider: {
|
|
"google-antigravity": { profile: "minimal" },
|
|
},
|
|
},
|
|
}
|
|
```
|