How to Install md2wechat-skill in OpenClaw

"How do I install the md2wechat skill in OpenClaw?"

This question is easier if you split it into two parts:

1. OpenClaw itself must already be installed
2. then md2wechat must be added as a skill

If you skip the first part, the second part gets explained in the wrong context.

Step 1: make sure OpenClaw is already installed

According to the OpenClaw install docs, the recommended path is the install script:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

That script handles installation and onboarding. If OpenClaw is not present yet, start there first.

Reference:

• OpenClaw Install

Step 2: understand where OpenClaw expects skills

Based on the OpenClaw skills docs, skills commonly come from three sources:

• built-in skills
• local or hosted skills under ~/.openclaw/skills
• a skills/ directory inside the current workspace

That means a skill like md2wechat can be installed globally or only for a specific workspace.

Reference:

• OpenClaw Skills

Available installation paths for md2wechat

Based on the public md2wechat-skill project documentation, there are at least three realistic installation paths.

1. Install through ClawHub

If the skill is available through ClawHub, the common OpenClaw installation pattern is:

clawhub install <skill-slug>

This is the cleanest path when the skill is already published in the registry.

2. Use the project's install script

The md2wechat-skill project provides an OpenClaw install script:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/geekjourneyx/md2wechat-skill/main/scripts/install-openclaw.sh | bash

This path is useful when:

• you want the fastest setup
• you do not want to inspect ClawHub first
• you want the project to place files in the expected path for you

3. Install it manually

If you want full control, a manual path is also straightforward:

git clone https://github.com/geekjourneyx/md2wechat-skill.git
mkdir -p ~/.openclaw/skills
cp -r md2wechat-skill/skills/md2wechat ~/.openclaw/skills/

This path fits situations where:

• you want to inspect the skill structure
• you expect to modify SKILL.md or scripts
• you want to place it into a specific workspace layout

Installation is not the same as configuration

This is the part people skip too often.

OpenClaw configuration is stored in:

~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

The public md2wechat-skill docs also show configuration under skills.entries.md2wechat.

So after installation, you still need the right credentials in place:

• an API key
• WeChat credentials if you plan to use advanced publish features

Installing the skill only makes OpenClaw recognize it. It does not make the workflow usable yet.

Why installation and configuration should stay separate

If the skill appears in OpenClaw, that only proves the runtime can see it.

It does not prove:

• the API key is valid
• WeChat credentials are present
• draft-related functions can run successfully

The correct mental split is:

• installation makes the skill available
• configuration makes the skill operational

How this differs from Claude Code

The difference between OpenClaw and Claude Code is mostly about how they install and register capabilities:

• Claude Code leans on plugin-market commands
• OpenClaw leans on ClawHub, local skill directories, and openclaw.json

That is why the same capability needs separate install instructions.

Closing thought

The realistic OpenClaw path is:

1. install OpenClaw
2. add the md2wechat skill through ClawHub, the install script, or manual placement
3. finish the credential configuration in openclaw.json

That sequence keeps "installed" and "usable" from being confused with each other.