So what happens when OpenClaw boots? A file watcher scans the ~/.openclaw/skills/ directory. For each subdirectory it finds, the loader reads SKILL.md, parses the YAML frontmatter, and checks every entry in the requires block against the current system.
Binaries are resolved via which, environment variables via process.env, and config values via your settings file. If every requirement passes, the skill is added to the active tool registry. If any single check fails, the entire skill is skipped. This means you can drop a skill folder onto any machine and OpenClaw adapts without manual intervention.