SlideClaw Skill (OpenClaw + ClawHub)#

Use this skill to run end-to-end Marp slide production with SlideClaw.

When to use#

• User asks to create slides with Marp.
• User asks to turn a topic or requirements into a deck.
• User asks to render slides.md to PDF/HTML/PPTX/PNG.
• User asks to reuse or save slide design templates.

When not to use#

• Task is not about slides/Marp.
• User only wants generic writing without file operations.
• User asks for a different slide stack (e.g., Google Slides API directly).

ClawHub-first assumptions#

This skill is designed to work even when installed from ClawHub into a workspace that does not have this repository cloned.

• Prefer a local slideclaw binary when available.
• Otherwise use npx -y slideclaw@latest.
• If this is not yet a SlideClaw workspace, initialize it in the current directory.

Command resolver (use this order)#

1. If slideclaw exists on PATH, use it.
2. Else if ./bin/slideclaw.js exists, use node ./bin/slideclaw.js.
3. Else use npx -y slideclaw@latest.

In steps below, treat <SC> as the resolved command prefix.

Examples:

bash

<SC> doctor
<SC> --json template list
<SC> render <project-id> --format pdf

Bootstrap flow (required before doing slide work)#

1. Run health check:

bash

<SC> doctor

1. If workspace marker .slideclaw/ is missing, initialize in current directory:

bash

<SC> init . --with-starter-template

1. Re-check:

bash

<SC> doctor

If any required dependency is missing, report clearly and stop before content work.

Inputs to collect from user#

Ask only what is required:

• Purpose (required)
• Audience (required)
• Topic (required)
• Duration / slide count (optional)
• Tone (optional)

Limit to 4 questions in one round.

End-to-end workflow#

text

[1] Resolve <SC> and bootstrap workspace
[2] Confirm requirements
[3] Pick template (or create new design)
[4] Create project
[5] Fill requirements.md
[6] Write slides.md
[7] Render HTML for fast validation
[8] Render PDF for final output
[9] Confirm with user, iterate if needed
[10] Mark done and optionally save template
[11] Update profile/user.md

Step 1. Template selection#

Always use CLI JSON output:

bash

<SC> --json template list

Rules:

• Do not force one template without user confirmation.
• Present all candidates in one short list.
• Include "create a new design" as an option.

If no template exists, continue with project creation without template and create style in project theme.css.

Step 2. Create project#

Always pass explicit kebab-case ID:

bash

<SC> project new "<name>" \
  --id 2026-04-09-topic-name \
  --template <template-id> \
  --title "<title>" \
  --audience "<audience>" \
  --goal "<goal>"

If no template is selected, omit --template.

Step 3. Update requirements.md#

Edit:

• Background
• Must-include points
• Open questions

Then share a 3-5 line summary and wait for user confirmation.

Step 4. Write slides.md#

Use pure Marp frontmatter only:

yaml

marp: true
theme: <theme_name>
paginate: true
size: 16:9

Rules:

• Separator is --- on its own line.
• Put assets under assets/ and reference with relative paths.
• Keep slide density aligned with profile/user.md preferences.
• Do not add SlideClaw-specific keys to slides.md frontmatter.

Step 5. Render and validate#

1. Fast render first:

bash

<SC> render <project-id> --format html

1. Final render:

bash

<SC> render <project-id> --format pdf

1. Share the output path with the user. Prefer the Downloads path when reporting, because it is easier for the user to open:

• Primary (workspace): projects/<project-id>/build/slides.pdf
• User-facing (Downloads): <OS Downloads dir>/<project-id>.pdf

slideclaw render automatically copies the rendered file to the user's OS-standard Downloads folder (macOS ~/Downloads, Linux xdg-user-dir DOWNLOAD, WSL Windows-side /mnt/c/Users/<user>/Downloads, Windows %USERPROFILE%\Downloads). Use <SC> --json render ... and read downloadsPath to get the exact path. To disable: --no-copy-to-downloads or SLIDECLAW_NO_DOWNLOADS=1.

Step 6. Iterate and complete#

• Apply feedback loops until approved.

• After approval, update requirements.md:

  • status: done
  • updated_at: <now>

Avoid project finish in interactive review loops because it can run actions before user confirmation.

Step 7. Optional template promotion#

When user likes the design, save it:

bash

<SC> template new <new-id> --from <project-id> \
  --name "<display name>" \
  --description "<short description>" \
  --tags "tag1,tag2" \
  --when-to-use "<usage guidance>"

If a draft template was created in templates/.drafts/, do not leave it orphaned. Promote or delete it.

Step 8. Update user profile#

Update profile/user.md with durable preferences only:

• Do / Don't patterns
• Preferred style density
• Topic tendencies
• Known constraints

Validate after edit:

bash

<SC> profile validate

Hard constraints#

• Do not manually edit tool-managed files unless necessary:
  • templates/INDEX.md
  • meta.md
  • template used_in
• Do not run destructive commands without explicit user intent.
• Do not claim success without render output path verification.

Failure handling#

• If slideclaw is unavailable and npx fails, tell the user exactly which dependency is missing.
• If Chrome is missing, explain PDF will fail and suggest HTML output first.
• If schema validation fails, fix frontmatter against docs/SCHEMAS.md when available.