What is the OpenClaw Skill?#
The PocketHook skill for OpenClaw lets your OpenClaw agent trigger iOS Shortcuts on your device. When you ask OpenClaw to create a note, make a playlist, or run any automation, the agent includes markers in its response that PocketHook detects and executes.
Early release. This skill may need additional tuning for your setup. The included shortcuts are examples — you’ll need to register your own and adapt the skill to match how you use PocketHook.
How It Works#
- You send a message from PocketHook, which forwards it to your OpenClaw server
- OpenClaw processes it with its LLM and the PocketHook skill
- The response includes inline markers like
[SHORTCUT:New Note]and[DATA:{...}] - PocketHook detects the markers, strips them from the displayed message, and executes the Shortcuts on your device
PocketHook communicates with OpenClaw using the OpenAI Chat Completions format with the header x-openclaw-agent-id: main.
Setup#
1. Install the skill#
git clone https://github.com/pockethook-app/openclaw-pockethook.git
cp -r openclaw-pockethook/ ~/.openclaw/workspace/skills/pockethook/
OpenClaw hot-reloads skills — no restart needed.
2. Configure PocketHook#
In PocketHook on your iOS device, go to Settings:
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Server URL | Your OpenClaw HTTP proxy URL (HTTPS) |
| Auth Token | Your OpenClaw auth token |
| OpenClaw Mode | ON |
For background tasks (optional):
| Setting | Value |
|---|---|
| Background Tasks | ON |
| Polling URL | Your polling endpoint |
| Fetch Message | fetchPendingTasks |
Tap Test Connection to verify.
Supported Markers#
| Marker | Purpose |
|---|---|
[SHORTCUT:name] or [RUN:name] | Trigger an iOS Shortcut |
[DATA:{...}] | Pass JSON data to the preceding shortcut |
[URL:https://...] | Open a URL in the in-app browser |
Markers are placed at the end of the response and can be combined:
Creating your note and opening the recipe.
[URL:https://example.com/recipe]
[SHORTCUT:New Note]
[DATA:{"title": "Pasta Recipe", "content": "Ingredients: flour, eggs, salt"}]
Multiple shortcuts execute in sequence — PocketHook waits for each to complete before running the next.
Registering Your Shortcuts#
The skill comes with example shortcuts (New Note, newPlayList). To add your own, edit SKILL.md in three places:
1. The description field#
Add your shortcut trigger to the Use when: list so OpenClaw activates the skill:
description: >
...
Use when: create a note, make a playlist, set a reminder, ...
2. The “When to Use” table#
Map user intent to the shortcut action:
| User asks to set a reminder | `[SHORTCUT:Add Reminder]` with `title` and `date` |
3. The “User’s Shortcuts” section#
Document the shortcut name and data format:
### Reminders
- `Add Reminder` — Create a reminder. Data: `{"title": "...", "date": "..."}`
Background Tasks#
PocketHook supports polling for async work:
- PocketHook sends a GET to the Polling URL periodically
- If the response is
true, a notification appears - When the user opens PocketHook, it sends
fetchPendingTasks - OpenClaw responds with the completed results (including shortcut markers)
- If no pending results, respond with just
false
This lets OpenClaw handle long tasks (research, project creation, data analysis) in the background and deliver results when ready.