Picking Skills After ClawHavoc
The OpenClaw Skills Registry has over 6,000 skills. After ClawHavoc flagged 1,184 of them as malicious, the question isn't just "what skill does what I need" anymore. It's "what skill does what I need and won't exfiltrate my Slack data."
This list covers ten skills we've tested, reviewed, and trust for Slack-connected OpenClaw instances, plus five skills (or skill categories) you should actively avoid right now. We checked the source code of every skill on the "good" list. We can't say that about the 5,800 others in the registry, and neither can you unless you read the code yourself.
The 10 Best
1. slack-thread-summarizer (by openclaw-core)
Summarizes long Slack threads into a concise recap with key decisions and action items highlighted. This ships with OpenClaw itself (it's a core skill, not a third-party one), so it's been reviewed by the core team. Does exactly what it says. Used it hundreds of times, never had an issue.
2. github-pr-notifier (by openclaw-core)
Posts new pull requests to a designated Slack channel with change summaries. Another core skill. Handles rate limits properly, formats messages well, supports filtering by repo or team. The only complaint is that it doesn't support GitLab out of the box (there's a separate skill for that; see #4).
3. cron-scheduler (by openclaw-core)
Lets you schedule recurring tasks using natural language. "Every weekday at 9am" or "first Monday of the month at 2pm." This is the backbone of most automation workflows. Core skill, well-tested, reliable. If it stops working, your OpenClaw installation has bigger problems.
4. gitlab-integration (by @mkessler-verified)
Yes, that Kessler. The same researcher who discovered ClawHavoc also maintains several legitimate and well-regarded OpenClaw skills. This one mirrors the github-pr-notifier functionality for GitLab. Clean code, no obfuscation, regularly updated. She's one of the few third-party skill authors I'd trust without hesitation.
5. jira-sync (by @devops-toolkit)
Bi-directional sync between Jira and Slack. Creates Jira tickets from Slack messages, updates ticket status from Slack, posts status changes back to channels. The devops-toolkit team has been maintaining OpenClaw skills since 2025 and has a clean track record. Their code is readable and they respond to security issues fast.
6. notion-knowledge-base (by openclaw-core)
Connects your Notion workspace so the agent can search and reference your documentation when answering questions in Slack. Core skill that was significantly improved in OpenClaw 0.48. Handles Notion's API rate limits correctly (a lot of third-party Notion skills don't).
7. sentiment-monitor (by openclaw-core)
Watches designated channels for signs of negative sentiment, frustration, or conflict. Optionally alerts a manager or HR channel. This sounds Big Brother-ish but is actually useful in support channels to flag when customers are getting frustrated. Core skill, opt-in only.
8. standup-bot (by @async-tools)
Runs async standups. DMs team members, collects responses, posts a synthesis. There are about 40 standup skills in the registry; this one is the best because it handles timezone differences correctly and doesn't break when someone doesn't respond. Reviewed the code personally. It's clean.
9. file-organizer (by openclaw-core)
Automatically categorizes and indexes files shared in Slack channels. When someone asks "where's that Q1 report?" the agent can find it instantly because this skill has been tracking and tagging every file share. Core skill, minimal permissions required.
10. meeting-scheduler (by @calendar-tools)
Coordinates meeting times across participants by checking Google Calendar or Outlook availability. You say "find a time for me and @alice and @bob next week" and it suggests slots. The calendar-tools team has been audited by the OpenClaw security team post-ClawHavoc and passed.
5 Skills to Avoid
1. Any Skill by @slack-utils (all flagged)
The @slack-utils account published 23 skills between November 2025 and January 2026. Every single one was flagged in ClawHavoc. These were among the most downloaded Slack skills in the registry because they had catchy names ("slack-channel-analytics-pro," "smart-thread-manager," "auto-channel-cleaner") and polished README files. All contained obfuscated exfiltration code. If you have any skill from this author installed, remove it immediately.
2. meeting-notes-pro (flagged)
This was the single most-downloaded malicious skill with over 12,000 installs. It genuinely worked as a meeting note taker. It also uploaded every transcript to an external server. The fact that it functioned correctly made it harder to detect; users had no reason to be suspicious because the skill did what it promised.
3. Any "Enhanced" or "Pro" Version of Core Skills
A common pattern in ClawHavoc was publishing skills that claimed to be improved versions of OpenClaw's core skills. Names like "thread-summarizer-enhanced" or "github-notifier-pro." Many of these were just the core skill with malicious code bolted on. If a core skill exists for what you need, use the core skill. Don't install a third-party "upgrade."
4. Unverified Analytics Skills
Skills that promise workspace analytics, usage tracking, or user behavior analysis require broad read permissions across channels. Legitimate analytics skills exist, but they're also the perfect cover for data harvesting. Unless the author is verified and you've read the code, skip these. Use Slack's built-in analytics instead.
5. Skills That Request Outbound Network Access Without Obvious Need
A formatting skill shouldn't need to make HTTP requests. A text summarizer shouldn't need to upload files. If a skill's functionality is purely local (formatting, organizing, summarizing text that's already in Slack) but the code makes outbound network calls, that's a red flag. Check the code before installing.
How to Vet Skills Yourself
Three steps. First, run openclaw audit --skills to check against the known-malicious database. Second, actually read the skill's source code. It's usually a single file. Look for base64-encoded strings, external HTTP calls to unfamiliar domains, and any code that activates after a delay. Third, check the author's history. How long have they been publishing? What's their reputation? Do they respond to issues?
Or, if you'd rather not do any of that, use SlackClaw. Every skill available through SlackClaw has been reviewed by our security team. We run about 120 skills total, all audited, all safe. No registry, no vetting, no risk. Check the security page for details on our review process.