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adk-skill-patterns
5 proven agent skill design patterns (Tool Wrapper, Generator, Reviewer, Inversion, Pipeline) from Google's ADK. Build reliable, composable skills with templates, decision trees, and composition guides. Stop cramming logic into prompts—use structured patterns instead.
Use with your AI agent
Open your project in any AI assistant that can read your files. Works with ChatGPT, Claude, Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Hermes Agent, OpenClaw, Grok Bot, and more.
Your agent needs access to this page’s linked instructions and your project files. Copying does not install or execute anything.
// RATINGS
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// README
ADK Skill Patterns 🧩
5 proven agent skill design patterns from Google's Agent Development Kit (ADK), adapted for the OpenClaw ecosystem.
The ADK specification explains how to package a skill, but offers zero guidance on how to structure the logic inside it. These 5 patterns solve that problem.
🎯 The 5 Patterns
| Pattern | Question It Answers | Use When |
|---|---|---|
| 🔧 Tool Wrapper | "How do I make my agent an expert on a specific library?" | Agent needs deep, contextual knowledge about a technology |
| 📄 Generator | "How do I enforce consistent output structure?" | Output format must be predictable every time |
| ✅ Reviewer | "How do I separate what to check from how to check it?" | Code review, quality gates, compliance checking |
| 🎤 Inversion | "How do I stop the agent from guessing and gather requirements first?" | Complex tasks requiring full context before execution |
| 🔄 Pipeline | "How do I enforce a strict multi-step workflow?" | Multi-phase tasks with checkpoints and approvals |
🚀 Quick Start
Install via ClawHub
clawhub install adk-skill-patterns
Use in OpenClaw
"Use the Tool Wrapper pattern to create a FastAPI expert skill"
"Apply the Pipeline pattern to my documentation workflow"
"Which pattern should I use for code review?"
📖 Pattern Details
1. Tool Wrapper
Purpose: Give your agent on-demand context for a specific library/framework.
Mechanism:
- Listens for library keywords in prompts
- Dynamically loads documentation from
references/ - Applies conventions as absolute truth only when needed
Example: FastAPI conventions that load only when FastAPI is mentioned
# SKILL.md
metadata:
pattern: tool-wrapper
domain: fastapi
2. Generator
Purpose: Enforce consistent output via fill-in-the-blank orchestration.
Mechanism:
assets/holds output templatereferences/holds style guide- Instructions act as project manager
- Asks for missing variables before generating
Example: Standardized technical reports that follow exact structure every time
# SKILL.md
metadata:
pattern: generator
output-format: markdown
3. Reviewer
Purpose: Separate review criteria from review execution.
Mechanism:
- Stores modular rubric in
references/review-checklist.md - Methodically scores submissions
- Groups findings by severity
- Swap checklist = completely different audit
Example: PR reviews, security scans, compliance audits
# SKILL.md
metadata:
pattern: reviewer
severity-levels: error, warning, info
4. Inversion
Purpose: Stop agents from guessing — make them interview first.
Mechanism:
- Agent acts as interviewer, not executor
- Structured questions in phases
- Hard gates prevent premature synthesis
- User drives through answers, not prompts
Example: Project planning, requirements gathering, system design
# SKILL.md
metadata:
pattern: inversion
interaction: multi-turn
5. Pipeline
Purpose: Enforce strict sequential workflow with hard checkpoints.
Mechanism:
- Instructions = workflow definition
- Diamond gate conditions (user approval required)
- Cannot bypass steps or present unvalidated results
- Progressive disclosure keeps context clean
Example: Documentation generation, multi-step code workflows
# SKILL.md
metadata:
pattern: pipeline
steps: "4"
🧬 Pattern Composition
These patterns are not mutually exclusive — they compose:
| Combination | Effect |
|---|---|
| Pipeline + Reviewer | Multi-step workflow with quality gate at the end |
| Generator + Inversion | Gather variables via interview, then fill template |
| Pipeline + Tool Wrapper | Each step loads specific expertise as needed |
| Reviewer + Generator | Review output before generating final document |
Principle: Your agent only spends context tokens on the exact patterns it needs at runtime.
🗺️ Decision Tree
START: What does your skill need to do?
│
├─→ Provide deep knowledge about a specific library/framework?
│ └─→ Use: TOOL WRAPPER
│
├─→ Produce consistent, templated output?
│ └─→ Use: GENERATOR
│
├─→ Check/audit something against criteria?
│ └─→ Use: REVIEWER
│
├─→ Gather requirements before acting?
│ └─→ Use: INVERSION
│
├─→ Execute strict multi-step workflow?
│ └─→ Use: PIPELINE
│
└─→ Multiple of the above?
└─→ Patterns COMPOSE
📁 Repository Structure
adk-skill-patterns/
├── SKILL.md # Main skill documentation
├── README.md # This file
├── LICENSE # MIT License
├── CONTRIBUTING.md # Contribution guidelines
├── templates/ # Ready-to-use SKILL.md templates
│ ├── tool-wrapper-SKILL.md
│ ├── generator-SKILL.md
│ ├── reviewer-SKILL.md
│ ├── inversion-SKILL.md
│ └── pipeline-SKILL.md
└── references/ # Quick reference guides
└── pattern-selection-checklist.md
🛠️ Creating a New Skill
- Choose a pattern using the decision tree above
- Copy the template from
templates/ - Customize the metadata and instructions
- Add references/assets as needed
- Test with real use cases
- Publish to ClawHub
🎓 Best Practices
Do ✅
- Use Tool Wrapper for domain-specific expertise
- Use Generator for any templated output
- Use Reviewer for quality gates
- Use Inversion for complex planning tasks
- Use Pipeline for multi-phase workflows
- Compose patterns for complex needs
- Keep
references/modular and swappable
Don't ❌
- Cram everything into system prompts (use Tool Wrapper)
- Accept inconsistent output (use Generator)
- Hardcode review criteria (use Reviewer)
- Let agents assume context (use Inversion)
- Allow skipped steps (use Pipeline)
📚 Resources
- Source Article: Google Cloud Tech on X
- ADK Documentation: Google Agent Development Kit
- ClawHub Page: adk-skill-patterns
🤝 Contributing
Contributions welcome! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.
Ideas for contributions
- Additional pattern examples
- Real-world case studies
- Pattern compositions for common workflows
- Templates for other frameworks
📄 License
MIT License — see LICENSE for details.
🙏 Acknowledgments
- Original patterns from Google Cloud Tech
- Adapted for OpenClaw by Max Laurie Hutchinson
Build smarter agents. Use patterns, not prompts. 🧩
// HOW IT'S BUILT
KEY FILES