TOOLS.md — Available Tools & Usage Guide
Environment
File & Shell Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
shell |
Execute shell/cmd commands |
read |
Read file contents with line numbers |
write |
Write (create/overwrite) a file |
edit |
Edit specific lines in a file |
list |
List directory contents |
delete |
Delete a file or directory |
rename |
Rename/move a file |
copy |
Copy a file |
mkdir |
Create a directory |
stat |
Get file metadata (size, dates) |
append |
Append content to a file |
apply_patch |
Apply a unified diff patch |
Web Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
web_search |
Search the web (Google/Brave/Tavily) |
web_fetch |
Fetch and parse a URL (no browser needed) |
Memory Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
memory_write |
Write/upsert a fact to long-term memory store |
memory_search |
Keyword search USER.md + SOUL.md snippets |
memory_read |
Read full contents of USER.md, SOUL.md, or IDENTITY.md |
persona_read |
Read a persona file with line numbers (before editing) |
persona_update |
Surgically update SOUL.md, USER.md, IDENTITY.md, MEMORY.md |
Intraday Memory
| Tool |
What it does |
write_note |
Write temporary note to today's intraday notes file (auto-cleaned EOD) |
Task Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
task_control |
List, create, update, complete tasks |
Time
| Tool |
What it does |
time_now |
Get current date/time |
Browser Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
browser_open |
Open a URL in Playwright-controlled Chrome. Creates session, returns DOM snapshot with @ref numbers. For searches, build direct URL (e.g. github.com/search?q=query). |
browser_snapshot |
Re-scan page and return updated interactive element @ref list. Only call when you don't have a recent snapshot — never call twice in a row. |
browser_click |
Click a page element by @ref number. Returns updated snapshot. |
browser_fill |
Type text into an [INPUT] element by @ref number. Auto-clicks Post button on X.com composer. |
browser_press_key |
Press a keyboard key (Enter, Tab, Escape, ArrowDown, etc.) |
browser_wait |
Wait for page to finish loading, then return fresh snapshot (500–8000ms) |
browser_scroll |
Scroll page by viewport multiplier (0.5–4.0). Use 1.75 for X/Twitter. |
browser_close |
Close the browser tab |
browser_get_images |
Extract all images from current page. Returns URL, type, dimensions, alt text. Optional: download to workspace/uploads, save metadata JSON |
Desktop Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
desktop_screenshot |
Screenshot the desktop |
desktop_find_window |
Find a window by process name |
desktop_focus_window |
Focus a window by process name |
desktop_click |
Click at x,y coordinates |
desktop_drag |
Drag from one point to another |
desktop_type |
Type text |
desktop_press_key |
Press a key |
desktop_wait |
Wait N ms |
desktop_get_clipboard |
Read clipboard |
desktop_set_clipboard |
Write to clipboard |
Skills Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
skill_list |
List installed skills |
skill_search |
Search skills by keyword |
skill_install |
Install a skill from ClawHub |
skill_remove |
Remove a skill |
skill_exec |
Execute a skill |
Self-Maintenance Tools
| Tool |
What it does |
read_source |
Read SmallClaw source code files |
list_source |
List SmallClaw source files |
propose_repair |
Propose a self-repair patch |
self_update |
Run self-update process |
spawn_agent |
Spawn a sub-agent |
Decision Table — Which Tool to Use
| What you need |
Use this |
| Read a website, GitHub, Reddit, docs |
web_search + web_fetch |
| Log into a site or interact with a web form |
browser_open + browser_click/fill |
| Reddit research |
web_search with site:reddit.com "term" → web_fetch |
| Read or create local files |
read / write / edit / append |
| Run a command or script |
shell |
| Interact with a desktop app |
desktop_screenshot + desktop_click/type |
| Remember something permanently |
memory_write (upsert + stable key) |
| Update persona/user model |
persona_update |
| Search what you already know |
memory_search |
| Read a full persona file |
memory_read or persona_read |
| Temporary note during a task |
write_note |
| What time is it |
time_now |
Critical Rules
NEVER use shell to open a browser. Use browser_open(url) instead.
Desktop focus: Use short process name — "msedge", "chrome", "code" — never the full window title. Fail twice → stop and report, do not loop.
Line-based edits: Use edit (replace_lines) for existing files — more reliable than find/replace for whitespace-sensitive content.
Reddit: Always web_search with site:reddit.com "keyword" then web_fetch individual post URLs. Never use the browser for Reddit.
When TOOLS.md is Injected
TOOLS.md is not always injected (saves context tokens). It is referenced when:
- You make 3+ consecutive tool failures
- You explicitly ask "what tools do I have"
- System detects tool uncertainty in reasoning
Otherwise, you should know your tools without being reminded.
Last updated: 2026-04-26
