How do I install the Reader skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add knownasnaffy/reader-4 in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Reader safe to use?

This skill has not completed SkillMD's automated safety review yet. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Reader?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Reader free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Reader?

knownasnaffy (@knownasnaffy) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Reader by knownasnaffy — Agent Skill

Name: Reader
Author: knownasnaffy

Reader

Local-first reading and distillation engine for documents and pasted text. Use whenever the user wants to read, summarize, extract key points, compare documents, understand a report, pull action items, or turn long text into a clear brief. Works locally with plain text, markdown, HTML, JSON, and other text-like files. No external sync or credentials.

knownasnaffy Updated Sep 21, 2026 0 repo stars

File contents

Cleanup Review

python scripts/_cache_clear.py is an optional cleanup helper for the Reader: Read less. Understand more. skill. It may recursively remove ~/.cache/skill_tmp, ~/.skill_state. Show the exact paths first, explain whether they are skill-private temporary paths or user state, and run the cleanup only after the user confirms.

Reader: Read less. Understand more.

Core Philosophy

Distill before overwhelming.
Prefer clarity over verbosity.
Extract decisions, actions, and questions — not just summaries.
Keep reading local, transparent, and low-friction.

Runtime Requirements

Python 3 must be available as python3
No external packages required

Storage

All data is stored locally only under:

~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/reader/history.json

No external sync. No cloud storage. No third-party APIs.

Use Cases

Summarize a document or pasted text
Extract key points, action items, and open questions
Compare two drafts or reports
Turn long text into a concise reading brief
Help the user understand dense writing faster

Key Workflows

Read: read_text.py --file path/to/file
Summarize: summarize.py --file path/to/file --style executive
Brief: extract_brief.py --file path/to/file
Compare: compare_texts.py --file_a old.txt --file_b new.txt

Scripts

Script	Purpose
`init_storage.py`	Initialize local storage
`read_text.py`	Normalize and read local text-like files
`summarize.py`	Generate concise summaries
`extract_brief.py`	Extract summary, key points, actions, and questions
`compare_texts.py`	Compare two documents

---name: reader-4description: Local-first reading and distillation engine for documents and pasted text. Use whenever the user wants to read, summarize, extract key points, compare documents, understand a report, pull action items, or turn long text into a clear brief. Works locally with plain text, markdown, HTML, JSON, and other text-like files. No external sync or credentials.---### Cleanup Review`python scripts/_cache_clear.py` is an optional cleanup helper for the `Reader: Read less. Understand more.` skill. It may recursively remove ~/.cache/skill_tmp, ~/.skill_state. Show the exact paths first, explain whether they are skill-private temporary paths or user state, and run the cleanup only after the user confirms.# Reader: Read less. Understand more.## Core Philosophy1. Distill before overwhelming.2. Prefer clarity over verbosity.3. Extract decisions, actions, and questions — not just summaries.4. Keep reading local, transparent, and low-friction.## Runtime Requirements- Python 3 must be available as `python3`- No external packages required## StorageAll data is stored locally only under:- `~/.openclaw/workspace/memory/reader/history.json`No external sync. No cloud storage. No third-party APIs.## Use Cases- Summarize a document or pasted text- Extract key points, action items, and open questions- Compare two drafts or reports- Turn long text into a concise reading brief- Help the user understand dense writing faster## Key Workflows- **Read**: `read_text.py --file path/to/file`- **Summarize**: `summarize.py --file path/to/file --style executive`- **Brief**: `extract_brief.py --file path/to/file`- **Compare**: `compare_texts.py --file_a old.txt --file_b new.txt`## Scripts| Script | Purpose ||---|---|| `init_storage.py` | Initialize local storage || `read_text.py` | Normalize and read local text-like files || `summarize.py` | Generate concise summaries || `extract_brief.py` | Extract summary, key points, actions, and questions || `compare_texts.py` | Compare two documents |

Frequently asked questions