Use this skill when dependency changes are in scope for npm, pnpm, yarn, Python packages, or other package ecosystems supported by Socket.

Prerequisites

• The socket CLI must be installed and on PATH (npm install -g socket).
• Authentication is required for CLI-based reviews. See the Authentication section below.

Workflow

• Confirm the exact dependency change being proposed.
• Check whether the feature can be implemented with the standard library or an existing project dependency.
• Prefer MCP depscore if the host agent exposes it.
• Otherwise run scripts/check_dependency.sh [version].
• Apply the policy in references/policy.md.
• Apply the decision rules in references/decision-matrix.md.
• Before making the change, report:

- why the package is needed - whether an existing alternative exists - what Socket reported - whether install scripts, risky capabilities, or transitive risk are present

• If the decision is allow_with_warning, present the warning clearly before making the change. If the decision is block_pending_human_review or block, stop and propose either:

- a safer dependency - a no-dependency implementation - explicit human review

Authentication

Three authentication paths are supported, in order of preference:

• MCP depscore — no local credentials needed; works through the host agent's MCP connection.
• socket login — interactive CLI login; stores auth locally.

- If your CLI supports it, pressing Enter at the token prompt uses limited public access. - To use a private token, paste it at the prompt instead.

• SOCKET_SECURITY_API_TOKEN env var — set this for CI or headless environments.

Security: Never paste private tokens into agent prompts. Use the env var or socket login instead.

CI note: GitHub Actions workflows use SOCKET_SECURITY_API_KEY (a separate GitHub-integration key), not SOCKET_SECURITY_API_TOKEN. See examples/github/dependency-guard.yml.

Reporting Contract

Use the short response template in references/examples.md when presenting the package review to the user.

References

• Read references/policy.md for the canonical guardrail.
• Read references/decision-matrix.md for allow/block criteria.
• Read references/examples.md for user-facing review examples.

Notes

• Keep SKILL.md lean; do not duplicate the full policy here.
• OpenClaw and ClawHub expect metadata to be a single-line JSON object in frontmatter, so keep the OpenClaw metadata compact.
• The version field in frontmatter is the single source of truth; use publish_clawhub.sh --bump patch|minor|major to auto-increment.
• Do not assume system-wide wrapper enforcement or shell-completion setup is desirable; keep CLI setup minimal.
• If Socket tooling is unavailable, require human review before adding the dependency.
• Review manifest and lockfile changes together.