ClipIt

Overview

ClipIt is an OpenClaw skill for clipping and summarizing video or audio content. It is built around a CLI called clipper and is designed to make short, shareable clips from longer sources. The skill supports URLs and local files, start and end time ranges, multiple output formats, and optional transcription or summarization. It is positioned as a practical tool for content extraction, rapid review, and social sharing workflows.

What This Skill Is Good For

Use ClipIt when you need to extract a short segment from a long video or audio file. It is useful for creating social snippets, highlights, or summaries. It also fits research workflows where you want to capture a specific segment for later analysis. Because it provides optional transcription and summary generation, it is also useful for quickly extracting key points from spoken content.

Requirements and Setup

ClipIt relies on the clipper CLI. The OpenClaw documentation shows how to install clipper and notes that you should ensure the binary is available on your PATH. The skill can accept either a URL or a local file path. When using URLs, the tool fetches the media before clipping. When using local files, it operates on the file directly.

Core Parameters

ClipIt is driven by a set of arguments that define the clip:

• Source: Either a URL or a local file path.
• Start and end: Time offsets that define the clip boundaries.
• Output: The output directory or file name for the clip.
• Format: Output format such as mp4 or mp3.
• Transcribe: Optional transcription for the clip.
• Summarize: Optional summary generation based on the transcript.

These parameters allow you to build a precise clip. For example, you can provide a YouTube URL, set a start and end time, and output an mp4 clip. If you need audio only, you can select mp3 output instead.

Typical Workflows

A common workflow is to clip a short segment from a long video and generate a transcript. This is useful for editing or for extracting a quote. Another workflow is to clip a highlight and immediately generate a summary so you can share a short description along with the clip. The skill documentation includes scenarios such as creating social content or producing short internal highlights.

If you are working with multiple clips, you can script ClipIt by looping over a list of URLs and time ranges. This makes it suitable for batch workflows where you extract a series of segments from a single source.

Transcription and Summaries

The skill supports optional transcription. When transcription is enabled, the tool produces text output alongside the clip. The summary option uses the transcript to create a short overview. These outputs can be used for notes, captions, or quick context when sharing a clip.

Transcription and summarization are optional because they can take additional time. If you only need the media file, you can skip those flags and generate a clip quickly.

Output Management

The output parameters control where clips and transcripts are stored. The documentation encourages using an organized output directory so you can manage multiple clips. If you create many clips, consider naming outputs based on the source title and time range to avoid confusion.

Example Use Cases

The documentation highlights several use cases:

• Content teams clipping key moments from long webinars.
• Researchers capturing specific audio segments for analysis.
• Social media teams creating short, shareable highlights.
• Internal teams producing short summaries of long meetings.

These use cases show how ClipIt can be applied in both creative and operational contexts.

Data Handling and Safety

ClipIt processes media content. Ensure that you have permission to clip and share the content you use. When working with local files, verify that the output directory is writable. If you enable transcription or summaries, treat the generated text as derived content and store it appropriately.

If your workflow involves URLs, ensure the environment has network access and that the sources are stable. For automation, consider validating URLs before running batch jobs.

Troubleshooting Tips

• If the clip output is empty, verify that the start and end times are valid.
• If the clipper binary is not found, ensure it is installed and on PATH.
• If transcription fails, run without the transcribe flag to isolate the issue.
• If the output file is missing, confirm the output directory and permissions.

Summary

ClipIt provides a focused CLI workflow for clipping media, generating transcripts, and producing summaries. It supports URLs and local files, time range selection, multiple output formats, and optional text outputs. These features make it a useful tool for creating highlights, extracting quotes, and turning long media into short, shareable artifacts.

Batch Automation

Because the skill is CLI based, it can be scripted for batch processing. You can maintain a list of URLs and time ranges in a file, then iterate over them to generate multiple clips. This is helpful for processing long recordings into multiple highlights. The documentation encourages using consistent naming and output directories so the resulting clips are easy to catalog.

Summary

ClipIt is a simple but capable clipping tool for audio and video. By combining precise time range selection with optional transcription and summarization, it supports both media editing workflows and fast content review. Its CLI interface makes it suitable for repeatable automation as well as quick one off clipping tasks.