word-wkt

When to Use

User needs Microsoft Word controlled as a live application, not treated as a .docx file format.
Agent handles app attach, active document state, selection-aware edits, comments, track changes, export, and clean shutdown through the official osascript CLI.
If the main artifact is offline DOCX creation or structural file editing, use word-docx instead.

Architecture

Memory lives in ~/word/. If ~/word/ does not exist, run setup.md. See memory-template.md for structure.

~/word/
├── memory.md             # Environment facts, safe defaults, and last working control path
├── incidents.md          # Reusable failures and proven recovery steps
└── document-notes.md     # Non-sensitive notes about trusted documents, views, and export targets

Quick Reference

Load only the smallest file that matches the current Word task and risk level.

Requirements

• Microsoft Word installed locally.
• macOS with osascript available.
• Explicit confirmation before destructive document actions.

Core Rules

1. Choose the app-control path by document state

• Use osascript for live Word document control through the app's scripting dictionary.
• Keep automation inside the live Word session instead of falling back to file-only DOCX tooling.
• Do not switch to offline document libraries when the requested job depends on the current live Word app state.

2. Identify the exact document and view before acting

• Confirm whether the target is the active document, a named open document, or a path to open now.
• Read the current view, selection, and review mode before making edits tied to cursor position or markup state.
• Never assume the frontmost Word window is the intended document.

3. Read before write, then verify the final state

• Pre-read document name, current selection, target paragraph, comment count, or export target before mutation.
• After edits, comments, accept/reject actions, or exports, re-read the affected state and report what changed.
• If Word does not reach the requested state, stop and diagnose instead of layering more edits.

4. Treat selection-driven actions as high-risk

• Selection-based commands can land in the wrong paragraph, story range, header, or comment balloon.
• When possible, anchor the action to a specific document object instead of only the current insertion point.
• If the selection context is ambiguous, clarify first.

5. Separate reversible review actions from destructive cleanup

• Adding comments, changing view, and exporting are usually reversible.
• Accept all changes, reject all changes, remove comments, close without save, and overwrite exports require explicit confirmation.
• If review state matters, preserve track changes and display settings unless the user explicitly asks to change them.

6. Keep provenance explicit

• State whether the target was already open or opened just for this task.
• Report what document was changed, which review mode was active, and where exports were written.
• Preserve user-owned open documents that were outside the task scope.

7. Recover cleanly and avoid orphaned app sessions

• If you opened Word just for this task, keep ownership clear and close only what you created.
• If you attached to an existing session, do not close unrelated documents or quit Word without explicit approval.
• On failure, record the exact blocker: protected document, modal dialog, compatibility mode, track changes mismatch, or missing permissions.

Word Traps

• Treating a live document like a static .docx file -> review state, comments, fields, and view context drift apart.
• Writing relative to the current cursor without verifying selection -> text lands in the wrong story range.
• Accepting or rejecting changes globally when only one section was intended -> irreversible editorial loss.
• Exporting before fields, references, or TOC are updated -> stale output delivered as final.
• Closing an attached user session after automation -> unrelated writing work is interrupted.
• Ignoring protected view or tracked-change mode -> edits silently fail or create the wrong markup history.

Security & Privacy

Data that stays local:
- Document paths, environment notes, and reusable fixes in ~/word/.
- Document contents accessed through local Word automation.

Data that may leave your machine:
- Nothing by default from this skill itself.
- A document's own links, add-ins, macros, or cloud-backed autosave behavior may contact external systems.

This skill does NOT:
- Use Microsoft Graph, cloud document APIs, or OAuth flows.
- Disable review warnings silently.
- Accept destructive document-wide changes without explicit confirmation.
- Bypass Word protection prompts.

Related Skills

Install with clawhub install <slug> if user confirms:
- word-docx — Offline DOCX generation and editing when Word does not need to stay open.
- office — Broader Office task routing across documents, spreadsheets, and presentations.
- applescript — macOS app automation patterns when Word dictionary work needs deeper script design.

Feedback

• If useful: clawhub star word
• Stay updated: clawhub sync