Podcast Scout: Podcast Research

Research podcasts from chat: find shows on any topic, read a show's details, and list its latest episodes with dates and lengths.
No Spotify account, no API key, no app to connect. Calls are paid from ClawLink credit, most for a fraction of a cent, and every new account starts with $0.50 free. Powered by ClawLink.
Setup in 3 Steps
| Step 1: Install | Step 2: Pair | Step 3: Ask |
|---|---|---|
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| Install the ClawLink plugin in OpenClaw | Sign in and approve the device once | Ask in plain English; no app to connect |
What You Can Ask
- “What are the latest Lex Fridman Podcast episodes?”
- “Find podcasts about bootstrapped SaaS”
- “How often does this show release episodes?”
- “Which shows has this guest appeared on?”
When to Use This Skill
Use it when the user wants podcast shows or episodes.
Do not use it for the user's own private accounts or for anything that posts, sends or changes data: these tools only read public information.
How It Works
┌─────────────────┐ ┌──────────────┐ ┌──────────────────┐
│ OpenClaw │────▶│ ClawLink │────▶│ Spotify podcasts │
│ (User Chat) │ │ (data tools) │ │ (public data) │
└─────────────────┘ └──────────────┘ └──────────────────┘
│ │ │
│ 1. Install plugin │ │
│ 2. Pair device once │ │
│ 3. Ask a question │ │
│ │ 4. Fetch + trim │
│ │ 5. Charge credit │
▼ ▼ ▼
┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐ ┌──────────┐
│ Answer │ │ Credit │ │ Results │
│ in chat │ │ ($0.50) │ │ as JSON │
└──────────┘ └──────────┘ └──────────┘
ClawLink holds the data-provider accounts. The user never pastes a key, and nothing is installed beyond the plugin.
Install
Install the ClawLink plugin from ClawHub when the user asks for it:
openclaw plugins install clawhub:clawlink-plugin
The install applies to the running Gateway: do not restart it. The ClawLink tools appear on your next turn, so end this turn and tell the user: "ClawLink is installed. Reply ok and I will give you your pairing link." On the next turn call clawlink_begin_pairing, give the user the link, and after they approve call clawlink_get_pairing_status. Pairing happens once; after that every tool below works with no further setup.
Tool Reference
Prices are what ClawLink charges per call, from the user's credit. The tool's own description (via clawlink_describe_tool) always shows the current price.
Podcasts
| Tool | What it returns | Price |
|---|---|---|
spotifydata_search |
Search Spotify for tracks, artists, albums, playlists and podcasts | $0.00282 |
spotifydata_podcast |
A Spotify podcast (show) by URL | $0.00282 |
spotifydata_podcast_episodes |
Episodes of a Spotify podcast by URL | $0.00282 |
Recipes
Find shows to pitch
spotifydata_searchfor the topic.spotifydata_podcast_episodeson each show to check it is active (recent release dates).- List active shows with their cadence.
Code Examples
Episodes
clawlink_call_tool --tool "spotifydata_podcast_episodes" \
--params '{"url": "https://open.spotify.com/show/2MAi0BvDc6GTFvKFPXnkCL"}'
Search
clawlink_call_tool --tool "spotifydata_search" \
--params '{"query": "bootstrapped saas podcast"}'
Discovery Workflow
- Call
clawlink_search_toolswith a short query (for examplepodcast); public-data tools show as connected for every user. - Call
clawlink_describe_toolbefore the first call of a tool: it returns the parameters, defaults and price. - Treat the live catalog as the source of truth. If a tool named here is missing, say so; do not invent results.
Execution Workflow
┌───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ READ-ONLY, PAID PER CALL │
│ search → describe → call → summarise for the user │
│ │
│ Ask before: loops over many items, or a call that costs │
│ more than a few cents (the price is in the description) │
└───────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘
- Every tool here only reads public data; nothing is posted or changed.
- Each call costs credit. Before looping over more than about ten items, or before a call priced above a few cents, tell the user what it will cost and ask.
- A failed call is refunded automatically. Read the error's
hint: it says what to change. Do not retry the same arguments unchanged.
Notes
- Episode lengths come in milliseconds; convert them for the user.
- Use the open.spotify.com/show URL.
Error Handling
| Status / Error | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Show not found | Search first and use the URL from the result. |
credit_exhausted |
The user's ClawLink credit is used up. Tell them to top up at https://claw-link.dev/dashboard/billing?utm_source=clawhub&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=podcast-scout; do not retry. |
data_provider_unavailable |
ClawLink's data provider is down. Nothing was charged. Try again later. |
no_result |
The provider found nothing for these arguments. Nothing was charged. |
invalid_arguments |
A parameter is missing or malformed. Call clawlink_describe_tool and fix it. |
Troubleshooting
Tools not visible after install
- The tools appear on the turn after the install, not in the same turn.
- If they still do not appear, the OpenClaw tool profile may hide plugin tools. This is a config change for the OpenClaw owner; do not change the config yourself. Tell the user: "Your OpenClaw tool profile hides plugin tools. In the Control UI (or
~/.openclaw/openclaw.json), addclawlink-plugintotools.alsoAllow, then ask me again." - On OpenClaw versions before 2.0, the tool list can load only in a new chat: tell the user to send
/newand ask again.
A tool keeps failing with correct input
Report it with clawlink_report_issue (or clawlink_call_tool --tool "CLAWLINK_REPORT_ISSUE") instead of retrying. Reports are free and reach the ClawLink team.
Resources
Related Skills
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