What is Clawdbot and How to Set It Up?

Introduction

Have you ever wished you could have a personal assistant that works on your phone, computer, and all your favorite messaging apps at the same time? Clawdbot is a personal AI assistant you run on your own devices that makes this possible.

Unlike regular chatbots where you need to open a website or app, Clawdbot comes to you wherever you are. It works inside the messaging apps you already use every day.

What is Clawdbot?

Clawdbot answers you on the channels you already use (WhatsApp, Telegram, Slack, Discord, Google Chat, Signal, iMessage, Microsoft Teams, WebChat). Think of it as having a smart helper that never forgets what you told it and can actually do things for you.

What Makes Clawdbot Special?

Here are the main features that make Clawdbot different from other AI assistants:

1. Works Everywhere You Chat: You don't need to learn a new app. Clawdbot operates on macOS, Windows, Linux, or a virtual private server, connecting to platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, Slack, and Discord.
2. Never Forgets Your Conversations: Unlike many chatbots that forget everything after each chat, Clawdbot remembers your past conversations. If you told it about your Friday meeting last week, it will still remember today.
3. Can Take Action: Clawdbot can do real computer tasks like browsing the web, running commands, and managing files. It's not just for answering questions.
4. You Control Your Data: Because you run Clawdbot on your own computer or server, you have complete control over your information. Nothing is sent to random companies.
5. Works 24/7: Once you set it up, Clawdbot stays running in the background, ready to help whenever you need it.

Why People Love Clawdbot

Everyone in Silicon Valley has fallen in love with Clawdbot overnight, and there's a good reason why. People are using it for amazing things:

• Getting morning briefings with emails, calendar events, and tasks
• Automatically organizing meeting notes
• Managing grocery lists from recipe photos
• Controlling smart home devices
• Searching the web and summarizing information
• Building custom tools just by chatting

What You Need Before Starting

• A Computer or Server: Works on Mac, Windows (using WSL2), or Linux
• Node.js Version 22 or Higher: This is the software Clawdbot runs on
• An AI Model Subscription: Either Claude (from Anthropic) or ChatGPT (from OpenAI)
• Basic Computer Skills: You should be comfortable typing commands in a terminal

How to Set Up Clawdbot: Step-by-Step Guide

1. Step 1: Install Clawdbot

   The easiest way to install Clawdbot is using the quick install command.

   For Mac and Linux users:
   Open your terminal and type:

   curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash

   For Windows users:
   First, install WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), then run the command above inside WSL2.

   You can also install it using npm:

   npm install -g clawdbot@latest

2. Step 2: Run the Setup Wizard

   The CLI onboarding wizard (clawdbot onboard) sets up model/auth, gateway settings, channels, pairing defaults, workspace bootstrap and skills, and optional background service Clawd.

   Type this command:

   clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

   The wizard will ask you several questions:

   1. Choose Your AI Model: You can pick between Claude (Anthropic) or ChatGPT (OpenAI). You'll need to provide your API key or connect your account.
   2. Select Your Messaging Apps: Choose which apps you want to connect. Popular options are WhatsApp, Telegram, and Discord.
   3. Set Up Security: The wizard will create a secure token so only you can access your assistant.
   4. Install Background Service: This makes Clawdbot start automatically when your computer turns on.

3. Step 3: Start the Gateway

   If you installed the service during onboarding, the Gateway should already be running Clawd.

   Check if it's running:

   clawdbot gateway status

   If it's not running, start it manually:

   clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose

   You can now open your web browser and go to http://127.0.0.1:18789/ to see the control panel.

4. Step 4: Connect Your First Messaging App

   For WhatsApp:

   1. Type: clawdbot channels login
   2. A QR code will appear
   3. Open WhatsApp on your phone
   4. Go to Settings, then Linked Devices
   5. Scan the QR code

   For Telegram or Discord:

   You'll need to create a bot token from their websites, then the wizard will help you add it.

5. Step 5: Approve Your First Message

   For security, Clawdbot won't respond to unknown contacts right away. When you send your first message, you'll get a pairing code.

   Approve it by typing:

   clawdbot pairing list whatsapp
   clawdbot pairing approve whatsapp [code]

   Replace [code] with the actual code you received.

6. Step 6: Test It Out

   Send a message to your Clawdbot from WhatsApp, Telegram, or whatever app you connected. Try asking it something simple like "What's the weather today?" or "Help me write an email."

   If everything is working, Clawdbot will respond to you!

Important Safety Tips

Since Clawdbot can control your computer, here are some safety rules:

• Only approve people you trust: Don't approve pairing requests from strangers
• Keep it on your local network: Don't expose it to the internet unless you use SSH or VPN
• Use a separate phone number for WhatsApp: WhatsApp doesn't have official bot support, so it's safer to use a dedicated number
• Review what Clawdbot can do: Check which skills and tools are enabled

Common Problems and Solutions

• Problem: Clawdbot won't respond to messages
  Make sure you approved the pairing code and that your AI model credentials are set up correctly. Check by running: clawdbot health
• Problem: Installation fails
  Make sure you have Node.js version 22 or higher. Check by typing: node --version
• Problem: WhatsApp QR code doesn't work
  Try restarting the gateway and generating a new QR code.

What Can You Do Next?

Once Clawdbot is running, you can:

• Add more messaging apps: Connect Discord, Slack, or other platforms
• Install skills: Add new abilities like weather checking, calendar management, or web browsing
• Set up voice control: On Mac or iOS, you can talk to Clawdbot
• Create custom commands: Build your own tools that fit your needs
• Run it on a server: Move Clawdbot to a cloud server so it runs even when your computer is off

Conclusion

Clawdbot is a powerful personal AI assistant that brings artificial intelligence directly into your daily messaging apps. While the setup requires some technical knowledge, the payoff is having a smart helper that remembers everything, works everywhere, and gives you complete control over your data.

The best part? It's completely open-source, which means a community of developers is constantly improving it and you can customize it however you want.

Whether you're a developer looking for a coding assistant, a busy professional needing help with tasks, or just someone curious about AI, Clawdbot offers a unique way to make artificial intelligence work for you on your own terms.

Ready to get started? Head over to the official Clawdbot website to begin your journey with your own personal AI assistant!

Watch: Clawdbot Setup Video Guide

Prefer to watch? This video by Jannis Moore covers the setup process and key features of Clawdbot.