What is Clawdbot?
Clawdbot is an open-source project that transforms Claude into an autonomous agent capable of interacting with your communication channels: WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, and even iMessage. The idea? An AI assistant always available that can respond to your messages, execute tasks, and act on your behalf.
The project runs via a "Gateway" — a local or remote server that bridges messaging APIs and Claude. You can install it on your Mac, Linux PC, or on a VPS for 24/7 availability.
Prerequisites
Before you start:
- Node.js 22 or higher (mandatory)
- macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL2 (native Windows not recommended)
- An Anthropic API key, OpenAI Code subscription, or Claude Code
- pnpm (recommended for source builds)
To check your Node version:
``bash node --version # Should display v22.x.x or higher ``
Quick Installation (Recommended)
On macOS or Linux
The simplest method uses the official installation script:
``bash curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash ``
This script downloads Clawdbot, installs it globally, and launches the configuration wizard.
Via npm/pnpm
If you prefer more control:
``bash npm install -g clawdbot@latest # or with pnpm pnpm add -g clawdbot@latest ``
Then, run the onboarding:
``bash clawdbot onboard --install-daemon ``
This command guides you through:
- Choosing the AI model (Claude Opus, Sonnet, etc.)
- Configuring your API key
- Connecting to channels (WhatsApp, Telegram...)
- Installing the daemon for background operation
On Windows
Native Windows is not officially supported. Use WSL2:
```powershell # In PowerShell (administrator) wsl --install
# Once in WSL2 curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash ```
Installation from Source
For developers who want to contribute or customize:
```bash git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git cd clawdbot
pnpm install pnpm ui:build pnpm build
pnpm clawdbot onboard --install-daemon ```
For development mode with hot-reload:
``bash pnpm gateway:watch ``
VPS Deployment
For 24/7 availability, deploy Clawdbot on a VPS (DigitalOcean, Hetzner, OVH...).
Classic Method
- Provision a VPS with Ubuntu 22.04+ and Node 22
- Install Clawdbot:
``bash curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash clawdbot onboard --install-daemon ``
- Configure systemd for automatic startup:
``bash # The daemon is automatically installed by onboarding systemctl status clawdbot ``
With Docker
The repo includes Docker files:
``bash git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git cd clawdbot docker-compose up -d ``
Remote Access
To access your instance from outside:
- Tailscale Serve/Funnel: expose your gateway via HTTPS
- SSH tunnels: for secure access without exposing ports
``bash # Start the gateway on a specific port clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose ``
Configuration
The config file is located at ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json:
``json { "agent": { "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5" } } ``
You can choose from different Claude models depending on your cost and performance needs.
Connecting Your Channels
``bash clawdbot channels login ``
Scan the QR code with your phone to link your WhatsApp account.
Telegram / Discord
These platforms require a bot token:
- Create a bot on @BotFather (Telegram) or Discord Developer Portal
- Configure the token in Clawdbot
- Start the pairing
Verify Installation
``bash clawdbot status clawdbot health ``
These commands display the gateway status, connected channels, and overall system health.
Important Notes
- Bun has known issues with WhatsApp and Telegram. Use Node for these channels.
- Never store your API key in plain text in versioned files
- Monitor your API consumption — an autonomous agent can generate many requests
Conclusion
Clawdbot opens interesting possibilities for automating your communications. An AI assistant that responds to your WhatsApp messages while you sleep, manages your Telegram DMs, or moderates your Discord — all becomes possible.
The project is actively developed and the community is responsive. If you're looking to experiment with AI agents beyond simple chat, it's a good starting point.
Want help integrating an AI agent into your processes? [Let's talk](https://deepthix.com#contact).