AI Chatbots
Clawdbot: A Complete Guide to What It Is, How It Works, and How to Use It

Clawdbot: A Complete Guide to What It Is, How It Works, and How to Use It

As businesses increasingly rely on automation and AI to handle customer interactions, Clawdbot emerges as a powerful solution designed to simplify conversations, automate support, and improve user engagement. Whether you are a startup, an enterprise, or a developer, Clawdbot helps you build intelligent conversational experiences with ease.

This guide explains what Clawdbot is, how it works, and how you can install and use it step by step, along with real-world use cases and best practices.

What Is Clawdbot?

Clawdbot is an AI-powered conversational bot designed to automate interactions across websites and digital platforms. It enables businesses to provide instant responses, guide users, answer questions from a knowledge base, and reduce the need for manual support.

At its core, Clawdbot acts as a smart digital assistant that understands user queries and responds with relevant, accurate information. It can be used for customer support, onboarding, sales assistance, internal help desks, and more.

In simple terms:

Clawdbot helps you talk to your users—automatically, intelligently, and 24/7.

How Clawdbot Works (Architecture & Flow)

Clawdbot operates on a three-layer architecture that ensures your data stays on your hardware while the "thinking" happens in the cloud.

  1. The Communication Gateway: This is the "switchboard" running on your machine (Mac, Linux, or VPS). It handles the connection to your messaging apps and routes your texts to the AI.
  2. The AI Brain (Agent): When you send a message, the Gateway sends the context to an LLM (typically Anthropic’s Claude 3.5 or 4.0). The model decides if it needs to answer you or use a "tool."
  3. The Execution Layer (Skills): If the AI decides to "check your calendar," the Gateway executes a "Skill" locally on your machine. It fetches the data and sends the result back to the AI to form a final response.

Flow Example

  1. A user asks a question in the chat.
  2. Clawdbot analyzes the query.
  3. The AI searches the connected knowledge base.
  4. The most relevant answer is generated.
  5. The response is delivered instantly to the user.

Installation Guide (Step-by-Step for Clawdbot)

1. Check Requirements

Before installing, make sure your environment meets the minimum requirements:

  • Operating System: macOS, Linux, or Windows with WSL2 (Ubuntu recommended)
  • Node.js: Version 22 or higher
  • AI Provider Key (e.g., Anthropic Claude or OpenAI API)

2. Run the Official Installer

The easiest way to install Clawdbot is by using the official install script, which automatically sets up the CLI tool on your system.

Open a terminal and run:

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

    This script:

    • Detects your operating system
    • Ensures Node.js is installed or installs it
    • Installs the Clawdbot CLI globally

    3. Verify Your Installation

    After the script finishes, check that Clawdbot installed correctly:

    • clawdbot --version

    If a version number appears, you’re ready for the next steps.

    4. Onboarding & Initial Configuration

    Once installed, you need to configure Clawdbot — including AI keys and background service.

    Run:

    • clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

    This command starts an interactive onboarding wizard that will guide you through:

    • Adding your AI provider API key (Anthropic/OpenAI)
    • Setting up the daemon service (runs Clawdbot in the background)
    • Basic preferences and configuration options

    Tip: Installing the daemon means Clawdbot runs automatically when your machine starts.

    5. Connect a Messaging Channel

    Clawdbot can chat via platforms like WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or Slack. After onboarding, pair your channel with:

    • clawdbot channels login

    You’ll see a QR code in your terminal — scan it with your app (e.g., WhatsApp) to connect.

    6. Run Clawdbot in the Background

    Make sure the bot is running and ready:

    • To start the gateway manually:
    • clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
    • To check health/status:
    • clawdbot health

    This confirms your bot is active and connected

    7. Test Your Bot

    Once everything is configured:

    1. Open your connected messaging app (e.g., WhatsApp)
    2. Send a simple message like:
      Hello Clawdbot!
    3. You should get an instant reply

    Tips for Installation

    • Use WSL2 on Windows
      • Windows users should install Ubuntu via WSL2 for a smooth experience.
    • Run on a Server for 24/7 Operation
      • Local setups are great for testing, but if you want your bot always online (even when your laptop is off), consider deploying Clawdbot on a VPS (e.g., AWS EC2).
    • Check Node.js Version
      • If the installer fails or the CLI isn’t recognized, double-check your Node.js version and PATH settings.

    How to Use Clawdbot (Real Examples)

    Once the bot is in your Telegram or WhatsApp, treat it like a highly capable intern.

    • The "Second Brain" Command: > "I just met Sarah at the coffee shop. She likes oat milk lattes and her birthday is March 14th. Remember that."
    • The Web Researcher: > "Find the top 3 best-rated mechanical keyboards under $100 and summarize why people like them. Send me the links."
    • The System Admin: > "Check if my personal website is down. If it is, try to restart the Docker container named 'web-app'."
    • The Content Creator: > "Draft a LinkedIn post about AI agents based on the notes in my 'Drafts' folder, then save it as a PDF."

    Key Features & Benefits

    • Persistent Memory: It stores context in Markdown files locally. It remembers your kids' names, your work projects, and your favorite tools.
    • Multi-Channel Support: Start a conversation on Discord at your desk and finish it on WhatsApp while walking the dog.
    • ClawdHub (Skills): A marketplace of community-built skills. You can "install" the ability to control your Spotify, check flight statuses, or manage your Linear/Notion boards.
    • Proactive Cron Jobs: Schedule tasks like: "Every morning at 8:00 AM, send me a briefing of my unread high-priority emails."

    Use Cases (Business & Technical)

    Business Use Cases

    • Customer support automation
    • Lead qualification and sales assistance
    • Product documentation support
    • User onboarding and guidance

    Technical Use Cases

    • Internal knowledge assistant
    • Developer documentation helper
    • API or platform support bot
    • Testing conversational workflows

    Security & Best Practices

    Because Clawdbot has access to your terminal and files, you must be careful.

    • Bind to Loopback: In your config, ensure gateway.bind is set to loopback. Never expose your Gateway port directly to the public internet.
    • Use DM Pairing: Ensure only your user ID can message the bot.
    • Sandbox Your Tools: Start with "read-only" permissions for the file system until you trust your setup.
    • Tailscale is Your Friend: If running on a home server, use Tailscale or a Cloudflare Tunnel to access your bot remotely without opening firewall ports.

    Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

    Q1 Is Clawdbot suitable for non-technical users?
    Yes. Clawdbot is designed with a user-friendly interface that requires no coding.

    Q2: Can I update the knowledge base later?
    Absolutely. You can add, remove, or update content at any time.

    Q3: Does Clawdbot work 24/7?
    Yes, once deployed, it runs continuously without downtime.

    Q4: Can Clawdbot be customized?
    Yes. You can customize responses, tone, and behavior based on your needs.

    Q5: Do I need a Mac Mini?

    Ans: No, but it's popular because it's power-efficient for 24/7 use. Any Linux VPS or always-on PC works.

    Q6: Is Clawdbot free?

    Ans: The software is open-source (MIT License). However, you will pay for the AI tokens you use (e.g., Anthropic or OpenAI API costs).

    Q7: Can it see my screen?

    Ans: Yes, if you enable the "Screen" skill, it can take screenshots to help you troubleshoot visual tasks.

    Conclusion

    Clawdbot is a powerful and flexible AI chatbot solution that helps businesses automate conversations, improve user engagement, and deliver instant support. With an easy setup process, scalable architecture, and strong customization options, it is well-suited for both business and technical use cases.

    Whether you’re looking to reduce support costs, improve customer experience, or provide instant access to knowledge, Clawdbot is a smart step toward AI-driven automation.

    Anshul Tiwari

    Anshul Tiwari

    Jan 28, 2026