How to Install Clawdbot: Complete Beginner's Guide

Your personal AI assistant that actually lives in your apps.

12 min read • By ByteDoc

Tired of switching to ChatGPT every time you need AI help? What if your AI assistant lived inside WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, or iMessage — available 24/7, remembering your conversations, and actually doing things for you?

That's Clawdbot. And I'm going to show you exactly how to set it up.

What is Clawdbot?

Clawdbot is an open-source personal AI assistant that you run yourself. Unlike ChatGPT or Claude where you visit a website, Clawdbot:

• Lives in your messaging apps — WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Signal, iMessage
• Remembers everything — conversations persist across sessions
• Takes action — browse the web, search, run commands, automate tasks
• Runs 24/7 — always available, even when you're asleep
• Private — your data stays on your machine

Think of it as having a personal AI employee that's always on call.

What You'll Need

• A computer or server — Mac, Linux, Windows (WSL2), or a VPS
• Node.js 18+ — the runtime Clawdbot uses
• An API key — from Anthropic (Claude) or OpenAI
• 10-15 minutes — that's all it takes

Installation Methods

Choose your path:

• Mac/Linux: One-line installer (easiest)
• Windows: WSL2 + one-line installer
• VPS/Cloud: Same one-liner, runs 24/7 for free
• Docker: For containerized setups

Method 1: One-Line Install (Mac/Linux)

Open your terminal and run:

That's it. The installer will:

1. Check your system requirements
2. Install Clawdbot globally
3. Launch the setup wizard

Method 2: Windows Installation

Native Windows is tricky. The recommended way is through WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux):

Step 1: Install WSL2

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Restart your computer when prompted.

Step 2: Open Ubuntu

Search for "Ubuntu" in your Start menu and open it. Set up your username and password.

Step 3: Install Clawdbot

In the Ubuntu terminal, run the one-liner:

Method 3: VPS Installation (Free 24/7 Hosting)

Want Clawdbot running all the time without keeping your computer on? Use a free VPS.

Option A: AWS Free Tier

1. Create an AWS account (free tier available)
2. Launch an EC2 instance (t2.micro is free)
3. Choose Ubuntu 22.04 or 24.04
4. SSH into your instance
5. Run the one-line installer

Option B: Railway (Even Easier)

1. Go to railway.app
2. Sign up with GitHub
3. Deploy Clawdbot from the template
4. Add your API keys as environment variables

The Setup Wizard

After installation, the wizard walks you through configuration:

1. API Key Setup

You'll need an API key from at least one provider:

• Anthropic (Claude): Get one at console.anthropic.com
• OpenAI: Get one at platform.openai.com

The wizard will ask you to paste your key. It's stored locally in ~/.clawdbot/

2. Choose Your Model

Pick which AI model powers your assistant:

• Claude 3.5 Sonnet: Best balance of speed and intelligence
• Claude 3 Opus: Most capable, but slower and pricier
• GPT-4: OpenAI's flagship model

3. Connect a Channel

Choose where your AI lives:

• Telegram: Easiest to set up (create a bot with @BotFather)
• WhatsApp: Scan a QR code to link
• Discord: Create a bot in Discord Developer Portal

Connecting WhatsApp

This is the most popular choice. Here's how:

1. Run clawdbot channels login whatsapp
2. A QR code appears in your terminal
3. Open WhatsApp on your phone
4. Go to Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
5. Scan the QR code
6. Done! Message yourself to test it

Note: Your first message needs to include a pairing code (the bot will tell you). Run clawdbot pairing approve whatsapp <code> to approve it.

Connecting Telegram

1. Open Telegram and message @BotFather
2. Send /newbot and follow the prompts
3. Copy the bot token BotFather gives you
4. Run clawdbot channels login telegram
5. Paste your token when prompted
6. Message your bot to test it!

Starting the Gateway

The Gateway is the brain that keeps everything running. Start it with:

To make it run automatically on startup:

Now Clawdbot starts whenever your computer/server boots.

Common Issues and Fixes

"clawdbot: command not found"

Your PATH isn't set correctly. Try:

Add this line to your ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc to make it permanent.

"No API key found"

Run the wizard again to add your key:

WhatsApp keeps disconnecting

This usually happens if:

• Your phone's internet is unstable
• You logged into WhatsApp Web elsewhere
• The session expired (re-scan the QR code)

Run clawdbot channels login whatsapp to reconnect.

Gateway won't start

Check if something else is using the port:

Kill any conflicting process or change the port in config.

Messages not going through

Check Gateway status:

Look at logs for errors:

Making It Your Own

Once Clawdbot is running, you can customize it:

Give it a personality

Edit SOUL.md in your workspace to define how your AI behaves — its name, tone, personality, and rules.

Add skills

Skills are plugins that give Clawdbot new abilities:

Now it can check the weather for you.

Browse ClawdHub

Find community skills at clawdhub.com — everything from web search to home automation.

What Can You Do With It?

Once set up, the possibilities are endless:

• Ask questions and get answers instantly in your chat apps
• Set reminders and schedule messages
• Search the web and summarize results
• Automate repetitive tasks
• Control smart home devices
• Get proactive notifications
• Have it manage your calendar, emails, and more

Quick Reference

Commands you'll use often:

• clawdbot status — Check if everything's running
• clawdbot gateway start — Start the Gateway
• clawdbot gateway stop — Stop the Gateway
• clawdbot logs — View recent logs
• clawdbot onboard — Re-run setup wizard
• clawdbot doctor — Diagnose issues
• clawdbot channels login <channel> — Connect a channel

Next Steps

You now have a personal AI assistant running 24/7. Here's what to explore next:

1. Customize your AI's personality — make it uniquely yours
2. Add more channels — connect Discord, Telegram, and more
3. Install skills — expand what your AI can do
4. Join the community — discord.com/invite/clawd for help and ideas

Welcome to the future of personal AI. 🦞