Build a 24/7 Open‑Source AI Assistant with Clawdbot – Full Install & Setup Guide

Overview

Clawdbot is an open‑source AI agent that runs 24/7 on personal hardware and can be accessed via messaging platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, and Matrix. Unlike a pure chatbot, it can perform actions like web browsing, file management, email sending, and scheduling.

System requirements & prerequisites

Basic chat functionality: 2 GB RAM, dual‑core CPU.

Browser automation / multi‑workflow: ≥4 GB RAM, ≥20 GB disk space.

Supported OS: macOS, Linux, Windows (via WSL2).

Node.js 22 or newer is recommended.

Installation

macOS / Linux

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

The installer detects the environment, installs required dependencies, and launches the onboarding wizard.

Windows (PowerShell)

iwr -useb https://clawd.bot/install.ps1 | iex

For CI/CD or automated scripts:

curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash -s -- --no-onboard

After installation run: exec bash Then start the onboarding wizard:

clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

Onboarding wizard details

Gateway mode : choose Local for single‑machine use (default) or Remote for cloud/VPS deployment.

AI model authentication : provide an Anthropic API key (recommended), OpenAI API key, OAuth token for Claude Pro/Max, or OpenAI Codex subscription.

Model selection : anthropic/claude-opus-4-5 (high‑quality) or anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5 (balanced).

Communication channels : configure WhatsApp (QR‑code pairing), Telegram, Discord, Slack, Signal, iMessage, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Matrix, etc.

Running the gateway service

clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose

To keep the service running in the background on Linux, install a systemd user service:

sudo loginctl enable-linger "$USER"
systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now clawdbot-gateway.service

Check status with:

clawdbot status
clawdbot health
clawdbot gateway status

Cloud‑VPS deployment (example: DigitalOcean)

ssh root@YOUR_IP
adduser clawd && usermod -aG sudo clawd
su - clawd
curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash
clawdbot setup --wizard
clawdbot gateway --bind lan --port 18789

Access the UI via an SSH tunnel:

ssh -L 18789:127.0.0.1:18789 clawd@YOUR_IP
open http://127.0.0.1:18789

Skills extension system (ClawdHub)

ClawdHub is the skill registry offering ready‑made extensions. Built‑in skills include:

Gmail management

Todoist task integration

Notion synchronization

Hetzner infrastructure control

Various trading‑API connectors

Developers can write custom skills in JavaScript or TypeScript; non‑technical users can install them with a single click.

Security considerations & best practices

Pairing mechanism: unknown senders receive a six‑digit code that must be approved by an admin, e.g. clawdbot pairing approve whatsapp 123456 Mitigate prompt‑injection attacks by running the agent on dedicated hardware, using Docker sandbox mode, separating agents by risk level, and regularly backing up the ~/.clawdbot directory.

Cost overview

Clawdbot is free under the MIT license. Primary expenses are API calls to large language models: typical users spend USD 15‑40 per month, comparable to ChatGPT Plus or Claude Pro. Heavy usage (≈180 M tokens per week) can exceed USD 200. Hardware costs range from a $599 Mac Mini to $3‑10 per month for a VPS; a Raspberry Pi provides a near‑zero electricity cost.

FAQ & troubleshooting

Command not found : run exec bash or restart the terminal to refresh $PATH.

WhatsApp connection fails : re‑run clawdbot channels login and scan a new QR code.

Gateway won’t start : ensure port 18789 is free or run clawdbot doctor for diagnostics.

Updating : clawdbot update --channel stable && clawdbot doctor.

Additional resources

Official documentation: https://docs.clawd.bot/

GitHub repository: https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot