The fastest supported route from a new computer to a working Clawdbot chat is: install Node.js 22 or newer, install the CLI, run clawdbot onboard --install-daemon, configure model authentication and a messaging channel, approve your first direct-message pairing, then send a test message. You can run the Gateway on an existing computer or a remote Linux host; dedicated hardware is optional.
What you need before installing
Required software
- Node.js 22 or later. The Clawdbot getting-started documentation lists Node 22 or newer as the runtime requirement.
- A model provider login. An agent cannot answer until you configure authentication, such as an OpenAI Code/Codex subscription OAuth flow or API key, or an Anthropic API key. The documentation also describes
claude setup-tokensupport; provider options can change, so use the current provider-specific instructions during onboarding. - A messaging channel. You need at least one configured channel, such as WhatsApp, Telegram, or Discord, to exchange messages outside the local dashboard.
Operating-system notes
- On macOS, Node.js is sufficient for the CLI and Gateway. Xcode or Apple Command Line Tools are relevant when building the apps, not for the basic CLI path.
- On Windows, use Windows Subsystem for Linux 2 (WSL2), preferably an Ubuntu distribution. The project describes native Windows as untested and more troublesome.
- pnpm is optional. The documentation mainly recommends it for building from source; it is not required for the normal installer route.
Hardware and hosting
You do not need a special appliance. The README describes running a Gateway on a small Linux instance, but the cited materials do not establish minimum CPU, memory, storage, or a preferred mini-PC model. An existing computer can host it, and a remote Linux server is another option when the Gateway must remain available while your laptop is off.
Choose where the Gateway will run
| Choice | Where it runs | Maintenance and availability | Channel setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local computer | Your macOS, Linux, or WSL2 environment | Quickest to start; it is available only while that computer and Gateway are running unless you install the background service. | Configure the channel in the wizard or with the channel commands. |
| Remote Linux host | A small Linux instance or server | Better for continuous operation; you must maintain remote access, updates, and credentials. | Complete the same provider and channel authentication remotely. |
| Foreground Gateway | The terminal session where you launch it | Simple for testing; closing the session stops the process. | Useful while validating a channel before enabling a service. |
| Installed background service | The host’s service manager | Designed to keep the Gateway running after logout or reboot; check its status with the CLI. | The onboarding wizard can install it with --install-daemon. |
For a first setup, use the computer or server you already have. Consider a dedicated mini PC only if you want an always-on host; no specific device is required by the documented setup.
Install the Clawdbot CLI
- Open a terminal. In Windows, open your Ubuntu WSL2 shell rather than native PowerShell for the main setup.
- Confirm that Node is new enough:
node --version
If the reported major version is below 22, install or upgrade Node.js before continuing. - Run the documented installer:
curl -fsSL https://clawd.bot/install.sh | bash - Open a new terminal if the installer changed your
PATH, then verify the command is available:clawdbot --help
The documentation also lists PowerShell, global npm, and pnpm alternatives. Installer commands and package names can change, so use the current getting-started page if the shell installer is unavailable.
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Run the onboarding wizard
Start the documented beginner flow:
clawdbot onboard --install-daemon
The wizard is intended to take you from zero to a first working chat with sane defaults. Answer its prompts in this order:
1. Select local or remote Gateway
Choose local when the CLI and Gateway will run on this machine. Choose remote when another host will run the long-lived process and follow the wizard’s connection instructions.
2. Configure model authentication
Select the provider and sign in with the supported OAuth flow or enter an API key. OpenAI Code/Codex subscription OAuth and API-key methods are documented options; Anthropic API-key setup and claude setup-token are also described. Recheck the provider’s current instructions if a method is not offered in your version.
3. Configure a messaging provider
Choose a channel and supply its credentials. The wizard can configure Telegram and Discord tokens. WhatsApp commonly uses a QR-login step, which you can also start later with clawdbot channels login.
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4. Accept the Gateway settings
The wizard writes the Gateway configuration and generates a Gateway token by default. Keep that token private; it controls access to the Gateway.
5. Install the background service
Because you used --install-daemon, the wizard can register a service that runs in the background. Decline this only when you deliberately want to launch the Gateway manually while testing.
6. Select workspace and skills
Accept or change the workspace location and choose the skills offered by your version. These choices affect where Clawdbot works and which capabilities are enabled; they are separate from the model provider and channel login.
Start and check the Gateway
Background-service setup
After onboarding, check the installed service:
clawdbot gateway status
For a local browser check, the documentation uses http://127.0.0.1:18789/ as the dashboard example. Port numbers and commands are version-specific documentation values, so use the values printed by your installation if they differ.
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Foreground setup
For a temporary or diagnostic launch, run:
clawdbot gateway --port 18789 --verbose
Leave that terminal open. The verbose output is useful for spotting authentication, channel-login, or permission errors.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Connect a channel and complete pairing
Run clawdbot channels login and follow the QR-login instructions shown by your version. Keep the phone session available until the login completes.
Telegram or Discord
Use the onboarding wizard to enter the current bot token for the selected service. Channel-specific requirements and labels can change, so follow that channel’s current Clawdbot documentation when the wizard asks for scopes, intents, or permissions.
Approve an unknown direct message
By default, an unknown sender’s direct message is paired and held rather than processed. The sender receives a pairing code. Review the request, then approve it from the Gateway host with:
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clawdbot pairing approve <channel> <code>
Replace <channel> and <code> with the actual channel name and code. If the first message appears unanswered, check for a pending pairing request before changing credentials or restarting the service. Public inbound DMs require an explicit opt-in and are not the default.
Verify the complete path with a test message
- Check the overall installation:
clawdbot status - Check Gateway health:
clawdbot health - Resolve any reported authentication or channel-login error.
- From the approved account, send a short test message through the configured channel.
- Confirm that the Gateway logs show receipt and that the agent replies in the same channel.
A health result indicating that no authentication is configured means onboarding did not finish the model-provider step. Return to onboarding and set up the offered OAuth method or API key before testing the channel again.
Common first-run problems
The clawdbot command is not found
Start a new shell so the installer’s PATH change is loaded. If it still fails, verify Node.js 22 or later and rerun the current official installer or package-manager instructions.
Windows behaves differently from the guide
Move the setup into an Ubuntu WSL2 environment. Native Windows is described as untested, so errors that do not occur on macOS, Linux, or WSL2 may be platform-related.
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You launched it in the foreground. Rerun onboarding with --install-daemon or install the service using the current service instructions, then confirm it with clawdbot gateway status.
The channel receives a message but does not answer
- Run
clawdbot healthand check model authentication. - Look for an unapproved pairing code and approve it with
clawdbot pairing approve <channel> <code>. - Confirm that the channel token or QR login completed on the same Gateway instance you are checking.
What a successful setup looks like
You are finished when Node 22 or newer is installed, the CLI runs, onboarding has saved a provider and channel configuration, the Gateway is healthy, and an approved account receives a reply to a test message. At that point you can keep the existing computer running, move the Gateway to a remote Linux host, or add optional dedicated hardware without changing the basic onboarding sequence.
Quick Recap
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