Voordat We Beginnen: Begrijpen Wat U Bouwt
Most AI installation guides treat software as a black box: download, install, forget. clawbot is different because you're not installing an app—you're establishing infrastructure . Think of this as setting up your own private email server, except instead of managing messages, you're orchestrating an AI that can genuinely control your digital environment.
This guide explains what each step does and why it matters. Understanding the architecture makes troubleshooting intuitive and customization straightforward.
What You'll Have After 30 Minutes
- A Gateway service running persistently on your device, coordinating all AI activity
- Connection to your chosen AI model (Claude, GPT-4, or free local Ollama)
- At least one messaging channel (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) linked to your AI
- A functioning automation that demonstrates genuine system control
- Understanding of how to extend, customize, and troubleshoot your setup
Vereisten: Wat U Echt Nodig Heeft
Voordat u iets downloadt, controleer of uw systeem aan deze vereisten voldoet. Elk van hen dient een specifiek doel:
Hardwarevereisten
- Operating System: macOS 11+, Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+), or Windows 10+ with WSL2
- RAM: Minimum 2GB available (4GB recommended for smoother operation)
- Disk Space: 500MB for core installation plus space for AI model caching
- Network: Stable internet connection for AI API calls (unless using local Ollama)
Software Afhankelijkheden
clawbot requires Node.js 22 or higher. Why this specific version? Newer Node.js versions include critical performance improvements and security patches that clawbot's real-time communication relies on. The installer typically handles this, but manual installations require it pre-installed.
AI Model Toegang (Kies Eén)
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Which AI Model Should You Choose?
Option 1: Anthropic Claude (Recommended for most users)
- Cost: ~$20-40/month for typical personal use
- Advantage: Exceptional reasoning, strong security awareness, long context windows
- Get API key: console.anthropic.com
Option 2: OpenAI GPT-4
- Cost: ~$25-50/month depending on usage patterns
- Advantage: Broad knowledge base, excellent for creative tasks
- Get API key: platform.openai.com
Option 3: Local Ollama Models (Completely free)
- Cost: $0 (runs entirely on your hardware)
- Advantage: Zero ongoing costs, complete privacy, offline operation
- Disadvantage: Slower responses, requires more powerful hardware (8GB+ RAM recommended)
- Setup: ollama.ai
Stap 1: Download het Juiste Pakket voor Uw Platform
clawbot distributes platform-specific installers that bundle everything needed. Why multiple formats? Different operating systems handle background services differently—the installer configures these correctly.
macOS Installatie
Download de DMG-installer voor de eenvoudigste ervaring:
curl -fsSL https://github.com/steipete/clawbot/releases/download/v2026.1.23/clawbot-2026.1.23.dmg -o clawbot.dmg
Or download directly from GitHub Releases .
What the installer does:
-
Installs the Gateway service to
/Applications/clawbot.app -
Creates configuration directory at
~/.clawbot/ - Configures system permissions for automation capabilities
- Optionally sets up launch-at-startup (recommended)
Linux Installatie
Installeer via npm (aanbevolen) of Docker:
npm install -g clawbot@latest
Initialiseer vervolgens de configuratie:
clawbot init
Setting up as a systemd service (optional but recommended):
clawbot install-service
Dit zorgt ervoor dat clawbot automatisch start bij het opstarten en opnieuw opstart als het crasht.
Windows Installatie (WSL2)
Windows vereist WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux). Indien niet geïnstalleerd:
wsl --install
Volg vervolgens de Linux-instructies binnen uw WSL2 Ubuntu-omgeving.
⚠️ Windows Native Support
Native Windows-ondersteuning (zonder WSL2) is experimenteel. WSL2 biedt betere compatibiliteit met Node.js systeemintegraties en shell-commando-uitvoering.
Docker Implementatie
Voor cross-platform compatibiliteit of serverimplementaties:
docker pull ghcr.io/steipete/clawbot:latest
Draaien met persistente configuratie:
docker run -d \
--name clawbot \
-v ~/.clawbot:/root/.clawbot \
-p 18789:18789 \
ghcr.io/steipete/clawbot:latest
Understanding the Docker flags:
-
-d: Runs container in background (daemon mode) -
-v ~/.clawbot:/root/.clawbot: Persists configuration between restarts -
-p 18789:18789: Exposes Gateway WebSocket port for local clients
Stap 2: Installeer en Start de Gateway
The Gateway is clawbot's core—a persistent service that manages all communication between messaging platforms, AI models, and your system. Think of it as the central nervous system : channels send messages to the Gateway, which routes them to the appropriate AI model, receives responses, and delivers them back.
Voer de Installer Uit
macOS: Open the downloaded DMG and drag clawbot to Applications. Launch it.
Linux/WSL: After npm installation, start the Gateway:
clawbot gateway start
Controleer of het draait:
clawbot gateway status
You should see:
Gateway is running on ws://127.0.0.1:18789
🔍 What's Happening Behind the Scenes
De Gateway creëert een WebSocket-server op poort 18789 (aanpasbaar). Deze alleen-lokale server accepteert verbindingen van:
- Channel plugins (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) that forward user messages
- Node clients (mobile apps, web interfaces) for direct interaction
- Skills and tools that extend functionality
Alle communicatie blijft op uw machine, tenzij u expliciet externe toegang configureert (behandeld in geavanceerde handleidingen).
Stap 3: Verbind Uw AI-Brein
Met de draaiende Gateway heeft deze een AI-model nodig om antwoorden te genereren. Deze stap configureert welke model(len) u gaat gebruiken en authenticeert API-toegang.
Configureer AI Provider
Open het configuratiebestand:
clawbot config edit
Or manually edit
~/.clawbot/clawbot.json
. Add your API credentials:
{
"aiProviders": {
"anthropic": {
"apiKey": "sk-ant-your-api-key-here",
"model": "claude-3-5-sonnet-20250219",
"enabled": true
}
},
"defaultProvider": "anthropic"
}
For local Ollama instead:
{
"aiProviders": {
"ollama": {
"baseURL": "http://localhost:11434",
"model": "llama3.1:8b",
"enabled": true
}
},
"defaultProvider": "ollama"
}
Security Best Practice: API Key Management
Never commit
clawbot.json
to version control if it contains API keys. Consider using
environment variables for production deployments:
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="your-key-here"
clawbot leest automatisch uit omgevingsvariabelen indien aanwezig.
Stap 4: Koppel Uw Communicatiekanalen
Channels are how you interact with your AI—WhatsApp for mobile, Telegram for desktop, Discord for team collaboration. Each channel connects independently to the Gateway, and clawbot maintains a unified conversation history across all of them .
Verbind Uw Eerste Kanaal: WhatsApp Voorbeeld
Installeer de WhatsApp-kanaalplugin:
clawbot channel add whatsapp
Dit start een interactieve setup:
- A QR code appears in your terminal
- Open WhatsApp on your phone → Settings → Linked Devices → Link a Device
- Scan the QR code
- clawbot confirms connection and saves session credentials
How it works: clawbot uses the WhatsApp Web protocol (via Baileys library) to establish a persistent connection. Your phone remains the "primary" device; clawbot acts as a linked secondary device—just like WhatsApp Web in your browser.
⚠️ WhatsApp Account Safety
WhatsApp's terms of service prohibit bot usage. While clawbot implements rate limiting and human-like behavior patterns, we recommend using a secondary phone number rather than your primary personal WhatsApp account. Consider:
- Getting a Google Voice or similar virtual number
- Using an old SIM card you don't actively use
- Trying Telegram instead (officially supports bots)
Alternatieve Kanalen
Elk kanaal heeft unieke setup-vereisten. Populaire opties:
Telegram (Recommended for beginners):
clawbot channel add telegram
Volg de prompt om te authenticeren met uw telefoonnummer. Telegram ondersteunt officieel bots, waardoor dit de veiligste optie is.
Discord (Great for teams):
clawbot channel add discord
Requires creating a Discord bot application at discord.com/developers . Copy the bot token when prompted.
Full channel documentation: docs.clawd.bot/channels
Stap 5: Voer Uw Eerste Autonome Taak Uit
Met alles geconfigureerd, laten we verifiëren of clawbot uw systeem echt kan besturen - niet alleen met tekst reageren.
Test Systeemintegratie
Open uw verbonden berichtkanaal (WhatsApp, Telegram, etc.) en stuur dit bericht:
"Create a text file called test.txt in my Documents folder with today's date and a motivational quote."
What should happen:
- clawbot receives your message through the channel
- Gateway routes it to your configured AI model
- AI generates a response plan including shell commands
-
clawbot executes:
echo "..." > ~/Documents/test.txt - You receive confirmation: "Created test.txt with..."
- Check your Documents folder—the file exists
🎉 You Just Demonstrated Genuine AI Automation
What distinguishes clawbot from ChatGPT or Siri: it didn't just tell you how to create the file—it actually created it . This same capability extends to:
- Managing your calendar and sending meeting invites
- Monitoring log files and alerting you to errors
- Pulling data from APIs and generating reports
- Controlling smart home devices via Home Assistant
- Running development workflows (tests, builds, deployments)
Wat Nu Te Bouwen
Uw AI-infrastructuur is operationeel. Hier leest u hoe u de mogelijkheden kunt uitbreiden:
1. Installeer Skills van ClawdHub
Skills zijn vooraf gebouwde automatiseringsmodules. Blader door de marktplaats:
clawbot skills browse
Populaire starter skills:
- google-calendar : Natural language calendar management
- home-assistant : Smart home control integration
- github-assistant : Repository management and PR reviews
- daily-briefing : Morning summary of calendar, weather, news
2. Creëer Aangepaste Automatisering
Skills are just folders with a
SKILL.md
file. Create your own:
mkdir -p ~/.clawbot/skills/my-automation
echo "# My Custom Skill" > ~/.clawbot/skills/my-automation/SKILL.md
Full guide: docs.clawd.bot/skills/creating
3. Configureer Proactief Gedrag
Unlike traditional AI, clawbot can initiate contact. Enable heartbeat monitoring:
clawbot config set heartbeat.enabled true
clawbot config set heartbeat.interval "every day at 8am"
Nu zal clawbot proactief een ochtendbriefing sturen zonder dat u erom vraagt.
4. Implementeer naar de Cloud (Optioneel)
Het draaien van clawbot op uw laptop werkt, maar cloud-implementatie zorgt voor 24/7 beschikbaarheid. Handleidingen beschikbaar voor:
- DigitalOcean Droplets ($6/month)
- AWS EC2 Free Tier (12 months free)
- Hetzner Cloud (€4/month)
- Home Raspberry Pi (one-time hardware cost)
Veelvoorkomende Problemen en Oplossingen
Gateway Won't Start
Symptom:
Error: EADDRINUSE: address already in use
Cause: Another process is using port 18789.
Solution: Find and kill the conflicting process:
lsof -ti:18789 | xargs kill -9
Or configure clawbot to use a different port in
clawbot.json
.
AI Model Returns Errors
Symptom: "API authentication failed" or "Invalid model specified"
Cause: Incorrect API key or model name in configuration.
Solution: Verify your API key is valid:
curl https://api.anthropic.com/v1/messages \
-H "x-api-key: YOUR_KEY" \
-H "anthropic-version: 2023-06-01"
Controleer modelnamen in de documentatie van de provider (Anthropic, OpenAI).
WhatsApp Disconnects Frequently
Symptom: QR code authentication required every few days.
Cause: Session credentials not persisting correctly.
Solution:
Ensure
~/.clawbot/channels/whatsapp/
has write permissions:
chmod 700 ~/.clawbot/channels/whatsapp/
Verifieer ook dat uw telefoon verbonden blijft met internet - WhatsApp vereist dat het primaire apparaat online is.
U Draait Nu Uw Eigen AI-Infrastructuur
What you've built isn't just a chatbot—it's a personal automation platform that combines the intelligence of frontier AI models with the capability of local system control. Unlike cloud services that constrain what AI can do, your clawbot installation has the same access to your digital environment that you do.
Deze kracht brengt verantwoordelijkheid met zich mee: clawbot kan elk commando uitvoeren dat u goedkeurt. Het sandboxing- en permissiesysteem beschermt tegen accidentele schade, maar uiteindelijk verleent u een AI zinvolle controle. Begin met eenvoudige automatiseringen, begrijp hoe beslissingen worden genomen en breid geleidelijk de mogelijkheden uit naarmate u vertrouwen opbouwt.
Klaar om Dieper te Gaan?
Ontdek geavanceerde configuratie, skill-ontwikkeling en architecturale diepte-analyses