Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know about installing, configuring, and using Clawdbot.
Getting Started
What is Clawdbot? ▼
Clawdbot is a free, open-source personal AI assistant that connects to 12+ messaging platforms including WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage, Discord, Slack, and Signal. It runs entirely on your own computer, ensuring complete privacy and control over your data.
Is Clawdbot free to use? ▼
Yes, Clawdbot itself is completely free and open-source under the MIT license. You only pay for the AI API usage (like Claude or GPT-4) based on your chosen provider's pricing, which typically costs $2-20/month for moderate usage.
Do I need coding skills to install Clawdbot? ▼
No coding required. Our step-by-step installation guides walk you through the entire process. If you can copy and paste commands into a terminal, you can install and run Clawdbot.
What are the system requirements? ▼
Clawdbot runs on macOS 12+, Windows 10/11, or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 11+, Fedora 35+). You need Node.js 18 or later and at least 500MB of free disk space.
Platforms & Integrations
What messaging platforms does Clawdbot support? ▼
Clawdbot supports WhatsApp, Telegram, iMessage (macOS only), Discord, Slack, Signal, Matrix, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, Twitter/X DMs, SMS (via Twilio), and Email. New platforms are added regularly.
Can I connect multiple platforms at once? ▼
Yes! Clawdbot can connect to all supported platforms simultaneously. You can configure different AI behaviors, triggers, and response styles for each platform.
Which AI models can I use? ▼
Clawdbot supports Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4/GPT-3.5 (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), Llama (local), Mistral, and other OpenAI-compatible APIs. You can switch between models or use different models for different platforms.
Privacy & Security
Is my data private with Clawdbot? ▼
Absolutely. Clawdbot runs entirely on your own device. Your messages never pass through our servers — everything stays local. Messages are only sent to your chosen AI provider (like Anthropic or OpenAI) for processing.
Does Clawdbot store my messages? ▼
Clawdbot stores conversation history locally on your device to maintain context. You have full control over this data and can delete it at any time. We never have access to your messages or data.
Is WhatsApp connection safe? ▼
Yes. Clawdbot uses the official WhatsApp Web protocol. Your WhatsApp account connects directly to your local Clawdbot instance — we have no access to your WhatsApp session or messages.
Pricing & Costs
How much does it cost to run Clawdbot? ▼
Clawdbot software is free. You only pay for AI API usage. Typical costs: Light usage (100 msgs/day) = $2-5/month, Moderate (500 msgs/day) = $10-20/month, Heavy (2000+ msgs/day) = $30-50+/month. Costs vary by AI provider and response length.
Do I need to pay for each platform? ▼
No. Clawdbot is a single installation that connects to all platforms. Your only ongoing cost is AI API usage, regardless of how many platforms you connect.
Can I use free AI models? ▼
Yes! You can run local models like Llama for completely free operation (requires a capable GPU). Some cloud providers also offer free tiers that work with Clawdbot.
Troubleshooting
Why won't my QR code scan for WhatsApp? ▼
Try making your terminal window larger for a bigger QR code, or use 'clawdbot channels add whatsapp --qr-size small'. Ensure your phone has a stable internet connection and WhatsApp is updated.
Why isn't the bot responding to messages? ▼
Check: 1) Is the gateway running? (run 'clawdbot status'), 2) Is the sender in your allow list?, 3) Is your AI API key valid and has credits?, 4) Check logs with 'clawdbot logs' for errors.
How do I update Clawdbot? ▼
Run 'npm update -g clawdbot' in your terminal. We recommend keeping Clawdbot updated for the latest features and security fixes.
Still Have Questions?
Our community is here to help you get the most out of Clawdbot.