Moltbot Setup Guide (previously Clawdbot)

Requirements

What you need before starting

→
Mac, Linux, or Windows (WSL2)
Moltbot runs on Unix-like systems. Windows users need WSL2 (Ubuntu recommended).
→
Node.js 22 or newer
Check with node --version. Install: nodejs.org
→
Anthropic API key
For Claude. Get one at console.anthropic.com (~$10-30/mo typical usage)
→
Telegram account
To chat with your AI. WhatsApp and Discord also supported.

💡 Don't have Node.js?
Mac: brew install node
Linux: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash - && sudo apt install -y nodejs

Install Moltbot

One command does everything

Quick install (recommended)

Run this in your terminal:

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

This installs Moltbot and starts the setup wizard automatically.

Windows (PowerShell)

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

Requires WSL2. The script guides you through WSL setup if needed.

Alternative: npm install

npm install -g clawdbot@latest

Then run: clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

Run the Setup Wizard

Interactive setup guides you through everything

If you used the quick install, the wizard started automatically. Otherwise run:

clawdbot onboard --install-daemon

The wizard asks for:

1.
Model/Auth — Your Anthropic API key (recommended) or OAuth
2.
Workspace location — Where Moltbot stores files (default: ~/clawd)
3.
Gateway settings — Port and security (use defaults)
4.
Channels — Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, etc.
5.
Background service — Keeps Moltbot running automatically

💡 Tip: Choose "QuickStart" in the wizard for sensible defaults. You can always change settings later with clawdbot configure

Connect Telegram

Create your bot and link it

Create a Telegram Bot

Open Telegram and search for @BotFather
Send /newbot
Choose a name (e.g., "My AI Assistant")
Choose a username (must end in "bot", e.g., "myname_ai_bot")
BotFather gives you a token — copy it!

The token looks like: 123456789:ABCdefGHIjklMNOpqrSTUvwxYZ

Enter the token in the wizard

When the wizard asks for Telegram setup, paste your bot token.

Or add it manually to config:

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "YOUR_TOKEN_HERE",
      "dmPolicy": "pairing"
    }
  }
}

🔐 Security note: DM policy "pairing" is the default. This means unknown people can't just message your bot — they need approval first. This is the safe default.

Approve Your First Chat

The pairing handshake keeps your bot secure

When you first message your bot, you'll get a pairing code like ABC123XY. The bot won't respond until you approve it.

Approve the pairing

# List pending requests
clawdbot pairing list telegram

# Approve with the code
clawdbot pairing approve telegram ABC123XY

🎉 That's it! Now message your bot again — it should respond! Try: "Hi, what can you do?"

Useful commands

# Check if gateway is running
clawdbot gateway status

# Check overall health
clawdbot status

# View logs (helpful for debugging)
clawdbot gateway logs --follow

Security Checklist

Critical settings to verify

🚨 Important: Your AI assistant has shell access to your machine. These settings keep you safe. Don't skip this section.

Run the security audit

clawdbot security audit

This checks for common security issues. Run it regularly!

Key settings to verify

✓
Gateway bind: loopback
Only localhost can connect. Check in ~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json: "bind": "loopback"
✓
DM policy: pairing or allowlist
Never use "open" unless you know what you're doing.
✓
Firewall enabled (Mac)
System Settings → Network → Firewall → On
✓
File permissions locked down
Run clawdbot security audit --fix to auto-fix permissions.

⚠️ Never do this:
• Set bind: "all" — exposes your bot to the internet
• Set dmPolicy: "open" — anyone can message your bot
• Share your config file — contains tokens and keys

Bonus: VPS Setup

Run Moltbot 24/7 on a cloud server

Don't want to keep your computer running? Set up Moltbot on a VPS for ~$5/month.

Recommended: Hetzner Cloud

• Server: CPX11 (2 vCPU, 2GB RAM) — ~$4.50/mo
• Location: Choose closest to you
• OS: Ubuntu 24.04

→ Get Hetzner VPS

Quick VPS setup

# SSH into your server
ssh root@your-server-ip

# Install Node.js 22
curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | bash -
apt install -y nodejs

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

# The installer runs the wizard automatically
# Choose your options and you're done!

📖 Full VPS guide: See docs.clawd.bot/platforms/hetzner for Docker setup, persistence, and advanced configuration.

Troubleshooting

Common issues and fixes

Bot not responding?

Check gateway: clawdbot gateway status
Check health: clawdbot health
Did you approve the pairing code?
Check logs: clawdbot gateway logs --follow

API/Auth errors?

Verify your Anthropic API key is valid
Check you have credits in your account
Run clawdbot doctor to diagnose

"clawdbot: command not found"?

Check npm path: npm prefix -g
Add to PATH in ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc: export PATH="$(npm prefix -g)/bin:$PATH"
Open a new terminal window

Permission errors on Mac?

Grant Terminal full disk access: System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access
Run: clawdbot security audit --fix

💬 Still stuck? Join the Moltbot Discord community for help, or check the troubleshooting docs.

Uninstalling

How to completely remove Moltbot

Need to remove Moltbot? Here's how to cleanly uninstall everything.

macOS

# Stop the gateway
clawdbot gateway stop

# Remove the daemon service
launchctl unload ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawdbot.gateway.plist 2>/dev/null
rm ~/Library/LaunchAgents/com.clawdbot.gateway.plist

# Uninstall the package
npm uninstall -g clawdbot

# Remove config and data (optional - backs up nothing!)
rm -rf ~/.clawdbot
rm -rf ~/clawd  # or your workspace location

Linux

# Stop the gateway
clawdbot gateway stop

# Remove the systemd service
systemctl --user stop clawdbot-gateway
systemctl --user disable clawdbot-gateway
rm ~/.config/systemd/user/clawdbot-gateway.service
systemctl --user daemon-reload

# Uninstall the package
npm uninstall -g clawdbot

# Remove config and data (optional)
rm -rf ~/.clawdbot
rm -rf ~/clawd

⚠️ Before removing: Your workspace folder (default: ~/clawd) contains your AI's memory and files. Back it up if you want to keep anything!

What's next?

🧩

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This guide is based on the official documentation.

📚 docs.clawd.bot — Full documentation with all options

🐙 GitHub — Source code and releases

Moltbot Setup Guide

What we'll cover