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HKUDS / nanobot

"๐Ÿˆ nanobot: The Ultra-Lightweight OpenClaw"

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nanobot

nanobot: Ultra-Lightweight Personal AI Assistant

PyPI Downloads Python License Feishu WeChat Discord

๐Ÿˆ nanobot is an ultra-lightweight personal AI assistant inspired by OpenClaw.

โšก๏ธ Delivers core agent functionality with 99% fewer lines of code than OpenClaw.

๐Ÿ“ Real-time line count: run bash core_agent_lines.sh to verify anytime.

๐Ÿ“ข News

  • 2026-03-07 ๐Ÿš€ Azure OpenAI provider, WhatsApp media, QQ group chats, and more Telegram/Feishu polish.
  • 2026-03-06 ๐Ÿช„ Lighter providers, smarter media handling, and sturdier memory and CLI compatibility.
  • 2026-03-05 โšก๏ธ Telegram draft streaming, MCP SSE support, and broader channel reliability fixes.
  • 2026-03-04 ๐Ÿ› ๏ธ Dependency cleanup, safer file reads, and another round of test and Cron fixes.
  • 2026-03-03 ๐Ÿง  Cleaner user-message merging, safer multimodal saves, and stronger Cron guards.
  • 2026-03-02 ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Safer default access control, sturdier Cron reloads, and cleaner Matrix media handling.
  • 2026-03-01 ๐ŸŒ Web proxy support, smarter Cron reminders, and Feishu rich-text parsing improvements.
  • 2026-02-28 ๐Ÿš€ Released v0.1.4.post3 โ€” cleaner context, hardened session history, and smarter agent. Please see release notes for details.
  • 2026-02-27 ๐Ÿง  Experimental thinking mode support, DingTalk media messages, Feishu and QQ channel fixes.
  • 2026-02-26 ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Session poisoning fix, WhatsApp dedup, Windows path guard, Mistral compatibility.
Earlier news
  • 2026-02-25 ๐Ÿงน New Matrix channel, cleaner session context, auto workspace template sync.
  • 2026-02-24 ๐Ÿš€ Released v0.1.4.post2 โ€” a reliability-focused release with a redesigned heartbeat, prompt cache optimization, and hardened provider & channel stability. See release notes for details.
  • 2026-02-23 ๐Ÿ”ง Virtual tool-call heartbeat, prompt cache optimization, Slack mrkdwn fixes.
  • 2026-02-22 ๐Ÿ›ก๏ธ Slack thread isolation, Discord typing fix, agent reliability improvements.
  • 2026-02-21 ๐ŸŽ‰ Released v0.1.4.post1 โ€” new providers, media support across channels, and major stability improvements. See release notes for details.
  • 2026-02-20 ๐Ÿฆ Feishu now receives multimodal files from users. More reliable memory under the hood.
  • 2026-02-19 โœจ Slack now sends files, Discord splits long messages, and subagents work in CLI mode.
  • 2026-02-18 โšก๏ธ nanobot now supports VolcEngine, MCP custom auth headers, and Anthropic prompt caching.
  • 2026-02-17 ๐ŸŽ‰ Released v0.1.4 โ€” MCP support, progress streaming, new providers, and multiple channel improvements. Please see release notes for details.
  • 2026-02-16 ๐Ÿฆž nanobot now integrates a ClawHub skill โ€” search and install public agent skills.
  • 2026-02-15 ๐Ÿ”‘ nanobot now supports OpenAI Codex provider with OAuth login support.
  • 2026-02-14 ๐Ÿ”Œ nanobot now supports MCP! See MCP section for details.
  • 2026-02-13 ๐ŸŽ‰ Released v0.1.3.post7 โ€” includes security hardening and multiple improvements. Please upgrade to the latest version to address security issues. See release notes for more details.
  • 2026-02-12 ๐Ÿง  Redesigned memory system โ€” Less code, more reliable. Join the discussion about it!
  • 2026-02-11 โœจ Enhanced CLI experience and added MiniMax support!
  • 2026-02-10 ๐ŸŽ‰ Released v0.1.3.post6 with improvements! Check the updates notes and our roadmap.
  • 2026-02-09 ๐Ÿ’ฌ Added Slack, Email, and QQ support โ€” nanobot now supports multiple chat platforms!
  • 2026-02-08 ๐Ÿ”ง Refactored Providersโ€”adding a new LLM provider now takes just 2 simple steps! Check here.
  • 2026-02-07 ๐Ÿš€ Released v0.1.3.post5 with Qwen support & several key improvements! Check here for details.
  • 2026-02-06 โœจ Added Moonshot/Kimi provider, Discord integration, and enhanced security hardening!
  • 2026-02-05 โœจ Added Feishu channel, DeepSeek provider, and enhanced scheduled tasks support!
  • 2026-02-04 ๐Ÿš€ Released v0.1.3.post4 with multi-provider & Docker support! Check here for details.
  • 2026-02-03 โšก Integrated vLLM for local LLM support and improved natural language task scheduling!
  • 2026-02-02 ๐ŸŽ‰ nanobot officially launched! Welcome to try ๐Ÿˆ nanobot!

Key Features of nanobot:

๐Ÿชถ Ultra-Lightweight: Just ~4,000 lines of core agent code โ€” 99% smaller than Clawdbot.

๐Ÿ”ฌ Research-Ready: Clean, readable code that's easy to understand, modify, and extend for research.

โšก๏ธ Lightning Fast: Minimal footprint means faster startup, lower resource usage, and quicker iterations.

๐Ÿ’Ž Easy-to-Use: One-click to deploy and you're ready to go.

๐Ÿ—๏ธ Architecture

nanobot architecture

โœจ Features

๐Ÿ“ˆ 24/7 Real-Time Market Analysis

๐Ÿš€ Full-Stack Software Engineer

๐Ÿ“… Smart Daily Routine Manager

๐Ÿ“š Personal Knowledge Assistant

Discovery โ€ข Insights โ€ข TrendsDevelop โ€ข Deploy โ€ข ScaleSchedule โ€ข Automate โ€ข OrganizeLearn โ€ข Memory โ€ข Reasoning

๐Ÿ“ฆ Install

Install from source (latest features, recommended for development)

git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot.git
cd nanobot
pip install -e .

Install with uv (stable, fast)

uv tool install nanobot-ai

Install from PyPI (stable)

pip install nanobot-ai

๐Ÿš€ Quick Start

[!TIP] Set your API key in ~/.nanobot/config.json. Get API keys: OpenRouter (Global) ยท Brave Search (optional, for web search)

1. Initialize

nanobot onboard

2. Configure (~/.nanobot/config.json)

Add or merge these two parts into your config (other options have defaults).

Set your API key (e.g. OpenRouter, recommended for global users):

{
  "providers": {
    "openrouter": {
      "apiKey": "sk-or-v1-xxx"
    }
  }
}

Set your model (optionally pin a provider โ€” defaults to auto-detection):

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5",
      "provider": "openrouter"
    }
  }
}

3. Chat

nanobot agent

That's it! You have a working AI assistant in 2 minutes.

๐Ÿ’ฌ Chat Apps

Connect nanobot to your favorite chat platform.

ChannelWhat you need
TelegramBot token from @BotFather
DiscordBot token + Message Content intent
WhatsAppQR code scan
FeishuApp ID + App Secret
MochatClaw token (auto-setup available)
DingTalkApp Key + App Secret
SlackBot token + App-Level token
EmailIMAP/SMTP credentials
QQApp ID + App Secret
Telegram (Recommended)

1. Create a bot

  • Open Telegram, search @BotFather
  • Send /newbot, follow prompts
  • Copy the token

2. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_USER_ID"]
    }
  }
}

You can find your User ID in Telegram settings. It is shown as @yourUserId. Copy this value without the @ symbol and paste it into the config file.

3. Run

nanobot gateway
Mochat (Claw IM)

Uses Socket.IO WebSocket by default, with HTTP polling fallback.

1. Ask nanobot to set up Mochat for you

Simply send this message to nanobot (replace xxx@xxx with your real email):

Read https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HKUDS/MoChat/refs/heads/main/skills/nanobot/skill.md and register on MoChat. My Email account is xxx@xxx Bind me as your owner and DM me on MoChat.

nanobot will automatically register, configure ~/.nanobot/config.json, and connect to Mochat.

2. Restart gateway

nanobot gateway

That's it โ€” nanobot handles the rest!


Manual configuration (advanced)

If you prefer to configure manually, add the following to ~/.nanobot/config.json:

Keep claw_token private. It should only be sent in X-Claw-Token header to your Mochat API endpoint.

{
  "channels": {
    "mochat": {
      "enabled": true,
      "base_url": "https://mochat.io",
      "socket_url": "https://mochat.io",
      "socket_path": "/socket.io",
      "claw_token": "claw_xxx",
      "agent_user_id": "6982abcdef",
      "sessions": ["*"],
      "panels": ["*"],
      "reply_delay_mode": "non-mention",
      "reply_delay_ms": 120000
    }
  }
}
Discord

1. Create a bot

2. Enable intents

  • In the Bot settings, enable MESSAGE CONTENT INTENT
  • (Optional) Enable SERVER MEMBERS INTENT if you plan to use allow lists based on member data

3. Get your User ID

  • Discord Settings โ†’ Advanced โ†’ enable Developer Mode
  • Right-click your avatar โ†’ Copy User ID

4. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_BOT_TOKEN",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_USER_ID"],
      "groupPolicy": "mention"
    }
  }
}

groupPolicy controls how the bot responds in group channels:

  • "mention" (default) โ€” Only respond when @mentioned
  • "open" โ€” Respond to all messages DMs always respond when the sender is in allowFrom.

5. Invite the bot

  • OAuth2 โ†’ URL Generator
  • Scopes: bot
  • Bot Permissions: Send Messages, Read Message History
  • Open the generated invite URL and add the bot to your server

6. Run

nanobot gateway
Matrix (Element)

Install Matrix dependencies first:

pip install nanobot-ai[matrix]

1. Create/choose a Matrix account

  • Create or reuse a Matrix account on your homeserver (for example matrix.org).
  • Confirm you can log in with Element.

2. Get credentials

  • You need:
    • userId (example: @nanobot:matrix.org)
    • accessToken
    • deviceId (recommended so sync tokens can be restored across restarts)
  • You can obtain these from your homeserver login API (/_matrix/client/v3/login) or from your client's advanced session settings.

3. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "matrix": {
      "enabled": true,
      "homeserver": "https://matrix.org",
      "userId": "@nanobot:matrix.org",
      "accessToken": "syt_xxx",
      "deviceId": "NANOBOT01",
      "e2eeEnabled": true,
      "allowFrom": ["@your_user:matrix.org"],
      "groupPolicy": "open",
      "groupAllowFrom": [],
      "allowRoomMentions": false,
      "maxMediaBytes": 20971520
    }
  }
}

Keep a persistent matrix-store and stable deviceId โ€” encrypted session state is lost if these change across restarts.

OptionDescription
allowFromUser IDs allowed to interact. Empty = all senders.
groupPolicyopen (default), mention, or allowlist.
groupAllowFromRoom allowlist (used when policy is allowlist).
allowRoomMentionsAccept @room mentions in mention mode.
e2eeEnabledE2EE support (default true). Set false for plaintext-only.
maxMediaBytesMax attachment size (default 20MB). Set 0 to block all media.

4. Run

nanobot gateway
WhatsApp

Requires Node.js โ‰ฅ18.

1. Link device

nanobot channels login
# Scan QR with WhatsApp โ†’ Settings โ†’ Linked Devices

2. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "whatsapp": {
      "enabled": true,
      "allowFrom": ["+1234567890"]
    }
  }
}

3. Run (two terminals)

# Terminal 1
nanobot channels login

# Terminal 2
nanobot gateway

WhatsApp bridge updates are not applied automatically for existing installations. If you upgrade nanobot and need the latest WhatsApp bridge, run: rm -rf ~/.nanobot/bridge && nanobot channels login

Feishu (้ฃžไนฆ)

Uses WebSocket long connection โ€” no public IP required.

1. Create a Feishu bot

  • Visit Feishu Open Platform
  • Create a new app โ†’ Enable Bot capability
  • Permissions: Add im:message (send messages) and im:message.p2p_msg:readonly (receive messages)
  • Events: Add im.message.receive_v1 (receive messages)
    • Select Long Connection mode (requires running nanobot first to establish connection)
  • Get App ID and App Secret from "Credentials & Basic Info"
  • Publish the app

2. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "feishu": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "cli_xxx",
      "appSecret": "xxx",
      "encryptKey": "",
      "verificationToken": "",
      "allowFrom": ["ou_YOUR_OPEN_ID"]
    }
  }
}

encryptKey and verificationToken are optional for Long Connection mode. allowFrom: Add your open_id (find it in nanobot logs when you message the bot). Use ["*"] to allow all users.

3. Run

nanobot gateway

[!TIP] Feishu uses WebSocket to receive messages โ€” no webhook or public IP needed!

QQ (QQๅ•่Š)

Uses botpy SDK with WebSocket โ€” no public IP required. Currently supports private messages only.

1. Register & create bot

  • Visit QQ Open Platform โ†’ Register as a developer (personal or enterprise)
  • Create a new bot application
  • Go to ๅผ€ๅ‘่ฎพ็ฝฎ (Developer Settings) โ†’ copy AppID and AppSecret

2. Set up sandbox for testing

  • In the bot management console, find ๆฒ™็ฎฑ้…็ฝฎ (Sandbox Config)
  • Under ๅœจๆถˆๆฏๅˆ—่กจ้…็ฝฎ, click ๆทปๅŠ ๆˆๅ‘˜ and add your own QQ number
  • Once added, scan the bot's QR code with mobile QQ โ†’ open the bot profile โ†’ tap "ๅ‘ๆถˆๆฏ" to start chatting

3. Configure

  • allowFrom: Add your openid (find it in nanobot logs when you message the bot). Use ["*"] for public access.
  • For production: submit a review in the bot console and publish. See QQ Bot Docs for the full publishing flow.
{
  "channels": {
    "qq": {
      "enabled": true,
      "appId": "YOUR_APP_ID",
      "secret": "YOUR_APP_SECRET",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_OPENID"]
    }
  }
}

4. Run

nanobot gateway

Now send a message to the bot from QQ โ€” it should respond!

DingTalk (้’‰้’‰)

Uses Stream Mode โ€” no public IP required.

1. Create a DingTalk bot

  • Visit DingTalk Open Platform
  • Create a new app -> Add Robot capability
  • Configuration:
    • Toggle Stream Mode ON
  • Permissions: Add necessary permissions for sending messages
  • Get AppKey (Client ID) and AppSecret (Client Secret) from "Credentials"
  • Publish the app

2. Configure

{
  "channels": {
    "dingtalk": {
      "enabled": true,
      "clientId": "YOUR_APP_KEY",
      "clientSecret": "YOUR_APP_SECRET",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_STAFF_ID"]
    }
  }
}

allowFrom: Add your staff ID. Use ["*"] to allow all users.

3. Run

nanobot gateway
Slack

Uses Socket Mode โ€” no public URL required.

1. Create a Slack app

  • Go to Slack API โ†’ Create New App โ†’ "From scratch"
  • Pick a name and select your workspace

2. Configure the app

  • Socket Mode: Toggle ON โ†’ Generate an App-Level Token with connections:write scope โ†’ copy it (xapp-...)
  • OAuth & Permissions: Add bot scopes: chat:write, reactions:write, app_mentions:read
  • Event Subscriptions: Toggle ON โ†’ Subscribe to bot events: message.im, message.channels, app_mention โ†’ Save Changes
  • App Home: Scroll to Show Tabs โ†’ Enable Messages Tab โ†’ Check "Allow users to send Slash commands and messages from the messages tab"
  • Install App: Click Install to Workspace โ†’ Authorize โ†’ copy the Bot Token (xoxb-...)

3. Configure nanobot

{
  "channels": {
    "slack": {
      "enabled": true,
      "botToken": "xoxb-...",
      "appToken": "xapp-...",
      "allowFrom": ["YOUR_SLACK_USER_ID"],
      "groupPolicy": "mention"
    }
  }
}

4. Run

nanobot gateway

DM the bot directly or @mention it in a channel โ€” it should respond!

[!TIP]

  • groupPolicy: "mention" (default โ€” respond only when @mentioned), "open" (respond to all channel messages), or "allowlist" (restrict to specific channels).
  • DM policy defaults to open. Set "dm": {"enabled": false} to disable DMs.
Email

Give nanobot its own email account. It polls IMAP for incoming mail and replies via SMTP โ€” like a personal email assistant.

1. Get credentials (Gmail example)

  • Create a dedicated Gmail account for your bot (e.g. my-nanobot@gmail.com)
  • Enable 2-Step Verification โ†’ Create an App Password
  • Use this app password for both IMAP and SMTP

2. Configure

  • consentGranted must be true to allow mailbox access. This is a safety gate โ€” set false to fully disable.
  • allowFrom: Add your email address. Use ["*"] to accept emails from anyone.
  • smtpUseTls and smtpUseSsl default to true / false respectively, which is correct for Gmail (port 587 + STARTTLS). No need to set them explicitly.
  • Set "autoReplyEnabled": false if you only want to read/analyze emails without sending automatic replies.
{
  "channels": {
    "email": {
      "enabled": true,
      "consentGranted": true,
      "imapHost": "imap.gmail.com",
      "imapPort": 993,
      "imapUsername": "my-nanobot@gmail.com",
      "imapPassword": "your-app-password",
      "smtpHost": "smtp.gmail.com",
      "smtpPort": 587,
      "smtpUsername": "my-nanobot@gmail.com",
      "smtpPassword": "your-app-password",
      "fromAddress": "my-nanobot@gmail.com",
      "allowFrom": ["your-real-email@gmail.com"]
    }
  }
}

3. Run

nanobot gateway

๐ŸŒ Agent Social Network

๐Ÿˆ nanobot is capable of linking to the agent social network (agent community). Just send one message and your nanobot joins automatically!

PlatformHow to Join (send this message to your bot)
MoltbookRead https://moltbook.com/skill.md and follow the instructions to join Moltbook
ClawdChatRead https://clawdchat.ai/skill.md and follow the instructions to join ClawdChat

Simply send the command above to your nanobot (via CLI or any chat channel), and it will handle the rest.

โš™๏ธ Configuration

Config file: ~/.nanobot/config.json

Providers

[!TIP]

  • Groq provides free voice transcription via Whisper. If configured, Telegram voice messages will be automatically transcribed.
  • Zhipu Coding Plan: If you're on Zhipu's coding plan, set "apiBase": "https://open.bigmodel.cn/api/coding/paas/v4" in your zhipu provider config.
  • MiniMax (Mainland China): If your API key is from MiniMax's mainland China platform (minimaxi.com), set "apiBase": "https://api.minimaxi.com/v1" in your minimax provider config.
  • VolcEngine Coding Plan: If you're on VolcEngine's coding plan, set "apiBase": "https://ark.cn-beijing.volces.com/api/coding/v3" in your volcengine provider config.
  • Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan: If you're on the Alibaba Cloud Coding Plan (BaiLian), set "apiBase": "https://coding.dashscope.aliyuncs.com/v1" in your dashscope provider config.
ProviderPurposeGet API Key
customAny OpenAI-compatible endpoint (direct, no LiteLLM)โ€”
openrouterLLM (recommended, access to all models)openrouter.ai
anthropicLLM (Claude direct)console.anthropic.com
azure_openaiLLM (Azure OpenAI)portal.azure.com
openaiLLM (GPT direct)platform.openai.com
deepseekLLM (DeepSeek direct)platform.deepseek.com
groqLLM + Voice transcription (Whisper)console.groq.com
geminiLLM (Gemini direct)aistudio.google.com
minimaxLLM (MiniMax direct)platform.minimaxi.com
aihubmixLLM (API gateway, access to all models)aihubmix.com
siliconflowLLM (SiliconFlow/็ก…ๅŸบๆตๅŠจ)siliconflow.cn
volcengineLLM (VolcEngine/็ซๅฑฑๅผ•ๆ“Ž)volcengine.com
dashscopeLLM (Qwen)dashscope.console.aliyun.com
moonshotLLM (Moonshot/Kimi)platform.moonshot.cn
zhipuLLM (Zhipu GLM)open.bigmodel.cn
vllmLLM (local, any OpenAI-compatible server)โ€”
openai_codexLLM (Codex, OAuth)nanobot provider login openai-codex
github_copilotLLM (GitHub Copilot, OAuth)nanobot provider login github-copilot
OpenAI Codex (OAuth)

Codex uses OAuth instead of API keys. Requires a ChatGPT Plus or Pro account.

1. Login:

nanobot provider login openai-codex

2. Set model (merge into ~/.nanobot/config.json):

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": "openai-codex/gpt-5.1-codex"
    }
  }
}

3. Chat:

nanobot agent -m "Hello!"

# Target a specific workspace/config locally
nanobot agent -c ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json -m "Hello!"

# One-off workspace override on top of that config
nanobot agent -c ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json -w /tmp/nanobot-telegram-test -m "Hello!"

Docker users: use docker run -it for interactive OAuth login.

Custom Provider (Any OpenAI-compatible API)

Connects directly to any OpenAI-compatible endpoint โ€” LM Studio, llama.cpp, Together AI, Fireworks, Azure OpenAI, or any self-hosted server. Bypasses LiteLLM; model name is passed as-is.

{
  "providers": {
    "custom": {
      "apiKey": "your-api-key",
      "apiBase": "https://api.your-provider.com/v1"
    }
  },
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": "your-model-name"
    }
  }
}

For local servers that don't require a key, set apiKey to any non-empty string (e.g. "no-key").

vLLM (local / OpenAI-compatible)

Run your own model with vLLM or any OpenAI-compatible server, then add to config:

1. Start the server (example):

vllm serve meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct --port 8000

2. Add to config (partial โ€” merge into ~/.nanobot/config.json):

Provider (key can be any non-empty string for local):

{
  "providers": {
    "vllm": {
      "apiKey": "dummy",
      "apiBase": "http://localhost:8000/v1"
    }
  }
}

Model:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": "meta-llama/Llama-3.1-8B-Instruct"
    }
  }
}
Adding a New Provider (Developer Guide)

nanobot uses a Provider Registry (nanobot/providers/registry.py) as the single source of truth. Adding a new provider only takes 2 steps โ€” no if-elif chains to touch.

Step 1. Add a ProviderSpec entry to PROVIDERS in nanobot/providers/registry.py:

ProviderSpec(
    name="myprovider",                   # config field name
    keywords=("myprovider", "mymodel"),  # model-name keywords for auto-matching
    env_key="MYPROVIDER_API_KEY",        # env var for LiteLLM
    display_name="My Provider",          # shown in `nanobot status`
    litellm_prefix="myprovider",         # auto-prefix: model โ†’ myprovider/model
    skip_prefixes=("myprovider/",),      # don't double-prefix
)

Step 2. Add a field to ProvidersConfig in nanobot/config/schema.py:

class ProvidersConfig(BaseModel):
    ...
    myprovider: ProviderConfig = ProviderConfig()

That's it! Environment variables, model prefixing, config matching, and nanobot status display will all work automatically.

Common ProviderSpec options:

FieldDescriptionExample
litellm_prefixAuto-prefix model names for LiteLLM"dashscope" โ†’ dashscope/qwen-max
skip_prefixesDon't prefix if model already starts with these("dashscope/", "openrouter/")
env_extrasAdditional env vars to set(("ZHIPUAI_API_KEY", "{api_key}"),)
model_overridesPer-model parameter overrides(("kimi-k2.5", {"temperature": 1.0}),)
is_gatewayCan route any model (like OpenRouter)True
detect_by_key_prefixDetect gateway by API key prefix"sk-or-"
detect_by_base_keywordDetect gateway by API base URL"openrouter"
strip_model_prefixStrip existing prefix before re-prefixingTrue (for AiHubMix)

MCP (Model Context Protocol)

[!TIP] The config format is compatible with Claude Desktop / Cursor. You can copy MCP server configs directly from any MCP server's README.

nanobot supports MCP โ€” connect external tool servers and use them as native agent tools.

Add MCP servers to your config.json:

{
  "tools": {
    "mcpServers": {
      "filesystem": {
        "command": "npx",
        "args": ["-y", "@modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem", "/path/to/dir"]
      },
      "my-remote-mcp": {
        "url": "https://example.com/mcp/",
        "headers": {
          "Authorization": "Bearer xxxxx"
        }
      }
    }
  }
}

Two transport modes are supported:

ModeConfigExample
Stdiocommand + argsLocal process via npx / uvx
HTTPurl + headers (optional)Remote endpoint (https://mcp.example.com/sse)

Use toolTimeout to override the default 30s per-call timeout for slow servers:

{
  "tools": {
    "mcpServers": {
      "my-slow-server": {
        "url": "https://example.com/mcp/",
        "toolTimeout": 120
      }
    }
  }
}

MCP tools are automatically discovered and registered on startup. The LLM can use them alongside built-in tools โ€” no extra configuration needed.

Security

[!TIP] For production deployments, set "restrictToWorkspace": true in your config to sandbox the agent. Change in source / post-v0.1.4.post3: In v0.1.4.post3 and earlier, an empty allowFrom means "allow all senders". In newer versions (including building from source), empty allowFrom denies all access by default. To allow all senders, set "allowFrom": ["*"].

OptionDefaultDescription
tools.restrictToWorkspacefalseWhen true, restricts all agent tools (shell, file read/write/edit, list) to the workspace directory. Prevents path traversal and out-of-scope access.
tools.exec.pathAppend""Extra directories to append to PATH when running shell commands (e.g. /usr/sbin for ufw).
channels.*.allowFrom[] (allow all)Whitelist of user IDs. Empty = allow everyone; non-empty = only listed users can interact.

๐Ÿงฉ Multiple Instances

Run multiple nanobot instances simultaneously with separate configs and runtime data. Use --config as the main entrypoint, and optionally use --workspace to override the workspace for a specific run.

Quick Start

# Instance A - Telegram bot
nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json

# Instance B - Discord bot  
nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-discord/config.json

# Instance C - Feishu bot with custom port
nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-feishu/config.json --port 18792

Path Resolution

When using --config, nanobot derives its runtime data directory from the config file location. The workspace still comes from agents.defaults.workspace unless you override it with --workspace.

To open a CLI session against one of these instances locally:

nanobot agent -c ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json -m "Hello from Telegram instance"
nanobot agent -c ~/.nanobot-discord/config.json -m "Hello from Discord instance"

# Optional one-off workspace override
nanobot agent -c ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json -w /tmp/nanobot-telegram-test

nanobot agent starts a local CLI agent using the selected workspace/config. It does not attach to or proxy through an already running nanobot gateway process.

ComponentResolved FromExample
Config--config path~/.nanobot-A/config.json
Workspace--workspace or config~/.nanobot-A/workspace/
Cron Jobsconfig directory~/.nanobot-A/cron/
Media / runtime stateconfig directory~/.nanobot-A/media/

How It Works

  • --config selects which config file to load
  • By default, the workspace comes from agents.defaults.workspace in that config
  • If you pass --workspace, it overrides the workspace from the config file

Minimal Setup

  1. Copy your base config into a new instance directory.
  2. Set a different agents.defaults.workspace for that instance.
  3. Start the instance with --config.

Example config:

{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "workspace": "~/.nanobot-telegram/workspace",
      "model": "anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-6"
    }
  },
  "channels": {
    "telegram": {
      "enabled": true,
      "token": "YOUR_TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN"
    }
  },
  "gateway": {
    "port": 18790
  }
}

Start separate instances:

nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json
nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-discord/config.json

Override workspace for one-off runs when needed:

nanobot gateway --config ~/.nanobot-telegram/config.json --workspace /tmp/nanobot-telegram-test

Common Use Cases

  • Run separate bots for Telegram, Discord, Feishu, and other platforms
  • Keep testing and production instances isolated
  • Use different models or providers for different teams
  • Serve multiple tenants with separate configs and runtime data

Notes

  • Each instance must use a different port if they run at the same time
  • Use a different workspace per instance if you want isolated memory, sessions, and skills
  • --workspace overrides the workspace defined in the config file
  • Cron jobs and runtime media/state are derived from the config directory

๐Ÿ’ป CLI Reference

CommandDescription
nanobot onboardInitialize config & workspace
nanobot agent -m "..."Chat with the agent
nanobot agent -w <workspace>Chat against a specific workspace
nanobot agent -w <workspace> -c <config>Chat against a specific workspace/config
nanobot agentInteractive chat mode
nanobot agent --no-markdownShow plain-text replies
nanobot agent --logsShow runtime logs during chat
nanobot gatewayStart the gateway
nanobot statusShow status
nanobot provider login openai-codexOAuth login for providers
nanobot channels loginLink WhatsApp (scan QR)
nanobot channels statusShow channel status

Interactive mode exits: exit, quit, /exit, /quit, :q, or Ctrl+D.

Heartbeat (Periodic Tasks)

The gateway wakes up every 30 minutes and checks HEARTBEAT.md in your workspace (~/.nanobot/workspace/HEARTBEAT.md). If the file has tasks, the agent executes them and delivers results to your most recently active chat channel.

Setup: edit ~/.nanobot/workspace/HEARTBEAT.md (created automatically by nanobot onboard):

## Periodic Tasks

- [ ] Check weather forecast and send a summary
- [ ] Scan inbox for urgent emails

The agent can also manage this file itself โ€” ask it to "add a periodic task" and it will update HEARTBEAT.md for you.

Note: The gateway must be running (nanobot gateway) and you must have chatted with the bot at least once so it knows which channel to deliver to.

๐Ÿณ Docker

[!TIP] The -v ~/.nanobot:/root/.nanobot flag mounts your local config directory into the container, so your config and workspace persist across container restarts.

Docker Compose

docker compose run --rm nanobot-cli onboard   # first-time setup
vim ~/.nanobot/config.json                     # add API keys
docker compose up -d nanobot-gateway           # start gateway
docker compose run --rm nanobot-cli agent -m "Hello!"   # run CLI
docker compose logs -f nanobot-gateway                   # view logs
docker compose down                                      # stop

Docker

# Build the image
docker build -t nanobot .

# Initialize config (first time only)
docker run -v ~/.nanobot:/root/.nanobot --rm nanobot onboard

# Edit config on host to add API keys
vim ~/.nanobot/config.json

# Run gateway (connects to enabled channels, e.g. Telegram/Discord/Mochat)
docker run -v ~/.nanobot:/root/.nanobot -p 18790:18790 nanobot gateway

# Or run a single command
docker run -v ~/.nanobot:/root/.nanobot --rm nanobot agent -m "Hello!"
docker run -v ~/.nanobot:/root/.nanobot --rm nanobot status

๐Ÿง Linux Service

Run the gateway as a systemd user service so it starts automatically and restarts on failure.

1. Find the nanobot binary path:

which nanobot   # e.g. /home/user/.local/bin/nanobot

2. Create the service file at ~/.config/systemd/user/nanobot-gateway.service (replace ExecStart path if needed):

[Unit]
Description=Nanobot Gateway
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=simple
ExecStart=%h/.local/bin/nanobot gateway
Restart=always
RestartSec=10
NoNewPrivileges=yes
ProtectSystem=strict
ReadWritePaths=%h

[Install]
WantedBy=default.target

3. Enable and start:

systemctl --user daemon-reload
systemctl --user enable --now nanobot-gateway

Common operations:

systemctl --user status nanobot-gateway        # check status
systemctl --user restart nanobot-gateway       # restart after config changes
journalctl --user -u nanobot-gateway -f        # follow logs

If you edit the .service file itself, run systemctl --user daemon-reload before restarting.

Note: User services only run while you are logged in. To keep the gateway running after logout, enable lingering:

loginctl enable-linger $USER

๐Ÿ“ Project Structure

nanobot/
โ”œโ”€โ”€ agent/          # ๐Ÿง  Core agent logic
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ loop.py     #    Agent loop (LLM โ†” tool execution)
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ context.py  #    Prompt builder
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ memory.py   #    Persistent memory
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ skills.py   #    Skills loader
โ”‚   โ”œโ”€โ”€ subagent.py #    Background task execution
โ”‚   โ””โ”€โ”€ tools/      #    Built-in tools (incl. spawn)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ skills/         # ๐ŸŽฏ Bundled skills (github, weather, tmux...)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ channels/       # ๐Ÿ“ฑ Chat channel integrations
โ”œโ”€โ”€ bus/            # ๐ŸšŒ Message routing
โ”œโ”€โ”€ cron/           # โฐ Scheduled tasks
โ”œโ”€โ”€ heartbeat/      # ๐Ÿ’“ Proactive wake-up
โ”œโ”€โ”€ providers/      # ๐Ÿค– LLM providers (OpenRouter, etc.)
โ”œโ”€โ”€ session/        # ๐Ÿ’ฌ Conversation sessions
โ”œโ”€โ”€ config/         # โš™๏ธ Configuration
โ””โ”€โ”€ cli/            # ๐Ÿ–ฅ๏ธ Commands

๐Ÿค Contribute & Roadmap

PRs welcome! The codebase is intentionally small and readable. ๐Ÿค—

Roadmap โ€” Pick an item and open a PR!

  • Multi-modal โ€” See and hear (images, voice, video)
  • Long-term memory โ€” Never forget important context
  • Better reasoning โ€” Multi-step planning and reflection
  • More integrations โ€” Calendar and more
  • Self-improvement โ€” Learn from feedback and mistakes

Contributors

Contributors

โญ Star History

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