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nanobot

🐈 nanobot is an ultra-lightweight, open-source, self-hosted personal AI agent framework written in Python. It runs in a WebUI, terminal, or chat apps and combines tools, long-term memory, MCP integrations, model routing, multi-agent delegation, scheduled automation, and an OpenAI-compatible API in a small, readable core.

Start Here

What can nanobot do?

nanobot is a self-hosted personal AI agent runtime. It can:

• run in a browser WebUI or terminal
• connect to Telegram, Discord, Slack, WeChat, Email, Mattermost, and other chat apps
• use tools such as files, shell, web search, web fetch, MCP, cron, image generation, and subagents
• keep session history and long-term memory through Dream
• run long-horizon goals and scheduled automations
• expose a Python SDK and OpenAI-compatible API for integrations
• deploy as a long-running local or server-side agent gateway

💡 Why nanobot

• Persistent workflows: goals, memory, tools, and chat context survive long-running work.
• Chat-native reach: WebUI, API, Telegram, Feishu, Slack, Discord, Teams, email, and Mattermost.
• Model freedom: OpenAI-compatible APIs, local LLMs, image generation, search, and fallbacks.
• Small core: readable internals with MCP, memory, deployment, and automation built in.
• Own your stack: inspect, customize, self-host, and extend without a giant platform.

📦 Install

[!IMPORTANT] If you want the newest features and experiments, install from source.

If you want the most stable day-to-day experience, install from PyPI or with uv.

Pick one install method:

Prerequisites: Python 3.11 or newer. Git and Bun are only needed for a source install. Published packages include the WebUI and fetch a checksummed, version-matched TUI archive—with its licenses, notices, corresponding application source, source offer, and relinking instructions—on first use.

If terminals, API keys, or config files are new to you, use the guided zero-background walkthrough in Start Without Technical Background instead of this compact README path.

One-command setup

macOS / Linux:

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HKUDS/nanobot/main/scripts/install.sh | sh

Windows PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HKUDS/nanobot/main/scripts/install.ps1 | iex

The default command installs or upgrades nanobot-ai from PyPI. On a fresh local desktop, it then starts nanobot webui so you can configure the first provider and model in Settings → Models. SSH, headless, existing-config, and older-release paths keep the terminal setup wizard. The installer avoids system-wide pip installs by using an active virtual environment, uv, pipx, or a managed venv under ~/.nanobot/venv. It also prints the exact command it used to run nanobot; reuse that full command below if nanobot is not on PATH.

To preview the plan without changing your environment, pass --dry-run.

curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HKUDS/nanobot/main/scripts/install.sh | sh -s -- --dry-run

& ([scriptblock]::Create((irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/HKUDS/nanobot/main/scripts/install.ps1))) --dry-run

If you prefer to inspect the script first, open scripts/install.sh or scripts/install.ps1.

Install with uv

uv tool install nanobot-ai

Install from PyPI with pip

python -m pip install nanobot-ai

If pip reports externally-managed-environment on macOS or Linux, use the one-command installer, uv tool install nanobot-ai, pipx install nanobot-ai, or install inside a virtual environment.

Install from source

Clone the repository and install it in editable mode. Bun is required because the source checkout runs the matching TUI directly instead of downloading an older release binary.

git clone https://github.com/HKUDS/nanobot.git
cd nanobot
python -m venv .venv

Activate it with source .venv/bin/activate on macOS/Linux or .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1 in Windows PowerShell, then run:

python -m pip install -e .

After that, the normal commands are identical to a stable install. nanobot runs the TUI from this checkout, and nanobot webui rebuilds stale frontend assets automatically. A later git pull --ff-only updates the Python, TUI, and WebUI source together; rerun python -m pip install -e . when Python dependencies change. Contributors should also read CONTRIBUTING.md.

Verify the install:

nanobot --version

If nanobot is not on PATH, invoke it through the method that installed it: reuse the recommended installer's command, use uv tool run --from nanobot-ai nanobot ... or pipx run --spec nanobot-ai nanobot ..., or use the Python executable from the environment where pip installed the package.

🚀 Quick Start

Open nanobot in your browser

nanobot webui

This is the recommended first run. The launcher creates the config and workspace when needed, safely enables the local WebSocket channel after confirmation, starts or joins the shared local gateway, and opens http://127.0.0.1:8765. A fresh install can open before a model is configured, so setup continues in the browser instead of beginning in a JSON file. The first-run WebUI binds to localhost by default and is not exposed to your LAN.

Your first three steps

1. Open Settings → Models and choose a provider, credential, and model.
2. Start a new topic and send Hello! to verify the connection.
3. Before project work, choose the intended workspace and access mode from the composer.

Any normal reply means the provider, model, workspace, and browser gateway are working together.

Keep nanobot running after you close the terminal

nanobot gateway --background

This is the only command that promotes the shared gateway to persistent background mode. It leaves channels and automations running after every local TUI and WebUI launcher exits. Complete first-time model setup with nanobot webui before switching to background mode; open the same localhost WebUI again afterward.

nanobot gateway status
nanobot gateway logs
nanobot gateway restart
nanobot gateway stop

Prefer a gateway-first workflow?

nanobot gateway

This skips WebUI setup and browser opening, then runs the same complete gateway in the current terminal. It is the familiar entry point if you are coming from OpenClaw or already operate agents as long-lived services. The WebUI remains available when its channel is configured; open it manually when needed.

Use nanobot gateway --background for the same direct entry point without keeping the terminal attached. For automatic startup and supervision by the operating system, see Deployment.

Prefer to work entirely in the terminal?

nanobot

This opens the native terminal client with the launch directory as its workspace. It shares saved conversations and the local gateway with the WebUI. The explicit nanobot agent form remains available for compatibility.

• Type / to discover commands, /sessions to switch conversations, or @ to mention an app, MCP server, or saved session.
• Paste clipboard images with Ctrl+V or Alt+V, and use $ to complete skill references.
• Use /diff to inspect file changes, /context to inspect session context, or /branch to continue from a completed reply in a new session.
• Press Enter to send. While nanobot is working, Enter sends now and Tab sends after the current response. Press Shift+Enter to add a newline (Ctrl+J works in terminals that cannot distinguish modified Enter keys).
• Use /detach to leave the current task running, or start with nanobot gateway --background when nanobot should stay online after all local clients exit.

Each launch starts a new session by default. Use --session to resume one and --workspace to choose another workspace. See the CLI reference for session branching, diffs, history, shortcuts, gateway lifecycle, and compatibility options.

For one request and an immediate exit, use:

nanobot -m "Hello!"

The one-shot form is useful for a quick provider check, shell scripts, and local automation. If you have not configured a model yet, run nanobot webui and open Settings → Models first.

Need manual JSON, another device on your LAN, or help with provider/model matching? Continue with Install and Quick Start, WebUI, or Troubleshooting.

If nanobot worked for you, a star on GitHub is the simplest way to support the project.

• Want a pasteable provider setup? See Provider Cookbook
• Want to understand provider/model matching? See Providers and Models
• Want web search, MCP, security settings, or more config options? See Configuration
• Want to run locally? See Ollama, vLLM or another local OpenAI-compatible server, and the full provider reference.
• Want to run nanobot in chat apps like Telegram, Discord, WeChat or Feishu? See Chat Apps
• Want Docker or Linux service deployment? See Deployment

☁️ Deploy

Render — one click

Deploy nanobot's gateway and bundled WebUI from the repository's ready-to-use Blueprint:

Render will ask for ANTHROPIC_API_KEY and a private NANOBOT_WEB_TOKEN, then provision persistent storage for sessions, memory, and WebUI history. Persistent disks require a paid Render service.

Self-host

Prefer your own infrastructure? Follow the deployment guide for Docker, Docker Compose, Linux services, and macOS LaunchAgent setup.

🌐 WebUI

The WebUI ships inside the published wheel with no separate frontend build. It is the browser workbench for persistent topics, temporary chats, visible agent activity, workspace controls, Apps, Skills, Automations, and settings. Start it with nanobot webui.

The screenshots below use example conversations, illustrative token counts, and paused schedules.

Use it to:

• keep separate topics for different tasks and projects;
• use temporary chats when a conversation should not be saved to history or memory;
• inspect reasoning, tool calls, file edits, diffs, command output, and generated artifacts;
• switch models and workspaces without leaving the conversation;
• configure providers and chat channels, connect Apps, discover Skills, and manage Automations from one place.

Keep related work side by side

Group up to four conversations and arrange them in columns, rows, a grid, or a main pane with supporting panes. Each topic keeps its own history. Select another topic from the @ menu, or drag it into the composer, to let the agent read its context and coordinate work across sessions.

Choose a project, access mode, and model for each task. Attach documents or images, then send follow-ups immediately or queue them for the next response. Explore topics and panes →

Inspect the work and its context

Expand agent activity to see reasoning, tool calls, and file changes. Switch Settings → Appearance → File edit display to Diff for inline patches. The composer's context indicator shows the current context size, input tokens by round, and cache reuse when the provider reports it.

Context compaction also appears in the conversation timeline. Explore activity and context →

Bring your tools into the conversation

Use Apps to connect MCP servers, enable Agent Plugins, and manage local CLI App adapters. Add a preset or a custom server, then attach an available tool with @. Skills provide reusable instructions; Settings holds model, voice, image, web, and chat-channel setup.

Explore Apps → · Discover Skills → · Connect chat apps →

Let recurring work run on a schedule

Ask for an automation from the topic that should receive its results. Review the message, schedule, linked chat, and run history in Automations; pause or edit it as your needs change. Local triggers let a script start a saved task on demand.

Keep the gateway running for scheduled delivery. Explore Automations →

For a conversation that should stay out of saved topic history and long-term memory, use Temporary chat from the header. Temporary chats end when the connection closes and use the default workspace in Restricted mode.

See the WebUI guide for LAN access, background operation, workspace controls, and the full feature tour. Working on the frontend itself? Use webui/README.md.

Architecture

🐈 nanobot stays lightweight by centering everything around a small agent loop: messages come in from chat apps, the LLM decides when tools are needed, and memory or skills are pulled in only as context instead of becoming a heavy orchestration layer. That keeps the core path readable and easy to extend, while still letting you add channels, tools, memory, and deployment options without turning the system into a monolith.

Docs

Browse the repo docs for the latest features and GitHub development version, or visit nanobot.wiki for the stable release documentation.

• Use task-oriented guides: Guides
• Start with no technical background: Start Without Technical Background
• Start from zero with developer basics: Install and Quick Start
• Understand the runtime model: Concepts
• Read the source-level map: Architecture
• Choose a provider/model: Providers and Models
• Copy provider setup recipes: Provider Cookbook
• Debug setup and runtime failures: Troubleshooting
• Talk to your nanobot with familiar chat apps: Chat App AI Agent · Chat Apps
• Schedule or trigger agent work: Automations
• Configure providers, web search, MCP, and runtime behavior: Configuration
• Integrate nanobot with local tools and automations: OpenAI-Compatible API · Python SDK
• Run nanobot with Docker or as a Linux service: Deployment

Releases

Latest release: v0.3.0 - The Agency Release

The Agency Release turns nanobot from a durable workbench into an agent runtime that can coordinate helpers, switch models per session, and carry authorized work through to completion.

• Consult inline subagents without leaving the current task
• Switch model presets per session directly from the composer
• Start from a guided WebUI setup with clearer execution controls
• Apply configuration changes live across a more reliable provider, channel, and tool runtime

Read the v0.3.0 release notes

Recent Updates

• 2026-09-05 🧠 Visible context-compaction progress in the WebUI, terminal, and chat channels.
• 2026-09-04 📊 WebUI context usage and cache reuse shown by conversation round.
• 2026-08-29 🖥️ nanobot opens the native terminal agent by default.
• 2026-08-27 📎 Clipboard image attachments in the native terminal.
• 2026-08-19 🔗 Session mentions let agents read and message other saved conversations.
• 2026-08-12 🖥️ A WebUI workbench with grouped conversation panes and adjustable layouts.

For older updates, see the release archive or GitHub releases.

Open Source Partners

🤝 Contribute

Use nanobot for a real task, report what broke, and then pick a focused improvement.

• Read CONTRIBUTING.md for the development workflow.
• Browse open issues for problems to investigate.
• Open a pull request for a focused fix or integration.

Maintainers

Xubin Ren

Yongru Chen

Community Contributors