Skip to Content
👋 Welcome to HowToUseMoltbot Quick Start
CLI ReferenceOverview

CLI reference

This page describes the current CLI behavior. If commands change, update this doc.

Command pages

Global flags

  • --dev: isolate state under ~/.clawdbot-dev and shift default ports.
  • --profile <name>: isolate state under ~/.clawdbot-<name>.
  • --no-color: disable ANSI colors.
  • --update: shorthand for moltbot update (source installs only).
  • -V, --version, -v: print version and exit.

Output styling

  • ANSI colors and progress indicators only render in TTY sessions.
  • OSC-8 hyperlinks render as clickable links in supported terminals; otherwise we fall back to plain URLs.
  • --json (and --plain where supported) disables styling for clean output.
  • --no-color disables ANSI styling; NO_COLOR=1 is also respected.
  • Long-running commands show a progress indicator (OSC 9;4 when supported).

Color palette

Moltbot uses a lobster palette for CLI output.

  • accent (#FF5A2D): headings, labels, primary highlights.
  • accentBright (#FF7A3D): command names, emphasis.
  • accentDim (#D14A22): secondary highlight text.
  • info (#FF8A5B): informational values.
  • success (#2FBF71): success states.
  • warn (#FFB020): warnings, fallbacks, attention.
  • error (#E23D2D): errors, failures.
  • muted (#8B7F77): de-emphasis, metadata.

Palette source of truth: src/terminal/palette.ts (aka “lobster seam”).

Command tree

moltbot [--dev] [--profile <name>] <command>
  setup
  onboard
  configure
  config
    get
    set
    unset
  doctor
  security
    audit
  reset
  uninstall
  update
  channels
    list
    status
    logs
    add
    remove
    login
    logout
  skills
    list
    info
    check
  plugins
    list
    info
    install
    enable
    disable
    doctor
  memory
    status
    index
    search
  message
  agent
  agents
    list
    add
    delete
  acp
  status
  health
  sessions
  gateway
    call
    health
    status
    probe
    discover
    install
    uninstall
    start
    stop
    restart
    run
  logs
  system
    event
    heartbeat last|enable|disable
    presence
  models
    list
    status
    set
    set-image
    aliases list|add|remove
    fallbacks list|add|remove|clear
    image-fallbacks list|add|remove|clear
    scan
    auth add|setup-token|paste-token
    auth order get|set|clear
  sandbox
    list
    recreate
    explain
  cron
    status
    list
    add
    edit
    rm
    enable
    disable
    runs
    run
  nodes
  devices
  node
    run
    status
    install
    uninstall
    start
    stop
    restart
  approvals
    get
    set
    allowlist add|remove
  browser
    status
    start
    stop
    reset-profile
    tabs
    open
    focus
    close
    profiles
    create-profile
    delete-profile
    screenshot
    snapshot
    navigate
    resize
    click
    type
    press
    hover
    drag
    select
    upload
    fill
    dialog
    wait
    evaluate
    console
    pdf
  hooks
    list
    info
    check
    enable
    disable
    install
    update
  webhooks
    gmail setup|run
  pairing
    list
    approve
  docs
  dns
    setup
  tui

Note: plugins can add additional top-level commands (for example moltbot voicecall).

Security

  • moltbot security audit — audit config + local state for common security foot-guns.
  • moltbot security audit --deep — best-effort live Gateway probe.
  • moltbot security audit --fix — tighten safe defaults and chmod state/config.

Plugins

Manage extensions and their config:

  • moltbot plugins list — discover plugins (use --json for machine output).
  • moltbot plugins info <id> — show details for a plugin.
  • moltbot plugins install <path|.tgz|npm-spec> — install a plugin (or add a plugin path to plugins.load.paths).
  • moltbot plugins enable <id> / disable <id> — toggle plugins.entries.<id>.enabled.
  • moltbot plugins doctor — report plugin load errors.

Most plugin changes require a gateway restart. See /plugin.

Memory

Vector search over MEMORY.md + memory/*.md:

  • moltbot memory status — show index stats.
  • moltbot memory index — reindex memory files.
  • moltbot memory search "<query>" — semantic search over memory.

Chat slash commands

Chat messages support /... commands (text and native). See /tools/slash-commands.Highlights:

  • /status for quick diagnostics.
  • /config for persisted config changes.
  • /debug for runtime-only config overrides (memory, not disk; requires commands.debug: true).

Setup + onboarding

setup

Initialize config + workspace.Options:

  • --workspace <dir>: agent workspace path (default ~/clawd).
  • --wizard: run the onboarding wizard.
  • --non-interactive: run wizard without prompts.
  • --mode <local|remote>: wizard mode.
  • --remote-url <url>: remote Gateway URL.
  • --remote-token <token>: remote Gateway token.

Wizard auto-runs when any wizard flags are present (--non-interactive, --mode, --remote-url, --remote-token).

onboard

Interactive wizard to set up gateway, workspace, and skills.Options:

  • --workspace <dir>
  • --reset (reset config + credentials + sessions + workspace before wizard)
  • --non-interactive
  • --mode <local|remote>
  • --flow <quickstart|advanced|manual> (manual is an alias for advanced)
  • --auth-choice <setup-token|token|chutes|openai-codex|openai-api-key|openrouter-api-key|ai-gateway-api-key|moonshot-api-key|kimi-code-api-key|synthetic-api-key|venice-api-key|gemini-api-key|zai-api-key|apiKey|minimax-api|minimax-api-lightning|opencode-zen|skip>
  • --token-provider <id> (non-interactive; used with --auth-choice token)
  • --token <token> (non-interactive; used with --auth-choice token)
  • --token-profile-id <id> (non-interactive; default: <provider>:manual)
  • --token-expires-in <duration> (non-interactive; e.g. 365d, 12h)
  • --anthropic-api-key <key>
  • --openai-api-key <key>
  • --openrouter-api-key <key>
  • --ai-gateway-api-key <key>
  • --moonshot-api-key <key>
  • --kimi-code-api-key <key>
  • --gemini-api-key <key>
  • --zai-api-key <key>
  • --minimax-api-key <key>
  • --opencode-zen-api-key <key>
  • --gateway-port <port>
  • --gateway-bind <loopback|lan|tailnet|auto|custom>
  • --gateway-auth <token|password>
  • --gateway-token <token>
  • --gateway-password <password>
  • --remote-url <url>
  • --remote-token <token>
  • --tailscale <off|serve|funnel>
  • --tailscale-reset-on-exit
  • --install-daemon
  • --no-install-daemon (alias: --skip-daemon)
  • --daemon-runtime <node|bun>
  • --skip-channels
  • --skip-skills
  • --skip-health
  • --skip-ui
  • --node-manager <npm|pnpm|bun> (pnpm recommended; bun not recommended for Gateway runtime)
  • --json

configure

Interactive configuration wizard (models, channels, skills, gateway).

config

Non-interactive config helpers (get/set/unset). Running moltbot config with no subcommand launches the wizard.Subcommands:

  • config get <path>: print a config value (dot/bracket path).
  • config set <path> <value>: set a value (JSON5 or raw string).
  • config unset <path>: remove a value.

doctor

Health checks + quick fixes (config + gateway + legacy services).Options:

  • --no-workspace-suggestions: disable workspace memory hints.
  • --yes: accept defaults without prompting (headless).
  • --non-interactive: skip prompts; apply safe migrations only.
  • --deep: scan system services for extra gateway installs.

Channel helpers

channels

Manage chat channel accounts (WhatsApp/Telegram/Discord/Google Chat/Slack/Mattermost (plugin)/Signal/iMessage/MS Teams).Subcommands:

  • channels list: show configured channels and auth profiles.
  • channels status: check gateway reachability and channel health (--probe runs extra checks; use moltbot health or moltbot status --deep for gateway health probes).
  • Tip: channels status prints warnings with suggested fixes when it can detect common misconfigurations (then points you to moltbot doctor).
  • channels logs: show recent channel logs from the gateway log file.
  • channels add: wizard-style setup when no flags are passed; flags switch to non-interactive mode.
  • channels remove: disable by default; pass --delete to remove config entries without prompts.
  • channels login: interactive channel login (WhatsApp Web only).
  • channels logout: log out of a channel session (if supported).

Common options:

  • --channel <name>: whatsapp|telegram|discord|googlechat|slack|mattermost|signal|imessage|msteams
  • --account <id>: channel account id (default default)
  • --name <label>: display name for the account

channels login options:

  • --channel <channel> (default whatsapp; supports whatsapp/web)
  • --account <id>
  • --verbose

channels logout options:

  • --channel <channel> (default whatsapp)
  • --account <id>

channels list options:

  • --no-usage: skip model provider usage/quota snapshots (OAuth/API-backed only).
  • --json: output JSON (includes usage unless --no-usage is set).

channels logs options:

  • --channel <name|all> (default all)
  • --lines <n> (default 200)
  • --json

More detail: /concepts/oauthExamples:

moltbot channels add --channel telegram --account alerts --name "Alerts Bot" --token $TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN
moltbot channels add --channel discord --account work --name "Work Bot" --token $DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN
moltbot channels remove --channel discord --account work --delete
moltbot channels status --probe
moltbot status --deep

skills

List and inspect available skills plus readiness info.Subcommands:

  • skills list: list skills (default when no subcommand).
  • skills info <name>: show details for one skill.
  • skills check: summary of ready vs missing requirements.

Options:

  • --eligible: show only ready skills.
  • --json: output JSON (no styling).
  • -v, --verbose: include missing requirements detail.

Tip: use npx clawdhub to search, install, and sync skills.

pairing

Approve DM pairing requests across channels.Subcommands:

  • pairing list <channel> [--json]
  • pairing approve <channel> <code> [--notify]

webhooks gmail

Gmail Pub/Sub hook setup + runner. See /automation/gmail-pubsub.Subcommands:

  • webhooks gmail setup (requires --account <email>; supports --project, --topic, --subscription, --label, --hook-url, --hook-token, --push-token, --bind, --port, --path, --include-body, --max-bytes, --renew-minutes, --tailscale, --tailscale-path, --tailscale-target, --push-endpoint, --json)
  • webhooks gmail run (runtime overrides for the same flags)

dns setup

Wide-area discovery DNS helper (CoreDNS + Tailscale). See /gateway/discovery.Options:

  • --apply: install/update CoreDNS config (requires sudo; macOS only).

Messaging + agent

message

Unified outbound messaging + channel actions. See: message. Subcommands:

  • message send|poll|react|reactions|read|edit|delete|pin|unpin|pins|permissions|search|timeout|kick|ban
  • message thread <create|list|reply>
  • message emoji <list|upload>
  • message sticker <send|upload>
  • message role <info|add|remove>
  • message channel <info|list>
  • message member info
  • message voice status
  • message event <list|create>

Examples:

  • moltbot message send --target +15555550123 --message "Hi"
  • moltbot message poll --channel discord --target channel:123 --poll-question "Snack?" --poll-option Pizza --poll-option Sushi

agent

Run one agent turn via the Gateway (or --local embedded).Required:

  • --message <text>

Options:

  • --to <dest> (for session key and optional delivery)
  • --session-id <id>
  • --thinking <off|minimal|low|medium|high|xhigh> (GPT-5.2 + Codex models only)
  • --verbose <on|full|off>
  • --channel <whatsapp|telegram|discord|slack|mattermost|signal|imessage|msteams>
  • --local
  • --deliver
  • --json
  • --timeout <seconds>

agents

Manage isolated agents (workspaces + auth + routing).

agents list

List configured agents.Options:

  • --json
  • --bindings

agents add [name]

Add a new isolated agent. Runs the guided wizard unless flags (or --non-interactive) are passed; --workspace is required in non-interactive mode.Options:

  • --workspace <dir>
  • --model <id>
  • --agent-dir <dir>
  • --bind <channel[:accountId]> (repeatable)
  • --non-interactive
  • --json

Binding specs use channel[:accountId]. When accountId is omitted for WhatsApp, the default account id is used.

agents delete <id>

Delete an agent and prune its workspace + state.Options:

  • --force
  • --json

acp

Run the ACP bridge that connects IDEs to the Gateway. See acp for full options and examples.

status

Show linked session health and recent recipients.Options:

  • --json
  • --all (full diagnosis; read-only, pasteable)
  • --deep (probe channels)
  • --usage (show model provider usage/quota)
  • --timeout <ms>
  • --verbose
  • --debug (alias for --verbose)

Notes:

  • Overview includes Gateway + node host service status when available.

Usage tracking

Moltbot can surface provider usage/quota when OAuth/API creds are available.Surfaces:

  • /status (adds a short provider usage line when available)
  • moltbot status --usage (prints full provider breakdown)
  • macOS menu bar (Usage section under Context)

Notes:

  • Data comes directly from provider usage endpoints (no estimates).
  • Providers: Anthropic, GitHub Copilot, OpenAI Codex OAuth, plus Gemini CLI/Antigravity when those provider plugins are enabled.
  • If no matching credentials exist, usage is hidden.
  • Details: see Usage tracking.

health

Fetch health from the running Gateway.Options:

  • --json
  • --timeout <ms>
  • --verbose

sessions

List stored conversation sessions.Options:

  • --json
  • --verbose
  • --store <path>
  • --active <minutes>

Reset / Uninstall

reset

Reset local config/state (keeps the CLI installed).Options:

  • --scope <config|config+creds+sessions|full>
  • --yes
  • --non-interactive
  • --dry-run

Notes:

  • --non-interactive requires --scope and --yes.

uninstall

Uninstall the gateway service + local data (CLI remains).Options:

  • --service
  • --state
  • --workspace
  • --app
  • --all
  • --yes
  • --non-interactive
  • --dry-run

Notes:

  • --non-interactive requires --yes and explicit scopes (or --all).

Gateway

gateway

Run the WebSocket Gateway.Options:

  • --port <port>
  • --bind <loopback|tailnet|lan|auto|custom>
  • --token <token>
  • --auth <token|password>
  • --password <password>
  • --tailscale <off|serve|funnel>
  • --tailscale-reset-on-exit
  • --allow-unconfigured
  • --dev
  • --reset (reset dev config + credentials + sessions + workspace)
  • --force (kill existing listener on port)
  • --verbose
  • --claude-cli-logs
  • --ws-log <auto|full|compact>
  • --compact (alias for --ws-log compact)
  • --raw-stream
  • --raw-stream-path <path>

gateway service

Manage the Gateway service (launchd/systemd/schtasks).Subcommands:

  • gateway status (probes the Gateway RPC by default)
  • gateway install (service install)
  • gateway uninstall
  • gateway start
  • gateway stop
  • gateway restart

Notes:

  • gateway status probes the Gateway RPC by default using the service’s resolved port/config (override with --url/--token/--password).
  • gateway status supports --no-probe, --deep, and --json for scripting.
  • gateway status also surfaces legacy or extra gateway services when it can detect them (--deep adds system-level scans). Profile-named Moltbot services are treated as first-class and aren’t flagged as “extra”.
  • gateway status prints which config path the CLI uses vs which config the service likely uses (service env), plus the resolved probe target URL.
  • gateway install|uninstall|start|stop|restart support --json for scripting (default output stays human-friendly).
  • gateway install defaults to Node runtime; bun is not recommended (WhatsApp/Telegram bugs).
  • gateway install options: --port, --runtime, --token, --force, --json.

logs

Tail Gateway file logs via RPC. Notes:

  • TTY sessions render a colorized, structured view; non-TTY falls back to plain text.
  • --json emits line-delimited JSON (one log event per line).

Examples:

moltbot logs --follow
moltbot logs --limit 200
moltbot logs --plain
moltbot logs --json
moltbot logs --no-color

gateway <subcommand>

Gateway CLI helpers (use --url, --token, --password, --timeout, --expect-final for RPC subcommands).Subcommands:

  • gateway call <method> [--params <json>]
  • gateway health
  • gateway status
  • gateway probe
  • gateway discover
  • gateway install|uninstall|start|stop|restart
  • gateway run

Common RPCs:

  • config.apply (validate + write config + restart + wake)
  • config.patch (merge a partial update + restart + wake)
  • update.run (run update + restart + wake)

Tip: when calling config.set/config.apply/config.patch directly, pass baseHash from config.get if a config already exists.

Models

See /concepts/models for fallback behavior and scanning strategy.Preferred Anthropic auth (setup-token):

claude setup-token
moltbot models auth setup-token --provider anthropic
moltbot models status

models (root)

moltbot models is an alias for models status.Root options:

  • --status-json (alias for models status --json)
  • --status-plain (alias for models status --plain)

models list

Options:

  • --all
  • --local
  • --provider <name>
  • --json
  • --plain

models status

Options:

  • --json
  • --plain
  • --check (exit 1=expired/missing, 2=expiring)
  • --probe (live probe of configured auth profiles)
  • --probe-provider <name>
  • --probe-profile <id> (repeat or comma-separated)
  • --probe-timeout <ms>
  • --probe-concurrency <n>
  • --probe-max-tokens <n>

Always includes the auth overview and OAuth expiry status for profiles in the auth store. --probe runs live requests (may consume tokens and trigger rate limits).

models set <model>

Set agents.defaults.model.primary.

models set-image <model>

Set agents.defaults.imageModel.primary.

models aliases list|add|remove

Options:

  • list: --json, --plain
  • add <alias> <model>
  • remove <alias>

models fallbacks list|add|remove|clear

Options:

  • list: --json, --plain
  • add <model>
  • remove <model>
  • clear

models image-fallbacks list|add|remove|clear

Options:

  • list: --json, --plain
  • add <model>
  • remove <model>
  • clear

models scan

Options:

  • --min-params <b>
  • --max-age-days <days>
  • --provider <name>
  • --max-candidates <n>
  • --timeout <ms>
  • --concurrency <n>
  • --no-probe
  • --yes
  • --no-input
  • --set-default
  • --set-image
  • --json

models auth add|setup-token|paste-token

Options:

  • add: interactive auth helper
  • setup-token: --provider <name> (default anthropic), --yes
  • paste-token: --provider <name>, --profile-id <id>, --expires-in <duration>

models auth order get|set|clear

Options:

  • get: --provider <name>, --agent <id>, --json
  • set: --provider <name>, --agent <id>, <profileIds...>
  • clear: --provider <name>, --agent <id>

System

system event

Enqueue a system event and optionally trigger a heartbeat (Gateway RPC).Required:

  • --text <text>

Options:

  • --mode <now|next-heartbeat>
  • --json
  • --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

system heartbeat last|enable|disable

Heartbeat controls (Gateway RPC).Options:

  • --json
  • --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

system presence

List system presence entries (Gateway RPC).Options:

  • --json
  • --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final

Cron

Manage scheduled jobs (Gateway RPC). See /automation/cron-jobs.Subcommands:

  • cron status [--json]
  • cron list [--all] [--json] (table output by default; use --json for raw)
  • cron add (alias: create; requires --name and exactly one of --at | --every | --cron, and exactly one payload of --system-event | --message)
  • cron edit <id> (patch fields)
  • cron rm <id> (aliases: remove, delete)
  • cron enable <id>
  • cron disable <id>
  • cron runs --id <id> [--limit <n>]
  • cron run <id> [--force]

All cron commands accept --url, --token, --timeout, --expect-final.

Node host

node runs a headless node host or manages it as a background service. See moltbot node.Subcommands:

  • node run --host <gateway-host> --port 18789
  • node status
  • node install [--host <gateway-host>] [--port <port>] [--tls] [--tls-fingerprint <sha256>] [--node-id <id>] [--display-name <name>] [--runtime <node|bun>] [--force]
  • node uninstall
  • node stop
  • node restart

Nodes

nodes talks to the Gateway and targets paired nodes. See /nodes.Common options:

  • --url, --token, --timeout, --json

Subcommands:

  • nodes status [--connected] [--last-connected <duration>]
  • nodes describe --node <id|name|ip>
  • nodes list [--connected] [--last-connected <duration>]
  • nodes pending
  • nodes approve <requestId>
  • nodes reject <requestId>
  • nodes rename --node <id|name|ip> --name <displayName>
  • nodes invoke --node <id|name|ip> --command <command> [--params <json>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>] [--idempotency-key <key>]
  • nodes run --node <id|name|ip> [--cwd <path>] [--env KEY=VAL] [--command-timeout <ms>] [--needs-screen-recording] [--invoke-timeout <ms>] <command...> (mac node or headless node host)
  • nodes notify --node <id|name|ip> [--title <text>] [--body <text>] [--sound <name>] [--priority <passive|active|timeSensitive>] [--delivery <system|overlay|auto>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>] (mac only)

Camera:

  • nodes camera list --node <id|name|ip>
  • nodes camera snap --node <id|name|ip> [--facing front|back|both] [--device-id <id>] [--max-width <px>] [--quality (need 0+-1>] [--delay-ms <ms>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes camera clip --node <id|name|ip> [--facing front|back] [--device-id <id>] [--duration <ms|10s|1m>] [--no-audio] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Canvas + screen:

  • nodes canvas snapshot --node <id|name|ip> [--format png|jpg|jpeg] [--max-width <px>] [--quality (need 0+-1>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas present --node <id|name|ip> [--target <urlOrPath>] [--x <px>] [--y <px>] [--width <px>] [--height <px>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas hide --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas navigate <url> --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas eval [<js>] --node <id|name|ip> [--js <code>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas a2ui push --node <id|name|ip> (--jsonl <path> | --text <text>) [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes canvas a2ui reset --node <id|name|ip> [--invoke-timeout <ms>]
  • nodes screen record --node <id|name|ip> [--screen <index>] [--duration <ms|10s>] [--fps <n>] [--no-audio] [--out <path>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Location:

  • nodes location get --node <id|name|ip> [--max-age <ms>] [--accuracy <coarse|balanced|precise>] [--location-timeout <ms>] [--invoke-timeout <ms>]

Browser

Browser control CLI (dedicated Chrome/Brave/Edge/Chromium). See moltbot browser and the Browser tool. Common options:

  • --url, --token, --timeout, --json
  • --browser-profile <name>

Manage:

  • browser status
  • browser start
  • browser stop
  • browser reset-profile
  • browser tabs
  • browser open <url>
  • browser focus <targetId>
  • browser close [targetId]
  • browser profiles
  • browser create-profile --name <name> [--color <hex>] [--cdp-url <url>]
  • browser delete-profile --name <name>

Inspect:

  • browser screenshot [targetId] [--full-page] [--ref <ref>] [--element <selector>] [--type png|jpeg]
  • browser snapshot [--format aria|ai] [--target-id <id>] [--limit <n>] [--interactive] [--compact] [--depth <n>] [--selector <sel>] [--out <path>]

Actions:

  • browser navigate <url> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser resize <width> <height> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser click <ref> [--double] [--button <left|right|middle>] [--modifiers <csv>] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser type <ref> <text> [--submit] [--slowly] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser press <key> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser hover <ref> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser drag <startRef> <endRef> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser select <ref> <values...> [--target-id <id>]
  • browser upload <paths...> [--ref <ref>] [--input-ref <ref>] [--element <selector>] [--target-id <id>] [--timeout-ms <ms>]
  • browser fill [--fields <json>] [--fields-file <path>] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser dialog --accept|--dismiss [--prompt <text>] [--target-id <id>] [--timeout-ms <ms>]
  • browser wait [--time <ms>] [--text <value>] [--text-gone <value>] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser evaluate --fn <code> [--ref <ref>] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser console [--level <error|warn|info>] [--target-id <id>]
  • browser pdf [--target-id <id>]

docs [query...]

Search the live docs index.

TUI

tui

Open the terminal UI connected to the Gateway.Options:

  • --url <url>
  • --token <token>
  • --password <password>
  • --session <key>
  • --deliver
  • --thinking <level>
  • --message <text>
  • --timeout-ms <ms> (defaults to agents.defaults.timeoutSeconds)
  • --history-limit <n>
Last updated on:
HooksLogs