Clawbot Developer Guide | GitHub Open Source Project, API Docs & Community Resources

Clawbot Developer Guide | GitHub Open Source Project, API Docs & Community Resources

Clawbot's Open Source Strategy

💡 Key Takeaway: Clawbot is not just a product -- it is also an open source project. If you are a developer who wants to customize features, contribute code, or integrate Clawbot into your own system, this guide will help you get started quickly.

For a foundational introduction to Clawbot, check out the Clawbot / OpenClaw Complete Guide to understand the product positioning and core features before diving into the developer documentation.

GitHub Repository Structure

The Clawbot GitHub organization hosts multiple repos, each responsible for a different module:

Main directory structure (using clawbot/core as an example):

clawbot/core/
├── src/
│   ├── agent/          # AI Agent logic
│   ├── browser/        # Browser control layer
│   ├── scheduler/      # Task scheduling
│   ├── api/            # REST API endpoints
│   └── utils/          # Shared utilities
├── tests/              # Test code
├── docs/               # Internal documentation
├── package.json
├── tsconfig.json
└── README.md

Licensing and Terms of Use

Clawbot's core engine and Browser Relay are licensed under Apache 2.0, which means you can:

• Freely use, modify, and distribute the software
• Use it in commercial projects
• Keep your modifications private (though contributing back to the community is encouraged)

Note: Some advanced features (such as the enterprise Dashboard and priority technical support) are part of the commercial edition and are not included in the open source license.

Open Source vs. Commercial Edition

For most individual developers and small teams, the open source edition is more than sufficient. Consider the commercial edition when you need team collaboration and SLA guarantees.

Illustration 1: GitHub Repository page

Development Environment Setup

Local Development Environment Configuration

To run the Clawbot source code locally, you will need the following tools:

Required Tools:

Setup Steps:

# 1. Clone repo
git clone https://github.com/clawbot/core.git
cd core

# 2. Install dependencies
pnpm install

# 3. Copy the environment variables template
cp .env.example .env

# 4. Edit .env and fill in the required settings
# CLAWBOT_API_KEY=your_key
# BROWSER_PATH=/path/to/chrome

# 5. Start the development server
pnpm dev

After a successful startup, the API server will be available at http://localhost:3000 by default, and the Dashboard at http://localhost:3001.

Before setting up the development environment, it is recommended to complete the basic installation first to confirm that Clawbot runs properly on your system.

Building from Source

If you need to create a custom production build:

# Build all modules
pnpm build

# Build a specific module only
pnpm build --filter=@clawbot/core
pnpm build --filter=@clawbot/browser-relay

# Run tests
pnpm test

# Run lint checks
pnpm lint

Common Build Issues:

• Out of memory: The default Node.js memory allocation may not be enough during compilation. Add NODE_OPTIONS=--max-old-space-size=4096
• TypeScript version conflict: Make sure you are using the TypeScript version specified in the repo, not a globally installed one
• Chrome path not found: Explicitly specify the Chrome executable path in your .env file

Developer Tools and CLI

The Clawbot CLI is the most commonly used tool for developers, allowing you to operate Clawbot directly from the terminal.

Install the CLI:

npm install -g @clawbot/cli

Common Commands:

# Initialize a new project
clawbot init my-automation

# Run a task
clawbot run task.json

# Execute a single browser operation
clawbot exec "go to https://example.com and screenshot"

# Check task status
clawbot status

# Enable debug mode (show browser window)
clawbot run task.json --headed

# Run tests
clawbot test task.json

Debug mode is especially useful: with the --headed flag, Browser Relay will display the browser window so you can watch what the AI Agent is doing in real time.

Looking to integrate Clawbot into your existing system architecture? Book a free architecture consultation and let our experts help you plan your integration strategy.

API Documentation and Integration Development

REST API Overview

The Clawbot API follows RESTful design principles, with all responses in JSON format.

API Categories:

• Tasks API: Create, query, update, and delete automation tasks
• Browser Relay API: Control browser instances and execute operations
• Dashboard API: Retrieve statistics and execution logs
• Webhook API: Configure and manage webhook callbacks

Authentication and Permission Management

All API requests require an API Key in the header:

Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY

API Key Security Best Practices:

• Use a separate API Key for each application or service
• Set minimum permission scopes (e.g., a key that can only read but not create tasks)
• Never hardcode API Keys in your source code -- use environment variables instead
• Rotate keys periodically (every 90 days is recommended)
• Monitor key usage in the Dashboard

Common API Endpoint Examples

Example 1: Create a Task (cURL)

curl -X POST https://api.clawbot.io/v1/tasks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "name": "Daily Price Check",
    "type": "browser_relay",
    "target_url": "https://example.com/products",
    "actions": [
      {"type": "waitForSelector", "selector": ".price-list"},
      {"type": "extract", "selector": ".product-item", "fields": {
        "name": ".product-name",
        "price": ".product-price"
      }}
    ],
    "schedule": "0 9 * * *"
  }'

Example 2: Query Task Status (Python)

import requests

API_KEY = "YOUR_API_KEY"
TASK_ID = "task_abc123"

response = requests.get(
    f"https://api.clawbot.io/v1/tasks/{TASK_ID}",
    headers={"Authorization": f"Bearer {API_KEY}"}
)

task = response.json()
print(f"Status: {task['status']}")
print(f"Last run: {task['last_run_at']}")
print(f"Results: {task['results']}")

Example 3: Trigger a Browser Relay Operation (Node.js)

const axios = require('axios');

const API_KEY = process.env.CLAWBOT_API_KEY;

async function takeScreenshot(url) {
  const response = await axios.post(
    'https://api.clawbot.io/v1/browser/screenshot',
    {
      url: url,
      viewport: { width: 1920, height: 1080 },
      fullPage: true
    },
    {
      headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer ${API_KEY}` }
    }
  );

  console.log('Screenshot URL:', response.data.screenshot_url);
  return response.data;
}

takeScreenshot('https://example.com');

Example 4: Set Up a Webhook (cURL)

curl -X POST https://api.clawbot.io/v1/webhooks \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "url": "https://your-server.com/webhook/clawbot",
    "events": ["task.completed", "task.failed"],
    "secret": "your_webhook_secret"
  }'

Illustration 2: Developer writing API integration code in VS Code

Need Enterprise-Grade API Integration Architecture?

From a single API integration to multi-system automation workflows, architecture design determines your system's stability and scalability.

How Can CloudSwap Help You?

• API Integration Architecture Design: Planning the integration between the Clawbot API and your existing enterprise systems
• Microservices Architecture Consulting: Breaking down automation workflows into maintainable microservices
• Monitoring and Alerting Design: Ensuring your automation workflows run reliably 24/7

Book a Free Architecture Design Consultation

Community and Contribution Guide

How to Report Bugs

Found a bug? Report it on GitHub Issues. To help maintainers understand the problem quickly, please use the Issue Template:

Bug Report Required Fields:

1. Environment Information: Operating system, Node.js version, Clawbot version
2. Steps to Reproduce: Describe step by step how to trigger the bug
3. Expected Behavior: What you expected to happen
4. Actual Behavior: What actually happened
5. Error Messages: Complete error log or screenshots
6. Related Code: A Minimal Reproducible Example

The more clearly you describe the issue, the faster it can be fixed.

How to Submit a Pull Request

Want to contribute code? You are welcome to! Here is the process:

1. Fork the official repo
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/my-feature
3. Write your code and tests
4. Ensure all tests pass: pnpm test
5. Ensure lint passes: pnpm lint
6. Submit a PR and fill out the PR Template
7. Wait for Code Review
8. Address review feedback
9. Merge!

PR Guidelines:

• Each PR should do one thing only -- avoid mixing multiple feature changes
• New features must include tests
• Follow the existing code style (ESLint + Prettier configurations are already included in the repo)
• Update relevant documentation

Community Discussion Channels

The Discord server has official developers and active community members, and you can typically get a response within a few hours.

Illustration 3: Developers chatting in the Discord community

Clawbot Developer FAQ

Where is the Clawbot GitHub?

The Clawbot GitHub organization page is at github.com/clawbot, which hosts multiple repos underneath.

Note: You may come across older repos related to openclaw or moltbot in search results. Some legacy repos have been archived, and their READMEs will indicate "Migrated to clawbot" with a link to the new repo. It is recommended to go directly to github.com/clawbot to find the latest code.

Can I use it commercially?

Yes. The open source edition uses the Apache 2.0 license, which explicitly permits commercial use.

However, keep in mind:

• When using the open source edition, you must retain the original license notice and copyright information
• Features exclusive to the commercial edition (enterprise Dashboard, priority support) require a separate license purchase
• If you modify the source code and distribute it, you must document what you changed

How do I migrate from the legacy MoltBot / OpenClaw repos?

If you previously forked the MoltBot or OpenClaw repos, here are the migration steps:

# 1. Add the new remote
git remote add clawbot https://github.com/clawbot/core.git

# 2. Fetch the new repo
git fetch clawbot

# 3. Create a new branch based on the latest Clawbot main
git checkout -b migration clawbot/main

# 4. Cherry-pick your custom modifications
git cherry-pick <your-commit-hash>

# 5. Resolve conflicts, test, and commit

Key Breaking Changes:

• Package names changed from @openclaw/* to @clawbot/*
• Some API endpoint paths have changed (/v0 to /v1)
• Environment variable prefixes changed from OPENCLAW_ to CLAWBOT_

A detailed migration guide is available at github.com/clawbot/core/blob/main/MIGRATION.md.

Want to see real-world applications? Check out the Clawbot AI Agent Automation Tutorial to learn how to build automation workflows using Browser Relay and N8N.

Illustration 4: Terminal executing Git migration commands

Join the Clawbot Developer Community

As an open source project, the community is the driving force behind Clawbot's continued evolution. Whether you are reporting bugs, submitting PRs, or answering newcomer questions on Discord, every contribution matters.

Further Reading

• What is Clawbot? 5 Core Features Overview
• Clawbot AI Agent Automation Hands-On Tutorial
• Clawbot Installation Guide | Cross-Platform Setup

Free Consultation: Clawbot Enterprise Integration and Architecture Design

If you are currently:

• Integrating Clawbot into your enterprise systems
• Designing a microservices architecture for automation
• Looking for API integration and deployment advice

Book a Free Consultation -- you will receive a response within 24 hours. All consultation content is kept strictly confidential, with absolutely no sales pressure.

References

1. Clawbot GitHub, "Core Repository README" (2026)
2. Clawbot Official Documentation, "REST API Reference v1" (2026)
3. Apache Software Foundation, "Apache License 2.0"
4. GitHub Docs, "Contributing to projects" (2025)
5. Node.js Official Documentation, "Getting Started Guide" (2026)

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