NextClaw

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Introduction to NextClaw ​

Feature-rich, OpenClaw-compatible · UI-first, lightweight personal AI assistant.

NextClaw is a personal AI gateway you run locally. You talk to it via the CLI or through messaging channels (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, Feishu, and more). The web UI is for configuration only: set your default model, AI providers (API keys, base URLs), and message channels. One command, then configure everything in the browser.

Origins ​

Inspired by OpenClaw and nanobot, NextClaw keeps OpenClaw’s plugin and channel ecosystem while using a smaller codebase and a UI-first workflow. Code size is tracked daily against OpenClaw (see code volume metrics); NextClaw is roughly 3.84% of OpenClaw’s codebase (about 26k vs 676k lines), so “lightweight” is measurable.

Why NextClaw? ​

AdvantageDescription
Feature-richMulti-provider, multi-channel, cron/heartbeat, web search, exec, memory, subagents — aligned with OpenClaw where it matters.
OpenClaw compatibleSame plugin SDK and channel plugin format; built-in channel plugins (Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, etc.) are OpenClaw-style and configurable the same way.
Easier to useOne command (nextclaw start), then configure everything in the built-in UI. No complex CLI workflows or separate daemon.
MaintainableRuntime capabilities stay focused on built-ins, reducing hidden coupling and long-term maintenance cost.
LightweightEvolved from nanobot; minimal codebase, fast to run and maintain.

Best for: quick trials, secondary machines, or anyone who wants multi-channel and multi-provider with low maintenance overhead.

Core Capabilities ​

One-command start and config UI ​

  • nextclaw start — background gateway + config UI (default: http://127.0.0.1:18791, bindable to 0.0.0.0).
  • UI tabs: Models (default model and parameters), Providers (API keys and endpoints), Channels (enable and set credentials).

Multi-provider ​

OpenRouter, OpenAI, Anthropic, MiniMax, Moonshot, Gemini, DeepSeek, DashScope, Zhipu, Groq, vLLM, AiHubMix, and any OpenAI-compatible endpoint via apiBase and apiKey.

Multi-channel ​

Telegram, Discord, Slack, Feishu, DingTalk, WeCom, WhatsApp, Email, QQ, Mochat — enable and configure from the UI. Group policies, mentions, and allowlists are supported (OpenClaw-aligned).

Automation ​

  • Cron: one-shot, cron expression, or fixed interval; optional delivery to a channel.
  • Heartbeat: periodic read of workspace HEARTBEAT.md with tasks executed by the agent.

Built-in tools ​

File read/write/edit, list directory, exec, web search, web fetch, send message, spawn subagent, session list/history/send, memory search, gateway config and ops, cron management, and more.

Multi-agent and routing ​

Single process, multiple agents (agents.list). Route by channel + accountId (and optionally peer) via bindings to different agentId. Session isolation with session.dmScope (main, per-peer, per-channel-peer, per-account-channel-peer). See Multi-Agent Routing.

Plugins and Skills ​

OpenClaw-format plugins (including channel plugins) from local paths or npm. Skills from ClawHub: nextclaw skills install <slug>; workspace skills/ and context injection. See Configuration and Commands.

Architecture (high level) ​

  • Single gateway process: channel ingress, routing, sessions, agent pool, tools, and memory in one process for simpler observability and restart.
  • Config: ~/.nextclaw/config.json. Many keys (providers, channels, agents.defaults, context, tools) hot-reload without restart.
  • Packages: nextclaw (CLI), nextclaw-core (agent loop, providers, tools, cron, session, memory), nextclaw-server (HTTP/WebSocket for UI and channels), nextclaw-ui (config UI), nextclaw-openclaw-compat (plugin SDK), nextclaw-channel-runtime and nextclaw-channel-plugin-* (channel runtime and plugins).

Quick start ​

bash
npm i -g nextclaw
nextclaw start

Open http://127.0.0.1:18791 in your browser and set a provider (e.g. OpenRouter) and model. Stop with nextclaw stop.

Learn more ​

Released under the MIT License.

Copyright © 2026-present NextClaw