> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.myclaw.cc/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Create a Bot

> Walk through the 5-step bot creation wizard

Creating a bot deploys a dedicated OpenClaw instance on MyClaw's infrastructure. The process takes about 60 seconds end-to-end.

## Before you start

* You need a MyClaw account ([sign up free](https://myclaw.cc/sign-up))
* You need an API key from your chosen AI provider
* Free plan supports 1 bot; [upgrade to Pro](/billing/plans) for up to 10

## Step 1 — Bot Basics

From the **Dashboard**, click **New Bot**.

| Field        | Description                                              |
| ------------ | -------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Name**     | Human-readable display name (1–64 chars)                 |
| **URL Slug** | Unique identifier for your bot's URL: `{slug}.myclaw.cc` |

<Tip>The slug cannot be changed after creation. Choose something short and meaningful — it's part of your bot's public URL.</Tip>

**Slug rules**: 3–32 characters, lowercase letters, numbers, and hyphens only. No spaces.

## Step 2 — AI Configuration

Choose your AI provider, model, and paste your API key.

### Available providers

| Provider       | Models available                                      |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Anthropic**  | claude-haiku-4-5-20251001, claude-sonnet-4-5-20250929 |
| **OpenAI**     | gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, o1, o3-mini                      |
| **Google**     | gemini-1.5-pro, gemini-1.5-flash, gemini-2.0-flash    |
| **Groq**       | llama-3.3-70b-versatile, mixtral-8x7b                 |
| **OpenRouter** | Any model available via OpenRouter                    |

<Warning>The provider cannot be changed after bot creation because the API key is provider-specific. If you need a different provider, create a new bot.</Warning>

### API key security

Your API key is encrypted with **AES-256-GCM** immediately on receipt. The plaintext key is never persisted to disk or logs. Only the ciphertext, IV, and auth tag are stored in the database.

## Step 3 — System Prompt (optional)

The system prompt defines your bot's personality, knowledge, and behavior. Leave it blank to use OpenClaw's default helpful assistant behavior.

**Examples:**

* `You are a concise technical assistant. Always respond in bullet points.`
* `You are an expert in Vietnamese cuisine. Answer only food-related questions.`
* `You are a friendly customer support agent for Acme Corp.`

You can update the system prompt anytime from the bot's **Config** tab — the change applies on the next restart.

## Step 4 — Channels (optional)

Enable messaging channels so your bot can receive and respond to messages outside the OpenClaw UI.

| Channel      | Description                                                   |
| ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Discord**  | Bot responds to slash commands or mentions in Discord servers |
| **Telegram** | Bot responds in Telegram chats via BotFather token            |
| **WhatsApp** | Bot responds to WhatsApp messages via Meta Cloud API          |
| **Slack**    | Bot responds in Slack workspaces via Slack app                |

<Info>Channel credentials (tokens, webhook URLs) are configured from the bot detail page after creation. You can enable channels now and configure them later.</Info>

## Step 5 — Review & Create

Review the summary — name, URL, provider, model, and enabled channels — then click **Create Bot**.

MyClaw will:

1. Encrypt and store your API key
2. Generate a gateway token (32 random bytes)
3. Build the OpenClaw config file
4. Create Kubernetes resources (Secret, StatefulSet, Service, Ingress)
5. Wait for the pod to become Ready

**Time to first `running` status**: typically 30–90 seconds.

## After creation

Once the bot shows **running** in the dashboard, you can:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Connect a device" icon="link" href="/guides/connect-device">
    Pair your browser, CLI, or mobile app
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configure channels" icon="comments" href="/guides/channels">
    Set up Discord, Telegram, WhatsApp, or Slack
  </Card>
</CardGroup>