> ## 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.

# Manage Your Bot

> Start, stop, update config, and monitor your bot from the dashboard

The bot detail page (Dashboard → click a bot) is your main control panel for day-to-day management.

## Bot status

| Status      | Meaning                                      |
| ----------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| `pending`   | Bot created, K8s resources being provisioned |
| `deploying` | Pod starting up, waiting to become ready     |
| `running`   | Bot is live and accepting connections        |
| `stopped`   | Bot is shut down (StatefulSet scaled to 0)   |
| `failed`    | Startup failed — check bot name/config       |

The status badge updates in real time via the dashboard's status poller.

## Starting and stopping

### Stop a bot

Click **Stop** on the bot detail page. This scales the pod to zero replicas — your configuration and conversation history on the PVC are preserved.

**When to stop**: to save resources when you won't use the bot for a while.

### Start a bot

Click **Start** to bring a stopped bot back online. The pod will start and status will move through `deploying` → `running` (typically 30–90 seconds).

<Info>Stopping and starting does not delete any data. Your system prompt, channel config, and paired devices are all preserved.</Info>

## Updating configuration

Open the **Config** tab on the bot detail page.

### Change the AI model

Select a different model from the dropdown. Available models depend on your provider (set at creation time).

<Warning>The **provider** cannot be changed. To use a different provider, delete this bot and create a new one.</Warning>

### Rotate your API key

Enter a new API key in the **Update API Key** field and click **Save Changes**. The old key is discarded; the new key is encrypted and stored.

Use this if your API key is compromised or has been rotated by your provider.

### Update the system prompt

Edit the **System Prompt** textarea and click **Save Changes**. The change takes effect on the next pod restart.

<Tip>To apply a system prompt change immediately, Stop and Start the bot after saving.</Tip>

## Deleting a bot

Click **Delete** on the bot detail page. This performs a **soft delete**:

1. Bot record is marked as deleted
2. Kubernetes resources are removed immediately (StatefulSet, Service, Ingress, Secret)
3. The **PVC (data volume)** is retained for **30 days** before deletion

The 30-day PVC retention window allows data recovery if you accidentally deleted the bot.

<Warning>Deletion is permanent after the 30-day PVC retention window. Bot conversation history, device pairings, and config stored on the PVC cannot be recovered after that.</Warning>

## Monitoring

The bot detail page shows:

* **Status** — current pod state
* **Provider / Model** — AI configuration
* **Image** — OpenClaw runtime version (e.g. `2026.2.13`)

For deeper observability, metrics are collected every 5 minutes by MyClaw's background jobs, covering CPU, memory, message counts, and token usage.