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Fly.io Deployment

Goal: Clawdbot Gateway running on a Fly.io machine with persistent storage, automatic HTTPS, and Discord/channel access.

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What you need

  • flyctl CLI installed
  • Fly.io account (free tier works)
  • Model auth: Anthropic API key (or other provider keys)
  • Channel credentials: Discord bot token, Telegram token, etc.

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Beginner quick path

  1. Clone repo → customize fly.toml
  2. Create app + volume → set secrets
  3. Deploy with fly deploy
  4. SSH in to create config or use Control UI

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1) Create the Fly app

# Clone the repo
git clone https://github.com/clawdbot/clawdbot.git
cd clawdbot

# Create a new Fly app (pick your own name)
fly apps create my-clawdbot

# Create a persistent volume (1GB is usually enough)
fly volumes create clawdbot_data --size 1 --region iad
Tip: Choose a region close to you. Common options: lhr (London), iad (Virginia), sjc (San Jose).

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2) Configure fly.toml

Edit fly.toml to match your app name and requirements: 
app = "my-clawdbot"  # Your app name
primary_region = "iad"

[build]
  dockerfile = "Dockerfile"

[env]
  NODE_ENV = "production"
  CLAWDBOT_PREFER_PNPM = "1"
  CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR = "/data"
  NODE_OPTIONS = "--max-old-space-size=1536"

[processes]
  app = "node dist/index.js gateway --allow-unconfigured --port 3000 --bind lan"

[http_service]
  internal_port = 3000
  force_https = true
  auto_stop_machines = false
  auto_start_machines = true
  min_machines_running = 1
  processes = ["app"]

[[vm]]
  size = "shared-cpu-2x"
  memory = "2048mb"

[mounts]
  source = "clawdbot_data"
  destination = "/data"
Key settings:
SettingWhy
--bind lanBinds to 0.0.0.0 so Fly’s proxy can reach the gateway
--allow-unconfiguredStarts without a config file (you’ll create one after)
memory = "2048mb"512MB is too small; 2GB recommended
CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR = "/data"Persists state on the volume

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3) Set secrets

# Required: Gateway token (for non-loopback binding)
fly secrets set CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN=$(openssl rand -hex 32)

# Model provider API keys
fly secrets set ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...

# Optional: Other providers
fly secrets set OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-...
fly secrets set GOOGLE_API_KEY=...

# Channel tokens
fly secrets set DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN=MTQ...
Notes:
  • Non-loopback binds (--bind lan) require CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN for security.
  • Treat these tokens like passwords.

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4) Deploy

fly deploy
First deploy builds the Docker image (~2-3 minutes). Subsequent deploys are faster. After deployment, verify: 
fly status
fly logs
You should see: 
[gateway] listening on ws://0.0.0.0:3000 (PID xxx)
[discord] logged in to discord as xxx

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5) Create config file

SSH into the machine to create a proper config: 
fly ssh console
Create the config directory and file: 
mkdir -p /data
cat > /data/clawdbot.json << 'EOF'
{
  "agents": {
    "defaults": {
      "model": {
        "primary": "anthropic/claude-opus-4-5",
        "fallbacks": ["anthropic/claude-sonnet-4-5", "openai/gpt-4o"]
      },
      "maxConcurrent": 4
    },
    "list": [
      {
        "id": "main",
        "default": true
      }
    ]
  },
  "auth": {
    "profiles": {
      "anthropic:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "anthropic" },
      "openai:default": { "mode": "token", "provider": "openai" }
    }
  },
  "bindings": [
    {
      "agentId": "main",
      "match": { "channel": "discord" }
    }
  ],
  "channels": {
    "discord": {
      "enabled": true,
      "groupPolicy": "allowlist",
      "guilds": {
        "YOUR_GUILD_ID": {
          "channels": { "general": { "allow": true } },
          "requireMention": false
        }
      }
    }
  },
  "gateway": {
    "mode": "local",
    "bind": "auto"
  },
  "meta": {
    "lastTouchedVersion": "2026.1.24"
  }
}
EOF
Note: With CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR=/data, the config path is /data/clawdbot.json. Note: The Discord token can come from either:
  • Environment variable: DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN (recommended for secrets)
  • Config file: channels.discord.token
If using env var, no need to add token to config. The gateway reads DISCORD_BOT_TOKEN automatically. Restart to apply: 
exit
fly machine restart <machine-id>

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6) Access the Gateway

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Control UI

Open in browser: 
fly open
Or visit https://my-clawdbot.fly.dev/ Paste your gateway token (the one from CLAWDBOT_GATEWAY_TOKEN) to authenticate.

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Logs

fly logs              # Live logs
fly logs --no-tail    # Recent logs

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SSH Console

fly ssh console

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Troubleshooting

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”App is not listening on expected address”

The gateway is binding to 127.0.0.1 instead of 0.0.0.0. Fix: Add --bind lan to your process command in fly.toml.

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OOM / Memory Issues

Container keeps restarting or getting killed. Signs: SIGABRT, v8::internal::Runtime_AllocateInYoungGeneration, or silent restarts. Fix: Increase memory in fly.toml: 
[[vm]]
  memory = "2048mb"
Or update an existing machine: 
fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 -y
Note: 512MB is too small. 1GB may work but can OOM under load or with verbose logging. 2GB is recommended.

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Gateway Lock Issues

Gateway refuses to start with “already running” errors. This happens when the container restarts but the PID lock file persists on the volume. Fix: Delete the lock file: 
fly ssh console --command "rm -f /data/gateway.*.lock"
fly machine restart <machine-id>
The lock file is at /data/gateway.*.lock (not in a subdirectory).

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Config Not Being Read

If using --allow-unconfigured, the gateway creates a minimal config. Your custom config at /data/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json should be read on restart. Verify the config exists: 
fly ssh console --command "cat /data/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json"

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Writing Config via SSH

The fly ssh console -C command doesn’t support shell redirection. To write a config file: 
# Use echo + tee (pipe from local to remote)
echo '{"your":"config"}' | fly ssh console -C "tee /data/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json"

# Or use sftp
fly sftp shell
> put /local/path/config.json /data/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json
Note: fly sftp may fail if the file already exists. Delete first: 
fly ssh console --command "rm /data/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json"

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Updates

# Pull latest changes
git pull

# Redeploy
fly deploy

# Check health
fly status
fly logs

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Updating Machine Command

If you need to change the startup command without a full redeploy: 
# Get machine ID
fly machines list

# Update command
fly machine update <machine-id> --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y

# Or with memory increase
fly machine update <machine-id> --vm-memory 2048 --command "node dist/index.js gateway --port 3000 --bind lan" -y
Note: After fly deploy, the machine command may reset to what’s in fly.toml. If you made manual changes, re-apply them after deploy.

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Notes

  • Fly.io uses x86 architecture (not ARM)
  • The Dockerfile is compatible with both architectures
  • For WhatsApp/Telegram onboarding, use fly ssh console
  • Persistent data lives on the volume at /data

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Cost

With the recommended config (shared-cpu-2x, 2GB RAM):
  • ~$10-15/month depending on usage
  • Free tier includes some allowance
See Fly.io pricing for details.