nanobot/nanobot/skills/create-instance/SKILL.md

name, description

name	description
create-instance	Create a new nanobot instance with separate config and workspace. Use when the user wants to set up a new bot, create a new instance for a different channel, persona, or purpose. Triggers on: create instance, new bot, set up bot, add bot, create telegram/discord/feishu/slack/wechat/wecom/dingtalk/qq/email/matrix/msteams/whatsapp bot, multi-instance setup, inter-agent communication.

Create Instance

Set up a new nanobot instance with its own config and workspace.

Steps

1. Collect information (ask one at a time if not already provided):

   • Instance name (required): short identifier, e.g. telegram-bot, work-slack
   • Channel type (required): see table below
   • Model (optional): LLM model, defaults to current instance

2. Do NOT collect secrets in the chat (API keys, bot tokens). API keys are automatically inherited from the current instance via --inherit-config. Channel-specific tokens must be filled in manually after creation.

3. Run the creation script:

python <skill-dir>/scripts/create_instance.py --name <name> --channel <channel> --inherit-config <current-config>

• <skill-dir> — the directory containing this SKILL.md
• <current-config> — current instance's config path, typically ~/.nanobot/config.json
• Optional: --model <model>, --config-dir <path>

Exec tool constraints:

• Use forward-slash paths (works on all platforms)
• Do not wrap paths in quotes
• Do not use cd; pass the full script path directly

4. Report results to the user:
   • Config and workspace paths (script outputs them)
   • Required fields to fill in (script lists them)
   • Start command: nanobot gateway --config <config-path>

Available Channels

Channel	Key	Required Fields
Telegram	telegram	token
Discord	discord	token
Feishu / Lark	feishu	app_id, app_secret
DingTalk	dingtalk	client_id, client_secret
Slack	slack	bot_token, app_token
WeCom	wecom	bot_id, secret
WeChat OA	weixin	token
WhatsApp	whatsapp	bridge_token
QQ	qq	app_id, secret
Email	email	imap_host, imap_username, imap_password, smtp_host, smtp_username, smtp_password, from_address
Matrix	matrix	user_id, password or access_token
MS Teams	msteams	app_id, app_password, tenant_id
MoChat	mochat	claw_token
WebSocket	websocket	token

For detailed channel configuration including optional fields, see references/channels.md.

Troubleshooting

• "Unknown channel": Channel name must match the Key column exactly. Run the script without arguments to see usage.
• "Config already exists": Use a different --name or --config-dir to create in a new location.
• Port conflicts: The script auto-assigns free ports for gateway and API if defaults are in use.