Installation

PocketPaw requires Python 3.11+ and can be installed via pip or uv.

Prerequisites

  • Python 3.11 or higher
  • pip, uv, or pipx package manager
  • An Anthropic API key (for the default Claude Agent SDK backend)

Quick Install

The fastest way to get started — the interactive installer handles Python, uv, and feature selection:

Terminal window
curl -fsSL https://pocketpaw.xyz/install.sh | sh

Or install directly with pip:

Terminal window
pip install pocketpaw

This installs the core package with minimal dependencies (~10 packages). To add specific features, use extras.

uv is the recommended package manager for faster installs:

Terminal window
# Install uv if you haven't
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh


# Clone and install for development
git clone https://github.com/pocketpaw/pocketpaw.git
cd pocketpaw
uv sync --dev

Package Extras

PocketPaw uses a modular extras system. Install only what you need:

Channel Extras

Terminal window
# Individual channels
pip install pocketpaw[telegram]
pip install pocketpaw[discord]
pip install pocketpaw[slack]
pip install pocketpaw[whatsapp-personal]  # QR-code pairing


# All channels
pip install pocketpaw[all-channels]

Tool Extras

Terminal window
# Specific tools
pip install pocketpaw[browser]    # Playwright browser automation
pip install pocketpaw[image]      # Google Gemini image generation
pip install pocketpaw[memory]     # Mem0 semantic memory


# All tools
pip install pocketpaw[all-tools]

Backend Extras

Terminal window
pip install pocketpaw[native]     # PocketPaw Native backend
pip install pocketpaw[desktop]    # Desktop automation tools

Composite Extras

Terminal window
# Recommended setup (dashboard + common tools)
pip install pocketpaw[recommended]


# Everything included
pip install pocketpaw[all]


# Development (includes test and lint tools)
pip install pocketpaw[dev]

Environment Variables

Set your API keys as environment variables. All PocketPaw settings use the POCKETCLAW_ prefix:

Terminal window
# Required: Anthropic API key for Claude
export POCKETCLAW_ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."


# Optional: Other API keys
export POCKETCLAW_OPENAI_API_KEY="sk-..."          # For voice/TTS/STT
export POCKETCLAW_TAVILY_API_KEY="tvly-..."        # For web search
export POCKETCLAW_GOOGLE_API_KEY="..."             # For image generation
export POCKETCLAW_BRAVE_SEARCH_API_KEY="..."       # For Brave Search

Alternatively, you can configure these through the web dashboard’s settings panel.

Verify Installation

Terminal window
# Run PocketPaw (starts web dashboard)
pocketpaw


# Or with uv
uv run pocketpaw

The web dashboard will start at http://localhost:8000. Open it in your browser to verify everything is working.

Next Steps

Quick Start

Set up your first channel and send your first message.

Configuration

Learn about all configuration options.

Last updated: February 12, 2026
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