From c92aaca8b09f408977c73b0e4e9a11525ca46537 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Peter Steinberger Date: Sun, 25 Jan 2026 02:48:18 +0000 Subject: [PATCH] docs: answer local data storage faq --- docs/help/faq.md | 15 +++++++++++++++ 1 file changed, 15 insertions(+) diff --git a/docs/help/faq.md b/docs/help/faq.md index b6810af2b..313c74d0b 100644 --- a/docs/help/faq.md +++ b/docs/help/faq.md @@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ Quick answers plus deeper troubleshooting for real-world setups (local dev, VPS, - [How does memory work?](#how-does-memory-work) - [Does semantic memory search require an OpenAI API key?](#does-semantic-memory-search-require-an-openai-api-key) - [Where things live on disk](#where-things-live-on-disk) + - [Is all data used with Clawdbot saved locally?](#is-all-data-used-with-clawdbot-saved-locally) - [Where does Clawdbot store its data?](#where-does-clawdbot-store-its-data) - [Where should AGENTS.md / SOUL.md / USER.md / MEMORY.md live?](#where-should-agentsmd--soulmd--usermd--memorymd-live) - [What’s the recommended backup strategy?](#whats-the-recommended-backup-strategy) @@ -918,6 +919,20 @@ models — see [Memory](/concepts/memory) for the setup details. ## Where things live on disk +### Is all data used with Clawdbot saved locally? + +No — **Clawdbot’s state is local**, but **external services still see what you send them**. + +- **Local by default:** sessions, memory files, config, and workspace live on the Gateway host + (`~/.clawdbot` + your workspace directory). +- **Remote by necessity:** messages you send to model providers (Anthropic/OpenAI/etc.) go to + their APIs, and chat platforms (WhatsApp/Telegram/Slack/etc.) store message data on their + servers. +- **You control the footprint:** using local models keeps prompts on your machine, but channel + traffic still goes through the channel’s servers. + +Related: [Agent workspace](/concepts/agent-workspace), [Memory](/concepts/memory). + ### Where does Clawdbot store its data? Everything lives under `$CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR` (default: `~/.clawdbot`):