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clawdbot/docs/concepts/multi-agent.md
2026-01-09 12:48:42 +00:00

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---
summary: "Multi-agent routing: isolated agents, provider accounts, and bindings"
title: Multi-Agent Routing
read_when: "You want multiple isolated agents (workspaces + auth) in one gateway process."
status: active
---
# Multi-Agent Routing
Goal: multiple *isolated* agents (separate workspace + `agentDir` + sessions), plus multiple provider accounts (e.g. two WhatsApps) in one running Gateway. Inbound is routed to an agent via bindings.
## What is “one agent”?
An **agent** is a fully scoped brain with its own:
- **Workspace** (files, AGENTS.md/SOUL.md/USER.md, local notes, persona rules).
- **State directory** (`agentDir`) for auth profiles, model registry, and per-agent config.
- **Session store** (chat history + routing state) under `~/.clawdbot/agents/<agentId>/sessions`.
Skills are per-agent via each workspaces `skills/` folder, with shared skills
available from `~/.clawdbot/skills`. See [Skills: per-agent vs shared](/tools/skills#per-agent-vs-shared-skills).
The Gateway can host **one agent** (default) or **many agents** side-by-side.
**Workspace note:** each agents workspace is the **default cwd**, not a hard
sandbox. Relative paths resolve inside the workspace, but absolute paths can
reach other host locations unless sandboxing is enabled. See
[Sandboxing](/gateway/sandboxing).
## Paths (quick map)
- Config: `~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` (or `CLAWDBOT_CONFIG_PATH`)
- State dir: `~/.clawdbot` (or `CLAWDBOT_STATE_DIR`)
- Workspace: `~/clawd` (or `~/clawd-<agentId>`)
- Agent dir: `~/.clawdbot/agents/<agentId>/agent` (or `agents.list[].agentDir`)
- Sessions: `~/.clawdbot/agents/<agentId>/sessions`
### Single-agent mode (default)
If you do nothing, Clawdbot runs a single agent:
- `agentId` defaults to **`main`**.
- Sessions are keyed as `agent:main:<mainKey>`.
- Workspace defaults to `~/clawd` (or `~/clawd-<profile>` when `CLAWDBOT_PROFILE` is set).
- State defaults to `~/.clawdbot/agents/main/agent`.
## Agent helper
Use the agent wizard to add a new isolated agent:
```bash
clawdbot agents add work
```
Then add `bindings` (or let the wizard do it) to route inbound messages.
Verify with:
```bash
clawdbot agents list --bindings
```
## Multiple agents = multiple people, multiple personalities
With **multiple agents**, each `agentId` becomes a **fully isolated persona**:
- **Different phone numbers/accounts** (per provider `accountId`).
- **Different personalities** (per-agent workspace files like `AGENTS.md` and `SOUL.md`).
- **Separate auth + sessions** (no cross-talk unless explicitly enabled).
This lets **multiple people** share one Gateway server while keeping their AI “brains” and data isolated.
## Routing rules (how messages pick an agent)
Bindings are **deterministic** and **most-specific wins**:
1. `peer` match (exact DM/group/channel id)
2. `guildId` (Discord)
3. `teamId` (Slack)
4. `accountId` match for a provider
5. provider-level match (`accountId: "*"`)
6. fallback to default agent (`agents.list[].default`, else first list entry, default: `main`)
## Multiple accounts / phone numbers
Providers that support **multiple accounts** (e.g. WhatsApp) use `accountId` to identify
each login. Each `accountId` can be routed to a different agent, so one server can host
multiple phone numbers without mixing sessions.
## Concepts
- `agentId`: one “brain” (workspace, per-agent auth, per-agent session store).
- `accountId`: one provider account instance (e.g. WhatsApp account `"personal"` vs `"biz"`).
- `binding`: routes inbound messages to an `agentId` by `(provider, accountId, peer)` and optionally guild/team ids.
- Direct chats collapse to `agent:<agentId>:<mainKey>` (per-agent “main”; `session.mainKey`).
## Example: two WhatsApps → two agents
`~/.clawdbot/clawdbot.json` (JSON5):
```js
{
agents: {
list: [
{
id: "home",
default: true,
name: "Home",
workspace: "~/clawd-home",
agentDir: "~/.clawdbot/agents/home/agent",
},
{
id: "work",
name: "Work",
workspace: "~/clawd-work",
agentDir: "~/.clawdbot/agents/work/agent",
},
],
},
// Deterministic routing: first match wins (most-specific first).
bindings: [
{ agentId: "home", match: { provider: "whatsapp", accountId: "personal" } },
{ agentId: "work", match: { provider: "whatsapp", accountId: "biz" } },
// Optional per-peer override (example: send a specific group to work agent).
{
agentId: "work",
match: {
provider: "whatsapp",
accountId: "personal",
peer: { kind: "group", id: "1203630...@g.us" },
},
},
],
// Off by default: agent-to-agent messaging must be explicitly enabled + allowlisted.
tools: {
agentToAgent: {
enabled: false,
allow: ["home", "work"],
},
},
whatsapp: {
accounts: {
personal: {
// Optional override. Default: ~/.clawdbot/credentials/whatsapp/personal
// authDir: "~/.clawdbot/credentials/whatsapp/personal",
},
biz: {
// Optional override. Default: ~/.clawdbot/credentials/whatsapp/biz
// authDir: "~/.clawdbot/credentials/whatsapp/biz",
},
},
},
}
```
## Per-Agent Sandbox and Tool Configuration
Starting with v2026.1.6, each agent can have its own sandbox and tool restrictions:
```js
{
agents: {
list: [
{
id: "personal",
workspace: "~/clawd-personal",
sandbox: {
mode: "off", // No sandbox for personal agent
},
// No tool restrictions - all tools available
},
{
id: "family",
workspace: "~/clawd-family",
sandbox: {
mode: "all", // Always sandboxed
scope: "agent", // One container per agent
docker: {
// Optional one-time setup after container creation
setupCommand: "apt-get update && apt-get install -y git curl",
},
},
tools: {
allow: ["read"], // Only read tool
deny: ["bash", "write", "edit"], // Deny others
},
},
],
},
}
```
**Benefits:**
- **Security isolation**: Restrict tools for untrusted agents
- **Resource control**: Sandbox specific agents while keeping others on host
- **Flexible policies**: Different permissions per agent
Note: `tools.elevated` is **global** and sender-based; it is not configurable per agent.
If you need per-agent boundaries, use `agents.list[].tools` to deny `bash`.
For group targeting, use `agents.list[].groupChat.mentionPatterns` so @mentions map cleanly to the intended agent.
See [Multi-Agent Sandbox & Tools](/multi-agent-sandbox-tools) for detailed examples.