Guide · Agent skill
How to use the Add DeltaChat Channel agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The add-deltachat skill is an installation guide that an AI agent follows to add DeltaChat, an end-to-end encrypted messaging app that runs over email, as a chat channel for the NanoClaw agent framework. It is written for people who already run a NanoClaw project. After applying it, you will have a dedicated bot email account that users can message from the DeltaChat app in direct chats or groups.
Add DeltaChat Channelnanocoai/nanoclaw · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Confirm your NanoClaw project meets the requirements. Check that you have pnpm, Node.js, the channels branch on your git remote, and a dedicated email account with IMAP and SMTP access.
- 2Install the skill. Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or the project's .claude/skills/ folder, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- 3Ask the agent to add DeltaChat. From your NanoClaw project, ask in plain language to add the DeltaChat channel. The agent copies the adapter, installs the pinned package and runs the build and test.
- 4Add the DC_ credentials to .env. Enter the bot email, app password, and IMAP and SMTP hosts and ports in your .env file.
- 5Restart the service. Use the systemd command on Linux or the launchctl command on macOS, run from the project root, so the adapter configures the account.
- 6Connect a user with the invite link. Find the invite link in logs/nanoclaw.log or the QR SVG, then have the user open the link or scan the code in DeltaChat.
- 7Wire the chat to an agent. After the first message, look up the messaging group and run /init-first-agent for a direct chat, or /manage-channels for a group.
What is an agent skill and what does this one do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file with instructions that an AI agent reads and follows when a matching request comes up. This skill, named add-deltachat, teaches the agent to make a set of specific changes to a NanoClaw project.
Once applied, the agent copies a channel adapter into the project, installs a pinned @deltachat/stdio-rpc-server package, and configures a dedicated email account. The adapter drives the DeltaChat core library directly from Node.js, and messages travel over email with Autocrypt/OpenPGP encryption. The skill also explains how to link users to the bot and wire their chats to agents.
What you need before installing
The skill assumes a specific project setup. Check these requirements first.
- A NanoClaw project with pnpm and Node.js, and the channels branch available from the configured git remote
- The @deltachat/stdio-rpc-server 2.49.0 npm package (the skill installs this pinned version)
- A dedicated email account with IMAP and SMTP access, ideally using an app password
- systemd (Linux) or launchd (macOS) to run the service
Install the add-deltachat skill
Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into one of two locations. Use ~/.claude/skills/ to make the skill available across your projects, or use a project's .claude/skills/ folder to limit it to that project.
You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Per project: unzip into the project's .claude/skills/ folder
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload the ZIP
Trigger the skill with a natural request
You do not need a special command. Ask the agent in plain language, from inside your NanoClaw project, to add a DeltaChat channel. Mentioning DeltaChat and NanoClaw in the same request makes it clear which skill applies.
The agent then follows the SKILL.md steps: copy the adapter files, append the import to src/channels/index.ts, install the pinned package, and run the build and registration test. Both must pass before the agent continues.
- Example: "Add the DeltaChat channel to this NanoClaw project."
- Example: "Set up DeltaChat so I can message my agent by email-based encrypted chat."
Set up the bot email account and credentials
Use a dedicated email account rather than a personal one. The skill stores encryption keys and message data in a local account folder (dc-account/ by default). Check https://providers.delta.chat/ to confirm your provider works well with DeltaChat.
Add these lines to your .env file, replacing the example values with your own:
- Default IMAP security is SSL/TLS on port 993; default SMTP security is STARTTLS on port 587
- Security settings are applied on every startup, so you can change them in .env and restart without wiping the account
- Optional variables DC_ACCOUNT_DIR, DC_DISPLAY_NAME and DC_AVATAR_PATH are set in the systemd unit or launchd plist, not .env
DC_EMAIL=bot@example.com
DC_PASSWORD=your-app-password
DC_IMAP_HOST=imap.example.com
DC_IMAP_PORT=993
DC_IMAP_SECURITY=1
DC_SMTP_HOST=smtp.example.com
DC_SMTP_PORT=587
DC_SMTP_SECURITY=2Start the service and connect users
On first start the adapter configures the email account. After the service runs, it logs an invite link and writes a QR image as an SVG file. Users can open the link on the device running DeltaChat, or scan the QR code from the new-chat screen. DeltaChat then exchanges keys and creates the chat automatically.
Once the first message arrives, the router creates a messaging group record. You then wire it to an agent with the /init-first-agent command for direct chats, or /manage-channels or the ncl command for groups. The host service must be running for ncl to work.
- Find the invite link: grep "invite link" logs/nanoclaw.log | tail -1
- The QR file is written to dc-account/invite-qr.svg
- You cannot add a DeltaChat contact by email alone; the user must use the invite link or QR code
grep "invite link" logs/nanoclaw.log | tail -1Safety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. It runs pnpm build, runs a test, installs an npm package, and the adapter connects to your IMAP and SMTP servers. Read the SKILL.md and the adapter code before running it on a project with real data.
The skill stores DeltaChat encryption keys in the account folder. If you remove the bot, the REMOVE.md file explains how to delete the adapter, the DC_* lines and the account data. Deleting the account data also deletes the Autocrypt keys, so contacts who verified the bot will need to verify it again if the same address is reused.
- Use a dedicated bot account, not a personal mailbox
- Keep the dc-account/ folder private, since it holds keys and message data
- Only users with owner or global admin role can change the avatar with /set-avatar
What people use it for
- A personal assistant reachable over DeltaChat direct messages
- A small group chat where members use DeltaChat to talk to a shared agent
- A dedicated bot email address that teammates can message from an encrypted app
Frequently asked questions
How do I install the add-deltachat skill?
Download the ZIP from the skill page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into a project's .claude/skills/ folder. You can also upload the ZIP in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
What do I need to use the DeltaChat skill?
You need an existing NanoClaw project with pnpm and Node.js, access to the channels branch from the configured git remote, and a dedicated email account with IMAP and SMTP access, ideally with an app password. The service runs under systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS.
Is the add-deltachat skill free?
The skill is published under the MIT licence, as stated on its page. The source does not list any pricing, so check the repository for the current terms.
Can I use my personal email account as the bot?
The skill recommends a dedicated account instead. It stores encryption keys and message data in a local account folder, so a personal mailbox is not advised.
Why can't my users message the bot just by email address?
DeltaChat contacts cannot be added by email alone. The user must open the bot's invite link or scan its QR code in the DeltaChat app, which starts the key exchange.
What if the bot cannot connect after setup?
Check that the DC_EMAIL, DC_PASSWORD, host and port values in .env are correct and that the provider supports DeltaChat at providers.delta.chat. Security settings are applied on each startup, so restart the service after changing them.
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Our verdict
This skill suits developers who already run NanoClaw and want an encrypted, email-based chat front end for their agent using a dedicated bot account. It is not a fit if you do not run NanoClaw, since the steps depend on its file layout and commands, or if you want to use a personal email account.
Download the skill