Guide · Agent skill
How to use the clidash read-only dashboard agent skill
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The add-clidash skill installs clidash, a small local web dashboard for a NanoClaw setup. It reads the output of NanoClaw's ncl command-line tool and session databases, then shows them as tabs, tables, activity charts, a log tail and a read-only file viewer. This guide explains what the skill does, how to install it, how to ask your agent to run it, and what to watch for, so you can have a working dashboard at http://127.0.0.1:4690/ once you finish.
clidash read-only dashboardnanocoai/nanoclaw · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Install the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ or a project's .claude/skills/, or upload it under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- 2Ask the agent to set up clidash. Make a plain request such as asking it to use the add-clidash skill to set up a read-only dashboard for your NanoClaw repo.
- 3Copy the tool into place. The agent creates tools/ and copies the clidash directory into tools/clidash, the only file change the skill makes.
- 4Create the config. Copy clidash.config.example.json to clidash.config.json inside tools/clidash. The example is pre-wired with paths relative to the repo root.
- 5Build ncl if needed. Make sure the ncl CLI exists at bin/ncl. If not, run pnpm run build or point clis.ncl.bin at the correct path.
- 6Run the tests and server. Run npm test, then node server.js, which serves http://127.0.0.1:4690.
- 7Open the dashboard. Visit http://127.0.0.1:4690/ in your browser and check the Agents overview and the ncl resource tabs.
What is an agent skill and what does add-clidash do?
An agent skill is a folder containing a SKILL.md file and supporting files. When you install it, an AI agent such as Claude can follow the instructions in SKILL.md to carry out a specific task in your project.
The add-clidash skill tells the agent to copy a self-contained clidash directory into your NanoClaw repo, create a local config file, run the tests and start a local Node server. clidash builds its tabs at runtime from any CLI that lists resources as JSON. It ships pre-wired for NanoClaw's ncl CLI, with agent groups, sessions, channels, users and roles.
- Agents overview: status cards joining groups, sessions, messaging groups and wirings
- Activity: per-session inbound and outbound message totals and a daily series, read from the session databases
- Logs: the last N lines of allowlisted host log files
- Files: a read-only viewer for group skills, CLAUDE.md and profiles
Install the add-clidash skill
Download the ZIP for this skill from this page and unzip it. Then place the resulting folder in one of these locations: ~/.claude/skills/ for all your projects, or a project's .claude/skills/ folder for that project only.
Alternatively, upload the skill in the Claude apps under Settings → Capabilities → Skills.
- Personal: unzip into ~/.claude/skills/
- Project only: unzip into your project's .claude/skills/
- Claude apps: Settings → Capabilities → Skills, then upload
How do you trigger the skill with a natural request?
Once the skill is installed, ask your agent in plain language to set up the clidash dashboard from your NanoClaw repo. The skill is named add-clidash, so you can also refer to it by that name.
Run the agent from your NanoClaw repository root so the relative paths in the example config resolve correctly.
- "Use the add-clidash skill to set up a read-only dashboard for my NanoClaw groups and sessions."
- "Install clidash and check that the ncl resources show up."
- "Set up clidash and show me how to open it in my browser."
What the setup steps do
The skill copies the tool into tools/clidash, then creates clidash.config.json from the example config. It runs npm test, which uses a stub CLI so no real ncl or docker is needed. Then it starts the server with node server.js and checks the API endpoints.
The skill makes no edits to NanoClaw src/ and adds no dependency. Requirements are Node.js 22.5 or newer, a built ncl CLI at bin/ncl (built with pnpm run build), and optionally a docker daemon if you use the docker tab.
- Requires Node.js 22.5 or newer (uses built-in node:sqlite)
- Requires a built ncl CLI at bin/ncl, from pnpm run build
- Optional: docker daemon, only if you use the docker tab
mkdir -p tools
cp -R .claude/skills/add-clidash/add/tools/clidash tools/clidash
cd tools/clidash
cp clidash.config.example.json clidash.config.json
npm test
node server.jsVerify the dashboard is running
With the server running, check from a second terminal that it responds and that ncl discovery worked. Then open the dashboard in a browser. You should see the Agents overview and a tab for each ncl resource.
- Open http://127.0.0.1:4690/ in a browser
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:4690/api/clis | head -c 400
curl -s http://127.0.0.1:4690/api/r/ncl/groups | head -c 400Safety notes: scripts, network and access
This skill runs scripts: yes. It does not use the network: no. clidash is read-only by construction. The server can only execute the argv templates in its config, and the only substitution is {resource}, which is checked against an allowlist. It never runs a shell and takes no free-form input.
clidash has no authentication. The network is the access control, and it binds 127.0.0.1 by default. Only bind a private interface such as a tailnet IP, never a public one. The skill is not meant for exposing the dashboard publicly.
- Read-only: it views data and does not change it
- No authentication: anyone who can reach the port can read the dashboard
- Keep the default 127.0.0.1 bind unless you need another device to reach it
- Never bind a public interface
Tips for running clidash day to day
To reach the dashboard from another device, set BIND to a private IP. To keep it running, you can set up a systemd user service on Linux or a launchd plist on macOS. Add clidash.config.json to .gitignore if you do not want install-specific paths committed.
To remove the skill later, follow REMOVE.md: stop any service, delete tools/clidash and remove the .gitignore line if you added one.
- Use BIND=<private-ip> to reach it from a tailnet device
- Use CLIDASH_CONFIG=/abs/path.json to point at a different config
- Adding another list-as-JSON CLI is a config change, for example the docker example included
- Run from tools/clidash/ so the config path resolves
echo 'tools/clidash/clidash.config.json' >> ../../.gitignoreWhat people use it for
- Checking which agent groups exist and whether their sessions are active, using the Agents overview status cards
- Seeing per-session inbound and outbound message volume over a set number of days in the Activity charts
- Tailing recent lines of allowlisted host log files from the Logs panel
- Reading group skills, CLAUDE.md and profiles in the read-only Files viewer
- Monitoring a docker or kubectl-style JSON CLI by adding it as a config entry
Frequently asked questions
What do I need to install the add-clidash skill?
You need Node.js 22.5 or newer, a built ncl CLI at bin/ncl (created with pnpm run build), and a NanoClaw repository. A docker daemon is optional and only needed for the docker tab.
Is clidash free and what is its licence?
The source describes the item as licensed under MIT. clidash has zero dependencies and needs no build step.
Can I use clidash without NanoClaw?
The default config is wired to NanoClaw's ncl CLI and session files, so it is intended for NanoClaw setups. The core works with any CLI that lists resources as JSON, but that requires writing your own config entry.
Why won't the dashboard load from another computer?
clidash binds 127.0.0.1 by default, so only the local machine can reach it. Set BIND to a private interface such as a tailnet IP. Do not bind a public interface, because clidash has no authentication.
Why are the ncl tabs empty or erroring?
Usually bin/ncl is not built or the path is wrong. Run pnpm run build or fix clis.ncl.bin in clidash.config.json. If the docker tab errors, the docker daemon may not be running, or you can remove the docker CLI from config.
How is clidash different from /add-dashboard?
The /add-dashboard skill pushes JSON snapshots to a separate @nanoco/nanoclaw-dashboard npm package. clidash has no push pipeline and no dependencies, and it reads ncl and the session databases directly.
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Our verdict
Use add-clidash if you run NanoClaw and want a read-only, visual overview of agent groups, sessions and message volume on a machine you control. Pick something else if you do not run NanoClaw, or if you need a dashboard that is public or has login, since clidash has no authentication.
Download the skill