Guide · Agent skill
How to use the NanoClaw Monitoring Dashboard agent skill (add-dashboard)
Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data
The add-dashboard skill adds a local monitoring dashboard to a NanoClaw installation, which is a personal AI agent system. Once it is set up, you can view agent groups, sessions, channels, users, token usage, context windows, message activity and streaming logs in a web browser at a local port. This guide is for NanoClaw operators and developers who want to install the skill, understand what it changes, and confirm the dashboard is running.
NanoClaw Monitoring Dashboardnanocoai/nanoclaw · MIT Download the skill Quick start
- 1Download and unzip the skill. Download the ZIP from this page and unzip it into ~/.claude/skills/ for personal use or into your project's .claude/skills/ folder.
- 2Confirm your NanoClaw checkout. Run the skill from a NanoClaw project root that contains src/index.ts, with pnpm and Node.js installed.
- 3Let the agent apply the changes. Ask the agent to add the dashboard. It installs @nanoco/nanoclaw-dashboard, copies the pusher files and edits src/index.ts.
- 4Set DASHBOARD_SECRET and DASHBOARD_PORT. Add both variables to .env. Use the generated random secret and keep the default port 3100 unless it conflicts with another service.
- 5Build and run the tests. Run pnpm run build first, because it confirms the dashboard package is installed. Then run the two vitest files.
- 6Restart and verify. Restart the service with systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS, then open http://localhost:3100/dashboard to confirm it is live.
What the add-dashboard skill makes your agent do
An agent skill is a folder of instructions and supporting files that an AI agent can follow to carry out a specific task. This skill adds a monitoring dashboard to NanoClaw. A small pusher module periodically collects data from NanoClaw's database and tails its log file, then sends the data as JSON snapshots to a dashboard package named @nanoco/nanoclaw-dashboard, which serves the web UI.
- Overview: stats, token usage with cache hit rate, context windows and an activity chart
- Agent Groups: sessions, wirings, destinations, members and admins
- Sessions: status, container state and context window usage bars
- Channels: live or offline status, messaging groups and sender policies
- Messages: per-session inbound and outbound messages
- Users: privilege hierarchy of owner, admin and member
- Logs: real-time log streaming with a level filter
Install the skill from the ZIP or the Claude apps
Download the skill ZIP from this page and unzip it. For a personal setup, place the skill folder in ~/.claude/skills/. For a single project, place it in that project's .claude/skills/ folder. Either location works for the agent to find the skill.
If you use the Claude apps, you can instead upload the skill under Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills.
- Personal install: ~/.claude/skills/
- Project install: .claude/skills/ inside your NanoClaw project
- Claude apps: Settings, then Capabilities, then Skills, then upload
Ask the agent to add the dashboard
The skill is named add-dashboard and its source file lists /add-dashboard as its command, so you can invoke it by that name. You can also ask in plain language, such as asking the agent to add a monitoring dashboard to your NanoClaw project. Run the request from inside your NanoClaw project checkout, because the skill expects a project containing src/index.ts and edits that project's code.
Before asking, make sure you have the requirements listed in the requirements section below. The agent will follow the skill's steps, and you should review each change it makes to your files.
- /add-dashboard
- Add a monitoring dashboard to this NanoClaw project
- Set up the NanoClaw dashboard so I can see token usage and channel status
- Wire the dashboard into src/index.ts and restart the service
What the skill changes in your project
The skill installs the npm package, copies three resource files into src/, makes one small edit to src/index.ts, and adds two variables to .env. The edit to src/index.ts is a single block inside main(), placed just before the NanoClaw running log line. It dynamically imports the pusher and awaits startDashboard(). The startup logic itself lives in dashboard-pusher.ts, so no other core code needs to change.
The skill also generates a random secret. The dashboard does nothing if DASHBOARD_SECRET is unset. The tests ship with the skill and confirm the wiring is correct.
- Installs @nanoco/nanoclaw-dashboard with pnpm
- Copies dashboard-pusher.ts, dashboard-pusher.test.ts and dashboard-wiring.test.ts into src/
- Adds DASHBOARD_SECRET and DASHBOARD_PORT to .env (the default port in the source is 3100)
- Restarts the NanoClaw service through systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS
pnpm install @nanoco/nanoclaw-dashboard
pnpm run build
pnpm exec vitest run src/dashboard-pusher.test.ts src/dashboard-wiring.test.ts
source setup/lib/install-slug.sh
systemctl --user restart $(systemd_unit)
# or on macOS: launchctl kickstart -k gui/$(id -u)/$(launchd_label)Check that the dashboard is running
Once the service has restarted, the skill's runtime check is to query the status endpoint and then open the dashboard in a browser. The overview endpoint requires your secret as a bearer token. Replace the placeholder with the value you set for DASHBOARD_SECRET. The first data push can take up to 60 seconds.
- Open http://localhost:3100/dashboard in a browser
- If you changed DASHBOARD_PORT, use that port instead of 3100
curl -s http://localhost:3100/api/status
curl -s -H "Authorization: Bearer <secret>" http://localhost:3100/api/overviewSafety notes: scripts and network access
This skill runs scripts and uses the network. The dashboard exposes operational data and logs, and it relies on a single bearer secret for access. Keep it on a trusted local network and do not expose it to the internet or share it with other people's deployments.
Use a long random secret. The skill generates one with the command below. Do not commit .env to version control.
- Keep the dashboard on localhost or a trusted local network
- Do not expose the port to the internet
- Treat DASHBOARD_SECRET like a password
node -e "console.log('nc-' + require('crypto').randomBytes(16).toString('hex'))"What people use it for
- Watching token usage and cache hit rate across agent sessions to see where tokens are going
- Checking whether each messaging channel is live or offline and which sender policies apply
- Debugging message flow by reading per-session inbound and outbound messages
- Reviewing the owner, admin and member privilege hierarchy while troubleshooting permissions
- Following real-time logs with a level filter while testing changes to your NanoClaw setup
Frequently asked questions
Is the add-dashboard skill free to use?
The skill is released under the MIT licence, as listed on its source page. Check the licence file in the repository for the full terms before redistributing it.
What do I need before installing it?
You need a NanoClaw project checkout that contains src/index.ts, plus pnpm and Node.js. You also need systemd on Linux or launchd on macOS so the skill can restart the service.
Why does the dashboard show 'No data yet'?
The pusher sends data about every 60 seconds, so wait for the first push. If it still shows no data, check the NanoClaw logs for push errors.
Why am I getting 401 errors?
The bearer token you send does not match DASHBOARD_SECRET in .env. Confirm both values are identical and restart the service after changing them.
What if port 3100 is already in use?
Change DASHBOARD_PORT in .env to a free port, then restart the service and open the dashboard on the new port.
Can I use this skill with something other than NanoClaw?
No. The skill edits NanoClaw's source and database-dependent code, so it will not help with other projects. Use it only with a NanoClaw installation you run yourself.
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Our verdict
Choose this skill if you run NanoClaw on your own machine and want a browser view of sessions, token usage, channels and logs. Skip it if you do not run NanoClaw, or if you need a dashboard for shared or internet-facing use, since it relies on a single bearer secret and exposes operational data.
Download the skill