Create a bot
Make a new bot from a ready-made role or from scratch, decide between a new bot and a new thread, and copy an existing bot.
A bot is an AI helper with a job. Each bot has its own instructions, skills, memory, connected apps, and secrets. Bots are listed under Bots in the sidebar. On Machine every bot is a project, which is why the button to make one says New Project.
New bot or new thread?
Before you make a bot, check whether you need a new bot or just a new thread with a bot you already have.
| Make a new thread when… | Make a new bot when… |
|---|---|
| It's the same kind of work, just a new task. | You need a different kind of helper with different instructions. |
| The current conversation is getting long. | You want different apps, secrets, or skills kept separate. |
| You want a fresh start on a clean computer. | Different clients or projects shouldn't share a bot's memory. |
A good setup for most people: a few bots, each with a clear job (Researcher, Writer, Inbox), and a new thread for each task.
Create a bot
Open New Project
Do any one of these:
- Click + at the top of the sidebar and choose New Project.
- Press Ctrl+N (⌘N on Mac).
- If you have no bots yet, use the button in the middle of the screen.
Pick a starting point
The window says "Start from a job, or from nothing. You can change everything afterwards." Pick a card (see the table below).
Wait for setup
Machine creates the bot's project. This can take a minute or two, and a spinner shows while it works. When it's done, the bot appears in the sidebar and its chat opens.
Say hello
Send a first message. For a Blank bot, send /setup: the bot will
interview you about what it should do, then set itself up.
Starting points
| Card | Bot's name | What it's set up for | Works well with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blank bot | New project | Nothing yet. You shape it, or send /setup. | Anything |
| General assistant | Assistant | Everyday questions, writing, and tasks. | — |
| Email triage | Inbox | Sorting, summarizing, and drafting replies to email. | Gmail |
| Researcher | Scout | Finding, comparing, and summarizing information, with sources. | — |
| Coding partner | Dev | Writing, fixing, explaining, and reviewing code. | GitHub |
| Community monitor | Watch | Keeping an eye on community channels and flagging what matters. | Discord, Slack |
| Operations | Ops | Planning and admin across your work tools. | Calendar, Notion, Linear |
A starting role fills in the bot's name, title, description, and Soul (its standing instructions). Everything can be changed afterwards in bot settings.
The app icons on a card show which apps that role is good with. They are not connected automatically. To connect them, see Connected apps.
If you see "Your bot was created, but its preset could not be fully applied", the bot exists but some of its instructions didn't save. Settings opens on the Soul section so you can check and fix them.
After you create a bot
Make it yours. In about five minutes you can:
- Write its Soul. Who it is, how it should work, what you like and dislike. See Write a bot's Soul.
- Give it a face. Upload a picture or style the mascot in Identity. See Bot settings.
- Connect the apps it needs. See Connected apps.
- Add any keys it needs as secrets. See Secrets and webhooks.
- Put it in a team to keep the sidebar tidy. See The sidebar.
Duplicate a bot
To make a new bot based on one you already have:
- Right-click the bot in the sidebar.
- Choose Duplicate.
The new bot is called "… copy". It gets the original's:
- instructions (Soul),
- title and description,
- model, and
- avatar.
It does not get the original's threads, files, memory, or secrets. It starts fresh. This is useful when you want a similar bot for a different client, or want to experiment with instructions without touching the original.
Other ways to get bots
- Bot recipes: add a whole ready-made team of bots in one click.
- Marketplace: start a new bot from a project template.
- The web app: bots you create on the Machine web app appear here too. If you don't see one, click Refresh threads at the top of the sidebar.
Common questions
How many bots can I have? As many as you like.
Does an unused bot cost money? You pay for the work bots do and for their computers while they're awake. See Usage and billing.
Can I rename a bot later? Yes. Double-click its name in the sidebar, or change it in Bot settings → Identity.