Overview

CowAgent is a free, open‑source AI assistant that runs on your own laptop, server, or Docker container. A single‑line shell command downloads a script, installs dependencies, configures the environment, and starts the assistant, allowing developers to deploy it for continuous 24/7 operation. The desktop application and web interface can also be launched, giving you a choice of interaction mode.

You give CowAgent a goal in plain English, and its planning engine decomposes that goal into a sequence of sub‑tasks. Each sub‑task triggers a tool or skill; the results are fed back into the planner until the overall goal is met. For instance, if you ask it to “write an email summarizing last week's reports,” it will split the request into gathering reports, summarizing key points, drafting the email, and then sending it. The assistant records every planned step, so you can review the process or replay it later.

Memory in CowAgent follows a three‑tier architecture. Context memory holds information only for the active conversation. Daily memory aggregates data across a day, allowing the assistant to keep track of ongoing projects. Core memory preserves long‑term knowledge; CowAgent distills new content automatically and stores it in a Markdown wiki that grows into a knowledge graph with cross‑references. When you ask for historical data, the assistant retrieves relevant entries using a mix of keyword and vector search.

Skills are added by a one‑click install from the Skill Hub, GitHub, or ClawHub, or by conjuring a new skill through natural‑language conversation. Each skill is a self‑contained plugin that can call external APIs or run scripts. For example, a weather skill can fetch data from a public API, and a math skill can evaluate expressions. The assistant's built‑in toolset includes file I/O, terminal commands, browser navigation, a scheduler, web search, memory retrieval, and more than ten other utilities, all integrated via the MCP framework.

The assistant can speak through multiple channels: Telegram, Slack, Discord, WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, WeCom, QQ, web, and the terminal. A single Agent can spawn sub‑Agents, allowing you to create a team that delegates tasks and collaborates in group chats. This is useful for workflows that span multiple users or departments.

CowAgent supports several large‑language‑model providers, Claude, GPT, Gemini, DeepSeek, Qwen, GLM, Kimi, MiniMax, Doubao, and others.