# LobsterAI **The open-source desktop AI agent that does real work on your computer.** Describe a task in plain language. LobsterAI reads your files, runs tools, drives a browser,
edits Office documents, and hands back finished work — at your desk or from your phone.

**English** · [简体中文](https://github.com/netease-youdao/LobsterAI/blob/HEAD/README_zh.md)

Download  ·  Quick start  ·  Features  ·  Build from source  ·  Community

Why LobsterAI

Most AI assistants stop at an answer. LobsterAI is built to finish the job.

• It works where your work lives. Point it at a folder and it reads spreadsheets, writes documents, runs scripts, and browses the web, asking before anything sensitive.
• You see the result, not just a reply. Web pages, charts, images, videos, PDFs, and Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files open in a side panel, ready to edit or share.
• It keeps working when you step away. Schedule recurring jobs, or message your desktop agent from WeChat, Feishu, DingTalk, Telegram, and more.
• It's yours. MIT-licensed, with sessions stored locally. Sign in to use the built-in models, or bring your own API keys.

Built by NetEase Youdao, LobsterAI is the first open-source desktop-grade agent from a major Chinese tech company.

Features

Native Office editing Open Word, Excel, and PowerPoint files right in the app. Edit by hand, or let the agent make changes live alongside you.	Kits, skills, and connectors Install role-based kits for engineering, design, finance, sales, and more, pick individual skills, or connect MCP servers.
Scheduled tasks Turn any prompt into a recurring job: morning briefs, end-of-day wrap-ups, weekly reports, and health checks.	Message it from anywhere Connect a chat app once, then send tasks to your desktop agent from your phone.

Everything in the box

Things to try

Quick start

1. Install LobsterAI. Download it from the official website, or get the latest release directly: macOS (Apple Silicon) · macOS (Intel) · Windows x64
2. Choose a model. Sign in to use the built-in models, or add your own API key under Settings → Custom Model.
3. Give it a task. Pick a working folder, describe what you want, and approve actions as it works. Generated files open in the side panel.
4. Go further. Install kits from Kits · Skills · Connectors, set up recurring work in Scheduled Tasks, or connect a chat app under Settings → IM Bot.

How it works

flowchart LR
  subgraph App["LobsterAI desktop app (Electron)"]
    UI["Renderer<br/>React · Redux · Tailwind<br/>sessions · artifacts · Office editors"]
    Main["Main process<br/>Cowork sessions · permissions · SQLite<br/>skills · MCP · IM · scheduler"]
    UI <-->|"preload IPC"| Main
  end
  Main <-->|"config sync · events"| Gateway["OpenClaw gateway<br/>bundled agent runtime"]
  Gateway --> Models["LLM providers"]
  Gateway --> Tools["Local tools<br/>files · shell · browser<br/>computer use · MCP servers"]
  Chat["Chat apps<br/>WeChat · Feishu · DingTalk · Telegram …"] <--> Gateway

• Cowork is LobsterAI's product layer. It owns sessions, messages, permissions, artifacts, agents, and IM bindings, and stores them locally in SQLite.
• OpenClaw is the agent runtime underneath. LobsterAI ships a pinned build, renders its config from app state, and translates its events into the Cowork stream.
• The renderer is sandboxed with context isolation and talks to the main process only through the preload IPC bridge.

Build from source

Requirements: Node.js >=24.15.0 <25, npm >=11.17.0 <12, git, and pnpm.

git clone https://github.com/netease-youdao/LobsterAI.git
cd LobsterAI
npm install

# First run: fetches the pinned OpenClaw version into ../openclaw, builds the runtime, and starts the app
npm run electron:dev:openclaw

# Later runs, once the runtime exists
npm run electron:dev

CONTRIBUTING.md covers tests, linting, runtime options, packaging installers, and the project layout.

Security and privacy

• Sessions, messages, and settings are stored locally in lobsterai.sqlite under the app's user data directory. Agent memory and runtime state live alongside it under openclaw/.
• File operations, shell commands, and network access are permission-gated, and the agent asks before it acts.
• Renderer windows run with context isolation, sandboxing, and no Node.js integration.

Community

Join the WeChat group for help, feedback, and release news. You can also follow @LobsterAIYoudao on X.

Report bugs and request features through GitHub Issues.

Contributing

Contributions are welcome. Read CONTRIBUTING.md to set up your environment, and look for good first issues to get started.

Star history

License

MIT © NetEase Youdao