> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/nearai/ironclaw/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Introduction to IronClaw > Your secure personal AI assistant that protects your data and expands its capabilities on the fly IronClaw ## Your AI Assistant, Always On Your Side IronClaw is built on a simple principle: **your AI assistant should work for you, not against you**. In a world where AI systems are increasingly opaque about data handling and aligned with corporate interests, IronClaw takes a different approach — open source, locally-controlled, and security-first. All data stored locally, encrypted, and never leaves your control. No telemetry, no tracking, no data harvesting. Open source from day one. Audit every line of code. No hidden telemetry or black boxes. Build new tools on the fly without waiting for vendor updates. Dynamic WASM plugins and MCP integration. Multiple security layers protect against prompt injection and data exfiltration. ## Key Features ### Security First All untrusted tools run in isolated WebAssembly containers with capability-based permissions. Explicit opt-in for HTTP, secrets, and tool invocation. Secrets are injected at the host boundary and never exposed to WASM code. ``` WASM ──► Allowlist ──► Leak Scan ──► Credential ──► Execute ──► Leak Scan ──► WASM Validator (request) Injector Request (response) ``` * Secrets encrypted with AES-256-GCM * Stored in OS keychain (macOS/Linux) or environment variables * Never exposed to tools or LLM context * Automatic leak detection in HTTP requests and responses External content passes through multiple security layers: * Pattern-based detection of injection attempts * Content sanitization and escaping * Policy rules with severity levels (Block/Warn/Review/Sanitize) * Tool output wrapping for safe LLM context injection HTTP requests only allowed to explicitly approved hosts and paths. Tools declare their required endpoints upfront in capability manifests. ### Always Available IronClaw runs continuously in the background, accessible through multiple channels: * **REPL** — Interactive terminal interface for direct conversation * **HTTP Webhooks** — Trigger tasks via REST API * **WASM Channels** — Telegram, Slack, Discord, WhatsApp (isolated plugin architecture) * **Web Gateway** — Browser UI with real-time SSE/WebSocket streaming * **Routines** — Cron schedules, event triggers, webhook handlers for background automation * **Heartbeat System** — Proactive background execution for monitoring and maintenance All channels support parallel job execution with isolated contexts. No request blocks another. ### Self-Expanding Capabilities Describe what you need, and IronClaw builds it as a WASM tool. No restart required. Connect to Model Context Protocol servers for additional capabilities like file access, web browsing, and more. Drop in new WASM tools and channels without restarting the agent. Hot-reload everything. Isolated container execution with per-job tokens and orchestrator/worker pattern for heavy workloads. ### Persistent Memory IronClaw remembers your conversations, preferences, and context: * **Hybrid Search** — Full-text + vector search using Reciprocal Rank Fusion * **Workspace Filesystem** — Flexible path-based storage for notes, logs, and context * **Identity Files** — Maintain consistent personality and preferences across sessions (`IDENTITY.md`, `SOUL.md`) * **PostgreSQL or libSQL** — Production-ready persistence with pgvector for semantic search Your workspace is stored in a local database. Enable embeddings during setup for semantic search across all your notes and conversations. ## Architecture at a Glance ``` ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ Channels │ │ ┌──────┐ ┌──────┐ ┌─────────────┐ ┌─────────────┐ │ │ │ REPL │ │ HTTP │ │WASM Channels│ │ Web Gateway │ │ │ └──┬───┘ └──┬───┘ └──────┬──────┘ │ (SSE + WS) │ │ │ │ │ │ └──────┬──────┘ │ │ └─────────┴──────────────┴────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────▼─────────┐ │ │ │ Agent Loop │ Intent routing │ │ └────┬──────────┬───┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌──────────▼────┐ ┌──▼───────────────┐ │ │ │ Scheduler │ │ Routines Engine │ │ │ │(parallel jobs)│ │(cron, event, wh) │ │ │ └──────┬────────┘ └────────┬─────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────┼────────────────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───▼─────┐ ┌────▼────────────────┐ │ │ │ Local │ │ Orchestrator │ │ │ │Workers │ │ ┌───────────────┐ │ │ │ │(in-proc)│ │ │ Docker Sandbox│ │ │ │ └───┬─────┘ │ │ Containers │ │ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────┐ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ │Worker / CC│ │ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───────────┘ │ │ │ │ │ │ └───────────────┘ │ │ │ │ └─────────┬───────────┘ │ │ └──────────────────┤ │ │ │ │ │ ┌───────────▼──────────┐ │ │ │ Tool Registry │ │ │ │ Built-in, MCP, WASM │ │ │ └──────────────────────┘ │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘ ``` | Component | Purpose | | - | - | | **Agent Loop** | Main message handling and job coordination | | **Router** | Classifies user intent (command, query, task) | | **Scheduler** | Manages parallel job execution with priorities | | **Worker** | Executes jobs with LLM reasoning and tool calls | | **Orchestrator** | Container lifecycle, LLM proxying, per-job auth | | **Web Gateway** | Browser UI with chat, memory, jobs, logs, extensions, routines | | **Routines Engine** | Scheduled (cron) and reactive (event, webhook) background tasks | | **Workspace** | Persistent memory with hybrid search | | **Safety Layer** | Prompt injection defense and content sanitization | ## Why IronClaw? IronClaw is a Rust reimplementation inspired by [OpenClaw](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw), bringing native performance, memory safety, and enhanced security. **Key differences from OpenClaw:** * **Rust vs TypeScript** — Native performance, memory safety, single binary * **WASM sandbox vs Docker** — Lightweight, capability-based security for tools * **PostgreSQL vs SQLite** — Production-ready persistence with vector search * **Security-first design** — Multiple defense layers, credential protection, prompt injection defense ## Next Steps Install IronClaw on your system Get up and running in 5 minutes Configure LLM providers, channels, and more Explore all available commands