Documentation

npm install botinabox

# Providers (pick one or more)
npm install @anthropic-ai/sdk    # Anthropic Claude
npm install openai               # OpenAI GPT
# Ollama requires no extra package — just a running Ollama server

# Connectors (optional)
npm install googleapis           # Google Gmail & Calendar

import {
  HookBus,
  DataStore,
  defineCoreTables,
  AgentRegistry,
  TaskQueue,
  RunManager,
  ProviderRegistry,
  ModelRouter,
  ApiExecutionAdapter,
} from 'botinabox';
import createAnthropicProvider from 'botinabox/anthropic';

// 1. Initialize
const hooks = new HookBus();
const db = new DataStore({ dbPath: './data/bot.db', wal: true, hooks });
defineCoreTables(db);
await db.init();

// 2. Register a provider
const providers = new ProviderRegistry();
providers.register(
  createAnthropicProvider({ apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY! })
);
const router = new ModelRouter(providers, {
  default: 'claude-sonnet-4-6',
});

// 3. Register an agent
const agents = new AgentRegistry(db, hooks);
const agentId = await agents.register({
  slug: 'assistant',
  name: 'Assistant',
  adapter: 'api',
});

// 4. Create and execute a task
const tasks = new TaskQueue(db, hooks);
const runs = new RunManager(db, hooks);

const taskId = await tasks.create({
  title: 'Summarize the quarterly report',
  assignee_id: agentId,
  priority: 3,
});

const runId = await runs.startRun(agentId, taskId, 'api');
const adapter = new ApiExecutionAdapter(router);
const result = await adapter.execute({
  agent: { id: agentId, model: 'claude-sonnet-4-6' },
  task: { description: 'Summarize the quarterly report.' },
});

await runs.finishRun(runId, {
  exitCode: result.exitCode,
  output: result.output,
  usage: result.usage,
});

# botinabox.config.yml
data:
  path: ./data/bot.db
  walMode: true

channels:
  slack:
    enabled: true
    botToken: ${SLACK_BOT_TOKEN}
    appToken: ${SLACK_APP_TOKEN}

providers:
  anthropic:
    enabled: true
    apiKey: ${ANTHROPIC_API_KEY}

agents:
  - slug: researcher
    name: Research Agent
    adapter: api
    model: smart
    budgetMonthlyCents: 5000

models:
  default: smart
  aliases:
    fast: claude-haiku-4-5
    smart: claude-sonnet-4-6
    powerful: claude-opus-4-6
  routing:
    conversation: fast
    task_execution: smart
    classification: fast
  fallbackChain: []

budget:
  globalMonthlyCents: 100000
  warnPercent: 80

schedules:
  - slug: daily-report
    cron: "0 9 * * *"
    timezone: America/New_York
    action: agent.wakeup
    actionConfig:
      agentSlug: researcher
      taskTitle: "Generate daily report"

import { HookBus } from 'botinabox';

const hooks = new HookBus();

// Register a handler (priority 10 = runs early)
hooks.on('task.created', async (ctx) => {
  console.log('New task:', ctx.task.title);
}, { priority: 10 });

// Filter-based handler
hooks.on('run.completed', async (ctx) => {
  console.log('Run finished with exit code:', ctx.exitCode);
}, { filter: (ctx) => ctx.agentSlug === 'researcher' });

// Fire an event
await hooks.fire('task.created', { task: { title: 'Hello' } });

import { DataStore, defineCoreTables } from 'botinabox';

const db = new DataStore({
  dbPath: './data/bot.db',
  wal: true,       // WAL mode for concurrent reads
  hooks,           // HookBus for audit events
});

// Register the 20+ core tables
defineCoreTables(db);
await db.init();

// CRUD operations
const id = await db.insert('agent', {
  slug: 'assistant',
  name: 'Assistant',
  adapter: 'api',
});

const agent = await db.get('agent', id);
const all = await db.query('agent', { adapter: 'api' });
await db.update('agent', id, { name: 'Updated' });
await db.delete('agent', id); // soft delete

import { AgentRegistry } from 'botinabox';

const agents = new AgentRegistry(db, hooks);

const agentId = await agents.register({
  slug: 'researcher',
  name: 'Research Agent',
  adapter: 'api',
  model: 'smart',                 // model alias
  budgetMonthlyCents: 10000,      // $100/month
  systemPrompt: 'You are a research assistant.',
});

// List all agents
const all = await agents.list();

// Get by slug
const agent = await agents.getBySlug('researcher');

import { TaskQueue, RunManager } from 'botinabox';

const tasks = new TaskQueue(db, hooks);
const runs = new RunManager(db, hooks);

// Create a task (priority 1-10, lower = higher priority)
const taskId = await tasks.create({
  title: 'Analyze the dataset',
  assignee_id: agentId,
  priority: 3,
  context: { datasetPath: './data/input.csv' },
});

// Start a run
const runId = await runs.startRun(agentId, taskId, 'api');

// Finish with result
await runs.finishRun(runId, {
  exitCode: 0,
  output: 'Analysis complete.',
  usage: { inputTokens: 500, outputTokens: 200 },
});

// Peek at the next task for an agent
const next = await tasks.peek(agentId);

// Claim and process
const claimed = await tasks.claim(agentId);
if (claimed) {
  // Execute...
  await tasks.complete(claimed.id, { output: 'Done' });
}

// Create a followup task
await tasks.create({
  title: 'Follow-up analysis',
  assignee_id: agentId,
  priority: 5,
  parentTaskId: taskId,  // links to parent
});

const runs = new RunManager(db, hooks);

// Start with adapter type
const runId = await runs.startRun(agentId, taskId, 'api');

// The API execution adapter handles the LLM loop
const adapter = new ApiExecutionAdapter(router);
const result = await adapter.execute({
  agent: { id: agentId, model: 'smart', systemPrompt: '...' },
  task: { description: 'Summarize this document.' },
  tools: [],                    // optional tool definitions
  maxIterations: 20,            // tool-use loop limit
});

// Record the result
await runs.finishRun(runId, {
  exitCode: result.exitCode,
  output: result.output,
  usage: result.usage,
});

import { WorkflowEngine } from 'botinabox';

const workflows = new WorkflowEngine(db, hooks);

const workflowId = await workflows.create({
  slug: 'code-review',
  name: 'Code Review Pipeline',
  steps: [
    {
      id: 'analyze',
      name: 'Static Analysis',
      agentSlug: 'analyzer',
      taskTemplate: {
        title: 'Run static analysis on {{pr_url}}',
        description: 'Analyze the PR for issues.',
      },
    },
    {
      id: 'review',
      name: 'Code Review',
      agentSlug: 'reviewer',
      dependsOn: ['analyze'],
      failurePolicy: 'abort',    // abort | skip | retry
      taskTemplate: {
        title: 'Review PR based on analysis',
        description: 'Review using analysis: {{analyze.output}}',
      },
    },
    {
      id: 'summarize',
      name: 'Summary',
      agentSlug: 'writer',
      dependsOn: ['review'],
      taskTemplate: {
        title: 'Write review summary',
        description: 'Summarize: {{review.output}}',
      },
    },
  ],
});

// Execute with context variables
await workflows.run(workflowId, {
  pr_url: 'https://github.com/org/repo/pull/42',
});

import { Scheduler } from 'botinabox';

const scheduler = new Scheduler(db, hooks);

// Cron schedule (daily at 9 AM Eastern)
await scheduler.create({
  slug: 'daily-report',
  cron: '0 9 * * *',
  timezone: 'America/New_York',
  action: 'agent.wakeup',
  actionConfig: {
    agentSlug: 'reporter',
    taskTitle: 'Generate daily report',
  },
});

// One-time schedule
await scheduler.create({
  slug: 'deploy-reminder',
  runAt: '2026-04-10T17:00:00Z',
  action: 'agent.wakeup',
  actionConfig: {
    agentSlug: 'devops',
    taskTitle: 'Deploy v2.0',
  },
});

// Start the polling loop (checks every 30s by default)
scheduler.start();

import { BudgetController } from 'botinabox';

const budget = new BudgetController(db, hooks, {
  globalMonthlyCents: 100000,    // $1,000/month total
  warnPercent: 80,               // emit warning at 80%
});

// Check before execution
const allowed = await budget.canSpend(agentId, estimatedCost);
if (!allowed) {
  console.log('Agent over budget — skipping');
}

// Record cost after execution
await budget.recordCost(agentId, {
  inputTokens: 1500,
  outputTokens: 800,
  model: 'claude-sonnet-4-6',
});

// Query spend
const agentSpend = await budget.getAgentSpend(agentId);
const globalSpend = await budget.getGlobalSpend();

import {
  DataStore,
  defineCoreTables,
  defineDomainTables,
} from 'botinabox';

const db = new DataStore({
  dbPath: './data/bot.db',
  wal: true,
  hooks,
});

defineCoreTables(db);      // agents, tasks, runs, etc.
defineDomainTables(db);    // org, project, client, etc. (optional)
await db.init();

// Render all entity context directories
await db.renderAll({ outputDir: './context' });

// Output structure:
// context/
//   agents/
//     researcher/
//       AGENT.md          # Agent definition + linked data
//       MESSAGES.md       # Recent messages
//   projects/
//     my-project/
//       PROJECT.md        # Project + linked repos, files, rules

import { SlackAdapter } from 'botinabox/slack';

const slack = new SlackAdapter({
  botToken: process.env.SLACK_BOT_TOKEN!,
  appToken: process.env.SLACK_APP_TOKEN!,
});

// Register with the channel registry
channels.register(slack);

// Send a message
await slack.send({
  channel: '#general',
  text: 'Hello from Bot in a Box!',
  threadTs: '1234567890.123456',  // optional thread
});

import { DiscordAdapter } from 'botinabox/discord';

const discord = new DiscordAdapter({
  token: process.env.DISCORD_TOKEN!,
});

channels.register(discord);

import { WebhookAdapter, WebhookServer } from 'botinabox/webhook';

const webhook = new WebhookAdapter({
  secret: process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET!,
});

channels.register(webhook);

// Start a webhook server
const server = new WebhookServer({
  port: 3000,
  secret: process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET!,
  onMessage: async (msg) => {
    await pipeline.process(msg);
  },
});
server.start();

import createAnthropicProvider from 'botinabox/anthropic';

const provider = createAnthropicProvider({
  apiKey: process.env.ANTHROPIC_API_KEY!,
});

providers.register(provider);

// Available models:
// claude-haiku-4-5, claude-sonnet-4-6, claude-opus-4-6

import createOpenAIProvider from 'botinabox/openai';

const provider = createOpenAIProvider({
  apiKey: process.env.OPENAI_API_KEY!,
});

providers.register(provider);

// Available models:
// gpt-4o, gpt-4o-mini, o3-mini

import createOllamaProvider from 'botinabox/ollama';

const provider = createOllamaProvider({
  baseUrl: 'http://localhost:11434',  // default
});

providers.register(provider);

// Models are discovered from the running Ollama server

import { ModelRouter } from 'botinabox';

const router = new ModelRouter(providers, {
  default: 'claude-sonnet-4-6',

  // Aliases
  aliases: {
    fast: 'claude-haiku-4-5',
    smart: 'claude-sonnet-4-6',
    powerful: 'claude-opus-4-6',
  },

  // Purpose-based routing
  routing: {
    conversation: 'fast',
    task_execution: 'smart',
    classification: 'fast',
    synthesis: 'powerful',
  },

  // Fallback chain (tried in order if primary fails)
  fallbackChain: ['gpt-4o', 'claude-sonnet-4-6'],
});

// Resolve by alias
const model = router.resolve('smart');
// => 'claude-sonnet-4-6'

// Resolve by purpose
const model2 = router.resolveForPurpose('classification');
// => 'claude-haiku-4-5'

// Sanitization happens automatically on all DataStore writes.
// No manual intervention needed.

// Field length limits are defined per-table in the schema.
// Values exceeding the limit are truncated.

// Unknown columns are stripped on write (silent),
// but cause errors on read (fail-fast).

// Audit events are emitted automatically via HookBus.
// Listen for them to build custom audit pipelines:

hooks.on('audit.write', async (ctx) => {
  console.log(`${ctx.table} ${ctx.action}: ${ctx.rowId}`);
});

// Secret access is tracked separately:
hooks.on('secret.accessed', async (ctx) => {
  console.log(`Secret ${ctx.key} accessed by ${ctx.agentId}`);
});

import { verifyHmac } from 'botinabox/webhook';

const isValid = verifyHmac({
  payload: requestBody,
  signature: request.headers['x-signature'],
  secret: process.env.WEBHOOK_SECRET!,
});

if (!isValid) {
  throw new Error('Invalid webhook signature');
}

import { GoogleGmailConnector } from 'botinabox/google';

const gmail = new GoogleGmailConnector({
  credentials: {
    clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID!,
    clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET!,
    refreshToken: process.env.GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN!,
  },
});

// Full sync
const emails = await gmail.sync();

// Incremental sync (uses historyId cursor)
const cursor = await db.loadCursor('gmail');
const newEmails = await gmail.sync({ cursor });
await db.saveCursor('gmail', newEmails.nextCursor);

// Send email
await gmail.send({
  to: 'user@example.com',
  subject: 'Hello',
  body: 'Sent from Bot in a Box.',
});

import { GoogleCalendarConnector } from 'botinabox/google';

const calendar = new GoogleCalendarConnector({
  credentials: {
    clientId: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_ID!,
    clientSecret: process.env.GOOGLE_CLIENT_SECRET!,
    refreshToken: process.env.GOOGLE_REFRESH_TOKEN!,
  },
  calendarId: 'primary',
});

// Sync events
const events = await calendar.sync();

// Incremental sync
const cursor = await db.loadCursor('calendar');
const updates = await calendar.sync({ cursor });
await db.saveCursor('calendar', updates.nextCursor);