Skills
Messaging Official

Emacs

Add Emacs as a messaging channel. Chat with your agent from org-mode buffers over a local HTTP bridge.

What it does

  • Chat with NanoClaw from an Emacs buffer
  • Send org-mode content, code regions, and plain text
  • Local HTTP bridge — no bot token or external service needed
  • Works with Doom Emacs, Spacemacs, and vanilla Emacs
  • Schedule tasks and capture research from within your editor

What you'll need

  • NanoClaw installed and running
  • Emacs 27+ (Doom, Spacemacs, or vanilla)

Install

/add-emacs

How it works

The /add-emacs skill turns Emacs into a NanoClaw channel using a local HTTP bridge. There’s no cloud service or bot token involved — the Emacs client talks to NanoClaw over localhost, making it a zero-dependency integration for people who already live in Emacs.

The skill applies the EmacsBridgeChannel class through the skills engine and installs an elisp package that provides the Emacs-side commands. Once set up, you get a dedicated chat buffer where you can send messages, paste org-mode content, select code regions for review, and receive responses inline.

Setup

The skill runs in four phases:

  1. Code changes — merges the Emacs channel implementation from the upstream skill branch. This adds the HTTP bridge server, the channel class, tests, and the elisp package.
  2. Environment — configures the bridge port (default 8766) and an optional auth token. The auth token is recommended if your machine is shared or on a network.
  3. Emacs config — installs the elisp package. The skill detects your Emacs flavor and gives you the right config snippet for Doom (packages.el + config.el), Spacemacs (dotspacemacs-additional-packages), or vanilla (use-package or load-path).
  4. Verification — tests the HTTP endpoint and confirms Emacs can reach it.

What you can do

Once connected, the Emacs integration supports several workflows:

  • Chat buffer — open a dedicated *nanoclaw* buffer and have a conversation, just like a messaging app.
  • Code review — select a region in any buffer and send it to the agent for review, explanation, or refactoring suggestions.
  • Org-mode integration — send org headings, tables, or entire subtrees as context. Useful for meeting notes, draft writing, or structured research.
  • Task scheduling — ask the agent to schedule tasks or reminders directly from the chat buffer.

Tips

  • The HTTP bridge binds to localhost by default, so it’s not exposed to the network. If you need remote access (e.g., Emacs running on a different machine via TRAMP), you’ll need to adjust the bind address.
  • Set EMACS_AUTH_TOKEN to a random string if you want an extra layer of security on the bridge endpoint.
  • The elisp package is self-contained — it doesn’t pull in external dependencies. If you prefer, you can copy the .el file manually instead of using the automated config step.
  • Emacs runs alongside other channels. You can have WhatsApp, Telegram, and Emacs all connected at the same time, each with its own group context.