Why Anthropic Renamed Clawdbot to Moltbot

If you’ve been following the AI coding agent space, you’ve noticed the name change. Here’s everything you need to know about the Clawdbot to Moltbot transition.

The Short Version

Clawdbot → Moltbot is purely a trademark/branding decision. There are:

• ✅ No functionality changes
• ✅ No security changes
• ✅ No breaking API changes
• ✅ No required configuration updates

Your existing setups continue to work.

Why the Name Change?

Trademark Considerations

The original “Clawdbot” name faced trademark challenges:

1. Similar existing marks in the robotics/automation space
2. International registration conflicts in key markets
3. Brand differentiation from Claude (the underlying model)

Strategic Positioning

Anthropic also wanted to:

• Create a distinct product identity separate from Claude
• Enable independent branding for the agent platform
• Build a recognizable name in the enterprise market

What’s Actually Different?

The Name (And Only the Name)

Aspect	Changed?	Details
Binary name	Yes	clawdbot → moltbot
Config paths	Aliased	Both work, moltbot preferred
API endpoints	Aliased	Old endpoints redirect
Core functionality	No	Identical behavior
Security model	No	Same protections
Plugin system	No	Same plugins work

Transition Timeline

Dec 2025: Moltbot name announced
Jan 2026: Documentation updated
Mar 2026: clawdbot command deprecated (warnings)
Jun 2026: clawdbot command fully removed

Migration Guide

Do You Need to Migrate?

Not urgently. The transition is designed to be seamless:

# Both still work
clawdbot security audit
moltbot security audit

# But you'll see deprecation warnings starting March 2026

Recommended Steps

1. Update the binary name in scripts:

# Before
clawdbot build

# After  
moltbot build

2. Update configuration paths (optional but recommended):

# Old location still works
~/.config/clawdbot/

# New preferred location
~/.config/moltbot/

3. Update documentation and runbooks:

• Search/replace “Clawdbot” → “Moltbot”
• Update screenshots in internal docs

Automated Migration

# Run the migration helper
moltbot migrate from-clawdbot

# This will:
# - Copy config from ~/.config/clawdbot to ~/.config/moltbot
# - Update any hardcoded paths in config files
# - Show a summary of changes needed in scripts

Security Considerations

Check Your Configurations

While the security model hasn’t changed, use this as an opportunity to:

1. Review access controls - Are your allowlists current?
2. Audit tool permissions - Any unnecessary elevated tools?
3. Check for hardcoded paths - Update to new locations

Update Security Policies

If your organization has documented security policies for “Clawdbot”:

• Update policy documents with new name
• Ensure monitoring/SIEM rules catch both names during transition
• Update any allowlists that reference binary names

Fresh Install Opportunity

Consider this a good time for a fresh, hardened install:

# Clean install
npm install -g moltbot

# Run fresh with secure defaults
moltbot init --security-hardened

# Copy over only necessary config
cp ~/.config/clawdbot/customizations.json ~/.config/moltbot/

Common Questions

Q: Will my plugins break?

No. Plugins use internal APIs that haven’t changed. All existing plugins work with both names.

Q: Do I need new API keys?

No. Authentication tokens, API keys, and credentials carry over unchanged.

Q: What about the Claude integration?

Unchanged. Moltbot still uses Claude models. The name separation is just for the agent platform, not the underlying AI.

Q: How do I update my CI/CD pipelines?

Update the binary name in your scripts:

# Before
- run: clawdbot security audit

# After
- run: moltbot security audit

Q: Is SecureMolt.com still relevant?

Absolutely! All security guidance applies equally to both naming conventions. We use “Moltbot” throughout but everything applies to Clawdbot deployments too.

Looking Forward

The rebrand signals Anthropic’s commitment to the AI agent platform as a standalone product. Expect:

• More enterprise features focused on security and governance
• Expanded integration ecosystem with enterprise tools
• Continued security investment in the platform

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Need Help?

• Security Fundamentals - Core concepts (applies to both names)
• Gateway Hardening - Configuration guide
• Security Audit Checklist - Full audit guide

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The name changed, but security best practices remain the same. Focus on hardening your deployment regardless of what you call it.