The bot’s computer
The bot's computer
Every bot has a real computer with a browser, a terminal, files and a desktop, so it can do work that needs more than a chat.
Watch it work
Choose the bot's name at the top of the chat. Its Activity tab shows a live preview of the bot's screen; choose Open on the preview to see it full size. The computer starts when a bot needs it and goes to sleep when idle; opening it wakes it.
On mobile, choose Open computer in the chat's Bot actions menu, or Computer in the bot's profile.
Take control
Choose Take control to use the screen yourself, for example to sign in to a site. The header shows You have control until you choose Release control (Release on mobile).
When the bot hits something only you can do, such as a CAPTCHA or a code texted to your phone, it asks you to take over. The header shows Needs you. Do the step, then choose I’m done, or Skip to let the bot carry on without it.
Tip
Want the bot to sign in by itself next time? Ask it to save the login. See Reusable credentials.
Team or Private
In the bot's Advanced settings, Computer is Team or Private.
- Team (the default): bots in the space share one Team Computer, with the same files and installed tools. Each bot gets its own screen and browser, and sites you sign in to are carried over to the other bots.
- Private: the bot gets a computer of its own. Use it when files or sign-ins must not be shared with other bots.
In a team space, each person has their own Team Computer, so teammates using the same bot never share files or sign-ins.
On Opisense Cloud, computer time comes with paid plans; the Free plan includes none. See Account and billing.
Files
Bots save their work on the computer and send you the results as files in the chat. Every file a bot has sent is also in its Library tab, and all your bots' files are in Library under Workspace tools in the account menu. On mobile, open Library from the bot's profile.
To have a bot react to files changing, use a routine that watches a folder.
Fix a computer
Open the computer and choose More computer actions:
- Stop computer: shut it down now. It starts again when needed.
- Update computer: save the workspace and install current software.
- Recover computer: recreate a computer that is not working.
- Reset computer: go back to the last saved workspace. Unsaved work on the computer is lost.
Use your own computer
In the desktop app, bots can also run commands on the computer the app is installed on. Turn on Let bots use this computer in Settings → General under Computers. In every approval mode, a bot asks before its first command in a space and before it first uses each app there, unless a Block rule refuses it. Allow in this space covers the rest of that space, in any chat, until you remove the computer from the same list.
Warning
A bot with access to your computer can read your files and run programs as you. Only turn it on for a computer you would let your bots use unattended.