OpenCowork

Open-source desktop platform for multi-agent collaboration
Run AI agents locally with real tools, parallel teammates, and messaging plugins.

中文 • Overview • Capabilities • Architecture • Quick Start • Development • Star History

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Project Overview

OpenCowork is a desktop AI agent collaboration workspace built with Electron, React, and TypeScript. It is designed for local, tool-enabled automation rather than chat-only workflows. Agents can read and write files, run shell commands, search code, schedule tasks, and coordinate with teammates.

Key ideas:

• Local-first execution with explicit approval for risky actions.
• Multi-agent teamwork to split work and run tasks in parallel.
• Plugin-based messaging integrations for workplace chat.

Core Capabilities

• Multi-agent loop with lead agent orchestration and parallel teammates.
• Tool system for file I/O, shell, search, task tracking, and previews.
• Subagent presets and skill modules loaded from Markdown definitions.
• Messaging plugins for Feishu/Lark, DingTalk, Telegram, Discord, WhatsApp, and WeCom.
• Persistent scheduling with cron or interval-based dispatch.
• MCP integration for external tool servers and resources.
• Local storage with SQLite and user data under ~/.open-cowork/.

Architecture Overview

OpenCowork follows a three-process Electron architecture.

graph TB
  subgraph "Renderer"
    A[React UI] --> B[Agent Loop]
    B --> C[Tool System]
    C --> D[State Stores]
  end

  subgraph "Preload"
    E[contextBridge]
  end

  subgraph "Main"
    F[SQLite]
    G[File System]
    H[Shell]
    I[API Proxy]
    J[Plugins]
  end

  A -.->|window.electron| E
  E -.->|IPC invoke/send| F
  E -.->|IPC invoke/send| G
  E -.->|IPC invoke/send| H
  E -.->|IPC invoke/send| I
  E -.->|IPC invoke/send| J

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Quick Start

Prerequisites:

• Node.js >= 18
• npm >= 9
• Git

Install and run:

git clone https://github.com/AIDotNet/OpenCowork.git
cd OpenCowork
npm install
npm run dev

Common commands:

npm run lint
npm run typecheck
npm run build
npm run build:win
npm run build:mac
npm run build:linux

Configuration

1. Open Settings and add your AI provider API key.
2. Select a default model for the app.
3. Enable messaging plugins and configure their tokens if needed.

Project Structure

src/main       Electron main process, IPC, plugins, cron, updater
src/preload    Secure bridge APIs exposed to the renderer
src/renderer   React UI, stores, hooks, and agent logic
resources      Built-in agents and skills packaged with the app
docs           Documentation site (Next.js)

User data lives in ~/.open-cowork/ and includes data.db, settings.json, and config.json.

Development Guide

Add a new tool:

1. Create a ToolHandler in src/renderer/src/lib/tools/.
2. Register it in src/renderer/src/lib/tools/index.ts.

Add a SubAgent:

1. Create a Markdown definition file with the agent prompt.
2. Place it in ~/.open-cowork/agents/ or resources/agents/.

Add a skill:

1. Create a skill directory with SKILL.md and optional scripts.
2. Place it in ~/.open-cowork/skills/ or resources/skills/.

Use Cases

• Code review, refactors, and debugging with specialized subagents.
• Project planning, task breakdown, and milestone tracking.
• Data analysis and report generation on local datasets.
• Scheduled reports and message delivery via plugins.

Star History

Contributing

1. Fork the repository.
2. Create a feature branch.
3. Commit changes with a concise, imperative subject.
4. Open a pull request with summary and verification steps.

License

Licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

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If this project helps you, please give it a star.

Made by the OpenCowork Team