Getting Started
Installation
Download the latest installer from the Download page or the GitHub Releases.
macOS
| Chip | File |
|---|---|
| Apple Silicon (M1 / M2 / M3 / M4) | AQBot_x.x.x_aarch64.dmg |
| Intel | AQBot_x.x.x_x64.dmg |
- Open the
.dmgand drag AQBot into the Applications folder. - Launch AQBot. If macOS blocks the app, go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and click Open Anyway.
macOS: "App Is Damaged" or "Cannot Verify Developer"
If you see either of these messages, open Terminal and run:
xattr -c /Applications/AQBot.appThen launch the app again. This removes the quarantine flag that macOS applies to unsigned downloads.
Windows
| Architecture | File |
|---|---|
| x64 (most PCs) | AQBot_x.x.x_x64-setup.exe |
| ARM64 | AQBot_x.x.x_arm64-setup.exe |
Run the installer and follow the wizard. Launch AQBot from the Start Menu or the desktop shortcut.
Linux
| Format | Architecture | File |
|---|---|---|
| Debian / Ubuntu | x64 | AQBot_x.x.x_amd64.deb |
| Debian / Ubuntu | ARM64 | AQBot_x.x.x_arm64.deb |
| Fedora / openSUSE | x64 | AQBot_x.x.x_x86_64.rpm |
| Fedora / openSUSE | ARM64 | AQBot_x.x.x_aarch64.rpm |
| Any distro | x64 | AQBot_x.x.x_amd64.AppImage |
| Any distro | ARM64 | AQBot_x.x.x_aarch64.AppImage |
# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo dpkg -i AQBot_x.x.x_amd64.deb
# Fedora / openSUSE
sudo rpm -i AQBot_x.x.x_x86_64.rpm
# AppImage (any distro)
chmod +x AQBot_x.x.x_amd64.AppImage
./AQBot_x.x.x_amd64.AppImageFirst-Time Setup
1. Open Settings
Launch AQBot and click the gear icon at the bottom of the sidebar, or press Cmd/Ctrl+,.
2. Add a Provider
Navigate to Settings → Providers and click the + button.
- Enter a display name (e.g. OpenAI).
- Select the provider type (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, etc.).
- Paste your API key.
- Confirm the Base URL — the official endpoint is pre-filled for built-in types. Change it only if you use a third-party relay or proxy.
TIP
You can add as many providers as you like. Each provider manages its own set of API keys and models independently.
3. Fetch Models
Click Fetch Models to pull the list of available models from the provider's API. You can also add model IDs manually if needed.
4. Set a Default Model
Go to Settings → Default Model and choose the provider and model that new conversations should use by default.
Your First Conversation
- Click New Chat in the sidebar (or press Cmd/Ctrl+N).
- Select a model from the model selector at the top of the chat.
- Type a message and press Enter.
- AQBot streams the response in real time. Models that support thinking blocks (e.g. Claude, DeepSeek R1) display the reasoning process in a collapsible section above the answer.
Key Concepts
Conversation Branching
Edit or regenerate any message to create a branch. The original and new versions coexist in the same conversation tree — navigate between them with the arrow controls on each message.
Message Versions
Every regeneration creates a new version. Switch between versions using the ◀ ▶ arrows on the message bubble.
Context Attachments
Enrich your prompts by attaching files, search results, or MCP tool outputs directly to the conversation context.
Shortcuts
Below are the default keyboard shortcuts. All shortcuts can be customized in Settings → Shortcuts.
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+A | Show / hide the current window |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Alt+A | Show / hide all windows |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+W | Close window |
| Cmd/Ctrl+N | New conversation |
| Cmd/Ctrl+, | Open Settings |
| Cmd/Ctrl+K | Command palette |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+M | Toggle model selector |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+↑ | Fill last message |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+K | Clear context |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Backspace | Clear conversation messages |
| Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+G | Toggle API Gateway |
INFO
Global shortcuts (show/hide window) work system-wide even when AQBot is in the background. AQBot detects conflicts with shortcuts from other applications and warns you in Settings.
Desktop Settings
Open Settings to configure the desktop experience.
| Setting | Options |
|---|---|
| Theme | Dark, Light, or System (auto) |
| Language | English, 简体中文 |
| System tray | Minimize to tray, close to tray |
| Auto-start | Launch AQBot when your computer starts |
| Always on top | Keep the window above other applications |
| Proxy | HTTP or SOCKS5 proxy with host and port |
Data & Backup
Data Directories
AQBot stores data in two locations:
| Path | Contents |
|---|---|
~/.aqbot/ | Application state — database, encryption keys, vector DB, SSL certificates |
~/Documents/aqbot/ | User-visible files — images, documents, backups |
TIP
On Windows the paths are %USERPROFILE%\.aqbot\ and %USERPROFILE%\Documents\aqbot\.
Auto Backup
Go to Settings → Backup to configure automatic backups:
- Enabled — toggle automatic backups on or off.
- Interval — how often to back up (in hours).
- Max count — number of backups to keep before the oldest is deleted.
- Storage target — local directory (default:
~/Documents/aqbot/backups/), WebDAV server, or S3-compatible storage.
Manual Backup & Restore
Create a manual backup at any time from the Backup settings panel. To restore, select a backup from the history list and click Restore.
Conversation Export
Right-click a conversation in the sidebar to export it as:
- PNG — rendered screenshot of the chat
- Markdown — formatted with headers, code blocks, and LaTeX
- Plain text — simple text with message separators
- JSON — structured data with full metadata
Next Steps
- Configure Providers — add and manage AI providers
- MCP Servers — connect external tools to extend AI capabilities
- API Gateway — expose your providers as a local API server