OtterDesk user guide
Learn how to hire, guide, supervise, and review your AI co-workers in OtterDesk.
OtterDesk user guide
OtterDesk is a desktop app for supervising AI co-workers that run on computers you control. A co-worker has a clear mission, shows you what it is doing, brings decisions to you when needed, and keeps evidence with its work.
Use this guide to get set up, hire your first co-worker, and stay in control of its work.
Start here
- New to OtterDesk? Begin with Quick start.
- Need help with the local runtime or Docker Desktop? See Set up your local runtime.
- Ready to add a co-worker? Open Browse and hire co-workers.
- Want to understand a co-worker's status and results? Read Review work.
The OtterDesk loop
OtterDesk is built around a simple supervision loop:
- Choose a co-worker with a useful mission.
- Configure what it needs to do the work.
- Test it before relying on a regular schedule.
- Review its activity, evidence, and any decisions it needs from you.
- Pause, correct, reschedule, archive, or remove it when its role changes.
You stay responsible for the decisions. OtterDesk makes each co-worker's purpose, activity, data boundaries, and approval needs easier to inspect.
Main areas in the app
| Area | What you do there |
|---|---|
| Hire a co-worker | Browse available roles, inspect expectations, and add a co-worker to your team. |
| My Team | Open a co-worker, test it, chat when available, review work, or set a schedule. |
| Settings | Manage preferences, archived co-workers, computer resources, and updates. |
If something isn't working as expected, start with Troubleshooting.