Managing your server: dashboard, plans, and billing
Your Genie server is a full personal AI system. This article covers how to manage it — server controls, backups, subscriptions, integrations, automation, and account security.
Written By Deva
Last updated About 2 months ago
Server Controls
Start / Stop / Terminate
Free-tier servers auto-hibernate when idle and wake automatically on reconnect.
Resizing
Upgrade or downgrade your server tier anytime:
Go to Settings → Server.
Select a new tier.
Your server resizes (brief downtime during resize).
Pricing is prorated — you only pay for what you use.
Backups and Checkpoints
Backups
Full system snapshots that capture everything — files, packages, environment variables, cron jobs.
Automatic backups — Configure intervals (6, 12, or 24 hours) in Settings
Manual backups — Create on-demand from Settings → Backups
Download — Export backups as compressed archives
Restore — Roll back your entire server to a backup point
Charged by size — karma cost proportional to backup size
Checkpoints
Lighter-weight save points for specific workflow stages. Create a checkpoint before a risky operation, restore if things go wrong.
Best practice: Always create a checkpoint before:
Major package installations or upgrades
Configuration changes
Deployment operations
Letting your Genie run autonomous workflows
Automation & Scheduling
Your Genie can automate tasks that run without you:
Cron Jobs
Ask your Genie to set up recurring tasks:
"Set up a cron job that backs up the database every night at 2 AM"
"Monitor my website every 5 minutes and alert me on Telegram if it goes down"
"Rotate log files weekly and compress old ones"
Autonomous Workflows
Your Genie continues working after you close the browser:
Scheduled data processing
Web scraping and monitoring
Automated reporting
System maintenance
Since your server runs 24/7 (paid tiers), your Genie is always available to execute scheduled work.
Integrations
Telegram (Settings → Channels)
Turn your Genie into a Telegram bot:
Set up the Telegram integration in Settings → Channels.
Your Genie becomes reachable as a bot.
Send messages, voice notes, and files directly from Telegram.
Configure allowlists: only accept messages from specific users.
Discord (Settings → Channels)
Add your Genie to Discord:
Connect Discord in Settings → Channels.
Invite the bot to your server/channels.
@mention the bot to interact.
Team members can share the AI with a shared credit pool.
Configure channel-specific visibility and permissions.
Gmail / Email (Composio)
Connect Gmail through Settings → Integrations:
Your Genie can read, search, and send emails
Useful for: automated reports, email-triggered workflows, inbox monitoring
More Integrations
Additional tools via Composio are being added — Slack, GitHub, and more.
Karma (Credits) and Billing
How Karma Works
Karma is the credit currency for Deva products. 1,000 karma = $1 USD.
Karma is spent on:
Chat messages (token consumption)
Server operations (snapshots, checkpoints)
Sandbox creation and runtime
API calls (when using Genie's models instead of your own)
Bring your own LLM credentials (Claude, Codex, Gemini) to skip karma costs on chat — only pay your provider directly.
Checking Your Balance
Your karma balance is shown in the header pill on every page. Click it for a breakdown of subscription credits vs. top-ups.
Purchasing Credits
Go to Credits in the sidebar.
Click Purchase Credits.
Choose an amount, complete Stripe checkout.
Credits appear instantly.
Karma Withdraw
Excess karma can be withdrawn — converted back to USD.
Subscription Plans
Server Tiers (Compute)
User Plans (Features)
Managing Your Subscription
Upgrade/Downgrade from Settings → Billing
Stripe Billing Portal — Update payment method, view invoices, cancel
Changes take effect at next billing cycle (upgrades can be immediate)
Account Security
Passkeys (Passwordless)
Set up biometric login:
Go to Account settings.
Click Add Passkey.
Authenticate with Face ID, Touch ID, or Windows Hello.
Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Enable TOTP for an extra security layer:
Go to Account → Security.
Click Enable 2FA.
Scan the QR code with your authenticator app.
Enter the verification code to confirm.
2FA is required for sensitive operations like SSH key management.
Linked Accounts
Manage your login providers in Account settings:
Google, GitHub, Apple, Telegram
Add or remove providers anytime
Secrets Management
Store sensitive values (API keys, tokens, credentials) securely in Settings → Secrets:
Encrypted at rest on your server
Auto-injected as environment variables at runtime
Never exposed in logs or code
Revealed only for specific operations
Auto-Upgrade
Enable in Settings to automatically receive the latest OpenClaw updates:
Your server gets the newest features and security patches
Updates happen during maintenance windows
Disable if you prefer manual control
Free Tier Limits
Free-tier usage is tracked by compute time:
Active seconds used vs. lifetime limit — visible in Settings → Credits
Polled every 60 seconds
Warning banner when running low
Server hibernates when idle to conserve time
Upgrade path: Switch to any paid tier mid-month (prorated)
Tips
Stop your server when not using it (paid tiers) to be cost-efficient. Your files persist.
Create checkpoints before risky operations. They're your safety net.
Use Telegram for quick interactions — faster than opening the web app.
Connect your own LLM credentials to save on karma costs.
Set up automatic backups — don't wait until you need one.
Enable 2FA — especially if you're storing secrets or SSH keys.
Use cron jobs for recurring tasks — your Genie works while you sleep.