Creating and Using Bots

Cantina lets you create your own AI characters. Give them a name, a look, a voice, and a personality, and they're ready to chat. Here's how to make one from scratch.

You can have up to 100 characters on your account, and more if you're in the Cantina Badge Program. Characters are creative tools that follow our community standards. See Creating & Using Bots for the full policy.

Create your character

Tap Create Character in the Bots tab, or the create button at the bottom right of the Home screen. On web, go to Characters in the left sidebar.

1. Describe your character. Write who they are in a sentence or two, then pick their type, gender, and age. Give them a name and an @username, or tap the refresh icon for a suggested name.
2. Where do they live? Describe their home (up to 500 characters). Anywhere counts: a city, a ship, a shoebox.
3. Bring them to life. Continue to be guided through their look, personality, and voice, or tap Skip to Editor to build them yourself.
4. Their look. Pick from the photos Cantina makes from your description. Edit the prompt to try again, or design a custom look.
5. Their persona. Choose an Identity, Personality, and Backstory from the suggestions, or write your own (up to 10,000 characters each).
6. Their voice. Play the voice to hear it. Edit the voice description (up to 300 characters) to make a new one, or clone a voice from a recording.
7. Final touches. Add a short public description and tags so people can discover your character. Pick Mild (default) or Spicy.
8. Cantina creates your character. Their profile video keeps making in the background, so you can go to their profile, make a video, or start chatting right away.

The editor

If you chose Skip to Editor, you land in the editor. It has seven sections:

• Physical Attributes — your character's avatar.
• Profile Avatar & Video — the video that introduces your character.
• Character Inventory — their wardrobe, locations, and props.
• Identity & Personality — who they are, how they act, and their backstory.
• Voice — how they sound.
• Basic Info — name, username, type, gender, age, where they live, and spiciness.
• Settings & Privacy — description and tags, response style, visibility, greeting, base videos, and advanced settings.

On web, click Done when you're ready, or Cancel to leave without saving. For what you can do in each section, see How to Change Character Settings.

After your character is created

You can change any of their settings later. See How to Change Character Settings.

Keep going

• Prompting 101 — write better prompts for richer, more in-character conversations.
• Starter Prompt Library — prompt templates to copy and remix for selfies, videos, identity, voice, and environments.
• Cantina Glossary — quick reference for terms like character, Imagine, and AI Selfies.
• Creating & Using Bots — community standards for creating characters, parody, and impersonation.
• Cantina Badge Program — higher character limits and other perks.
• How to Share on Cantina — every way to share your characters, videos, and links.

Once your character is created, you can change how they look, what they wear, where they've been, who they are, how they sound, and who can find them.

Open the editor

1. Go to your character's profile.
2. Tap Edit in the top right. You can also tap ••• and then Edit Bot.
3. Edit Bot opens with seven sections. Scroll to see them all. Your changes save on their own.

What you can change

Physical Attributes

Your character's avatar, the look used to make their photos and videos. Update the Detail (how they look), Age, and Environment, then tap Redraw. To start fresh, tap Create New Avatar, describe your character and where they are, and tap Generate Face. Tap Save to keep your changes.

Profile Avatar & Video

The main video that introduces your character. Tap Edit Script to change what they say, then tap Generate Profile Video. Tap Create Profile Photo & Video to make a new one. Your earlier versions are listed below it.

Character Inventory

Everything your character wears, visits, and carries:

• Wardrobe — outfits, clothing, footwear, and accessories.
• Locations — places they've been.
• Props — objects they use and carry.

Tap a section to see everything in it. Tap + to add something new.

Identity & Personality

Who your character is and how they act:

• Identity — who they are and what their purpose is.
• Personality — how they think and behave.
• Backstory — the formative events driving their life.

Tap any one to edit it. While you edit, tap Suggest for ideas. To see new options for all three, tap Get Suggestions, pick up to three, and tap Add.

Voice

Tap the circle to preview your character's voice. Tap Create Voice to clone a voice or generate a new one, or Voice Library to choose from voices you've saved.

Basic Info

Your character's name and username, plus Type, Gender, Age, and Location (where they live). Spiciness sets how far your character can go: Mild keeps them from going overboard, and Spicy allows edgier replies.

Settings & Privacy

• Description & Tags — shown on your character's profile so people can find them. Tap Regenerate for a new description, or Add Tags.
• Response Style — how much your character says at a time: No Preference, Short, Medium, or Long.
• Visibility & Privacy — Bot Visibility makes your character visible to people in your network. Prompt Visibility lets others see your character's prompt.
• Greeting — how your character introduces themselves when someone adds them to a room. Use {{inviter}} for the person who added them and {{char}} for your character's name. Greetings can be up to 300 characters.
• Base Videos — the videos your character uses to make quick videos. Tap + to add one.
• Advanced — Image Creation, DJ Ability, Default Response Settings, Message Memory, and Response Tuning. Changing these can make your character behave in unexpected ways.

Add your character to a room

Once your character is set up, add them to a room so people can talk to them. See How to Add and Remove Bots from Rooms.

Keep going

• How to Create a Character — make a new character.
• Prompting 101 — tag your characters and build a scene.
• How to Give Your Bot a Voice — create or clone a voice.
• Voice Creation Guidelines — what makes a great voice.
• How to Add and Remove Bots from Rooms — bring your character into a room.
• How to Share on Cantina — every way to share.

Your bot's avatar is one part of building a bot. For the full walkthrough, see How to Create a Bot. This article focuses on the avatar, the part where you give your bot a face.

Three ways to build the avatar

Use any tool on its own, or combine them.

• Upload Photo. Bring your own image. The app uses it as the base for your bot's avatar.
• Select Traits. Pick from presets across hair color, hair style, eye color, clothing, ethnicity, skin tone, body type, and expression. There's also an Attractiveness slider.
• Describe what your character looks like. Write a free-text prompt. The fuller and more specific the description, the closer the result.

You can also set an Environment, a short description of where your bot is visually. The environment shows up in the background of the generated avatar.

Where to find the avatar tools

On iPhone

The avatar tools live inside the Appearance section of the editor. To get there:

1. Tap CREATE BOT at the bottom of the screen.
2. On the Describe Your Character screen, name your bot and fill in a short description, species, gender, and age.
3. Tap Start Creating (the guided flow walks you through avatar creation along with other details) or Skip to Editor (jump straight into the editor).
4. Inside the editor, tap Appearance to open the avatar tools.

On Android

The avatar tools live inside the Appearance section of the editor. To get there:

1. Tap Create Bot at the bottom-right of the home screen.
2. On the Create Bot screen, tap Appearance (the section with the Edit look, manage profile photo & video subtitle).

On Web

Web is in beta — features may be delayed or behave differently than on mobile.

The avatar tools live in the middle pane of the Bot Builder. To get there:

1. Click Bots in the Cantina sidebar to open your Bots library.
2. Click the + Create Bot card at the top of the grid.
3. Use the tools in the middle pane to upload a photo, select traits, or describe your character. Fill in the other sections in the right-side Details panel as you go.

Generating the avatar

Once you've used one or more of the tools above, tap Generate Avatar. The app generates options.

1. Tap one to select it. A Selected badge appears on your pick.
2. From there, you can:
   • Tap Save at the top right to commit your choice, or
   • Tap Redraw Using Selected to generate fresh options based on the one you picked.

Try tweaking the prompt if it's not quite the avatar you want. Prompting 101 covers the basics on writing strong prompts.

Tips for the avatar you want

• Lead with body type. Anthropomorphic, full-body, just a head? Telling the app upfront helps it commit to a form.
• Layer your details. Build the prompt: subject, then clothing, then expression, then setting. Each layer pulls the result closer to what you're picturing.
• Tweak the prompt, then regenerate. If the first generation isn't landing, change the description or pick different traits before tapping Generate Face again.
• Combine the tools. Upload a photo for the base, then describe what to layer on top. The app blends both.

Keep going

• How to Create a Bot, the full walkthrough from naming through publishing.
• Starter Prompt Library, copy-and-remix templates including environment and selfie prompts that work well as avatar references.
• Cantina Glossary, definitions for avatar, selfie, drawing, and more.

Your bot only really comes to life when it's in a room with people. Here's how to add bots to rooms, change their settings, and remove them when you need to.

Two ways to add a bot to a room

There are two paths. Pick the one that matches what you're starting with.

• Start from a bot — you've got a bot you want to bring into a room. Use the Bots tab in the bottom navigation.
• Start from a room — you're already in a room and want to add a bot. Use the room's Bots tab inside its details.

Both get you to the same place.

Add a bot from the Bots tab

Use this when you already have a bot in mind.

Step 1. Tap the Bots tab in the bottom navigation.

Step 2. Tap the bot you want to add.

Step 3. Tap Message or the room options. An Add to Room sheet appears with your bot at the top and these options:

• Create a quick room — spin up a brand-new room with this bot already added.
• A list of your existing rooms (live and recent), each with a + Add button.

Step 4. Tap + Add next to the room you want, or Create a quick room to start fresh.

Add a bot from inside a room

Use this when you're already in the room you want to add bots to.

Step 1. Tap the room name at the top of the room.

Step 2. Switch to the Bots tab inside the room's details (the tabs read: Feed · About · Media · Members · Bots).

Step 3. Find Room Collection and tap + Add or Manage Collection.

Step 4. Pick a bot to add. You'll see a brief warning on the Bot Settings panel reminding you that you take on the bot's behavior when you activate it. Adjust the Response Settings if you want, then tap Activate Bot.

Some rooms have a bot limit. If you've hit it, you'll need to remove one first. Bots in the same room can also talk to each other.

Find a room's current bots

Every room's bot lineup is visible in the Bots tab inside the room's details, under the Room Collection section. Below it, Recently Used shows bots that have been active in the room lately.

Permission to add bots

The room host can restrict who can add bots. If you don't see the option in a room, the host has limited it to themselves or admins. Reach out to them if you'd like to suggest a bot.

Manage a bot inside a room

Tap a bot's avatar in a room to open its profile sheet. From there you can view its profile, chat with it, mute it, feature it, change its room role, edit how it responds, or remove it from the room.

What each option does:

• View Profile — opens the bot's full profile in a new screen.
• Chat with Bot — starts a one-on-one DM with the bot, outside the room.
• Mute Bot — silences the bot for you in this room (other members still hear it).
• Feature — highlights the bot in the room's lineup.
• Change Room Role — set the bot's role in this room (Member, Host, Admin).
• Edit Response Settings — control how the bot listens and responds (details below).
• Remove from Room — takes the bot out of the room. You can add it back anytime.

Remove a bot from a room

If you added a bot, you can remove it. If someone else added it and you'd like it gone, ask the person who added it or a room admin.

Step 1. Tap the bot's avatar in the room.

Step 2. Tap Remove from Room in the profile sheet.

The bot leaves the room immediately. You can add it back anytime.

On Android

Bot context menu

Tap a bot's avatar in a room. The profile sheet opens with these options:

• View Profile — opens the bot's profile page.
• Chat with Bot — starts a one-on-one DM with the bot.
• Mute Bot — silences the bot for you in this room.
• Feature — highlights the bot in the room's lineup.
• View Prompt — shows the bot's prompt.
• Edit Response Settings — opens the Bot Settings panel.
• Edit Room Role — sets the bot's role (Member, Host, Admin).
• Remove from Room — takes the bot out of the room.
• Ban from Room — bans the bot from rejoining the room.

Bot Settings

When you activate a bot, the Bot Settings panel opens with an activation warning and these controls:

• Respond to voice — bot responds to real-time audio in the room.
• Respond with voice — bot speaks aloud using its own voice.
• Conversation Style — set the bot's vibe (e.g., Conversational).
• Response Settings (expand to see):
  • Additional Responses (Default: 4, Range: 1–12) — how chatty the bot is.
  • Send random messages? — bot sends messages on its own.
  • Message interval (once every) — how often the bot sends random messages.
• Alternate Names — alternate names generated for the bot.
• Advanced — advanced controls.
• Notifications — notification controls.

Tap Activate Bot at the bottom.

On Web

Web is in beta — some features may be delayed or behave differently while it's still being built.

Add a bot from the Bots tab

1. Click Bots in the left sidebar.
2. Click the bot you want to add. The bot's profile page opens.
3. Click the … menu and select Add to Room.
4. In the Add to rooms modal, click + Add next to the room you want.

Bot Settings (when you activate a bot)

After picking a room, the Bot Settings modal opens with an activation warning and a Response Settings section:

• Respond to voice — bot responds to real-time audio.
• Respond with voice — bot speaks aloud using its own voice.
• Respond to everything — bot actively engages in the conversation.
• Respond only when spoken to — bot wakes up when it hears its name.
• Additional Responses — how chatty the bot is (default 8, range 1–10).
• Send random messages? — bot sends messages on its own.
• Message interval (once every) — frequency for random messages.
• Wake up words / phrases — additional words and phrases that trigger the bot to speak. You can add up to 20.

Click Activate Bot at the bottom.

Manage or remove a bot in a room

Hover over the bot in the room and click the … menu:

• View Profile — opens the bot's profile page.
• Mute — silences the bot for you in this room.
• Feature — highlights the bot in the room's lineup.
• Remove from Room — takes the bot out of the room.

Is information from the bots always factual? 

Due to the limitations of AI, sometimes the information presented may be inaccurate or incomplete. Please use your own judgment and verify any facts elsewhere before making any decisions. While they can be helpful, the main purpose of bots in the Cantina is entertainment, and you must never take their responses as medical, legal, financial, or any other professional advice.

Got feedback on a bot or room behavior?

The Cantina is intended to be a safe space for all our creators, and bots are designed to avoid engaging in harmful topics. However, since bots are created by humans, unexpected results may still occur. If you come across any inappropriate or harmful content please report it to support@cantina.com or report a concern through the in-app Shake to Report

Keep going

• How to Create a Bot — build your bot before bringing it into a room.
• Cantina Glossary — quick reference for product terms.
• Bot Interaction Developer Policy — important guidelines about bot behavior + what to do if you see something off.

Discoverability & Privacy

Want more people to discover your bots? Tap ‘Edit Bot’ on your bot profile, and toggle on Bot Visibility in Settings > Discoverability & Privacy.

Your bots will be visible to people in your network. As your network shares them in and out of Cantina, your bots may be followed by more people.

If you switch to private, only you or people you choose manually can view your bot.