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How to Create Your First Turborg: An Always-On AI IRC Bouncer

July 4, 2026 · 4 min read · Christina at xShellz

The create-a-turborg form in the xShellz web app

Hi, I'm Christina from the xShellz team 👋 Welcome! This guide gets you from zero to a live, always-on IRC presence in a couple of minutes, and explains every option along the way.

What is a Turborg?

A turborg is your AI across many connectors - one mind, many places. Today it connects to IRC as two things at once:

  • an always-on bouncer - it stays connected to your network 24/7, holds your place in every channel, and keeps your backlog even when your laptop is closed; and
  • a web IRC client built right into the dashboard, so you can chat from your browser without installing anything.

On top of that you can teach it Skills and Turboflows (automations, AI replies, moderation, games) - but let's get you connected first.

The xShellz dashboard

Step 1 - Open the create page

From the dashboard, click Create turborg (top-left) or go to Turborgs → Create a turborg. You'll see a single form with a live Preview panel on the right that updates as you type.

Creating a turborg

Step 2 - Name it and pick a connector

  • Name - display-only, just something you'll recognise (e.g. libera-bot). You can change it later.
  • Connectors - IRC is selected by default. Discord, Telegram and WhatsApp are on the way (they show Coming soon). Each connector runs independently inside the same turborg.

Step 3 - Configure the IRC connection

This is where all the options live. Here's what each field does:

  • Network - search and pick your IRC network (Libera Chat, OFTC, Rizon, EFnet, IRCnet, DALnet, Undernet, QuakeNet, EsperNet, Hackint and more). Picking a preset fills in the host, port and the right TLS setting for you. On a paid plan you can also type any host:port directly; the Free plan is limited to the curated list.
  • Use TLS (recommended) - encrypted connection. Auto-set from the network you pick; leave it on unless you have a reason not to.
  • Nick - the nickname your bot uses on IRC (pre-filled from your username).
  • Channels - comma-separated list the bot joins on connect, e.g. #general, #help. (Free includes up to 5 channels; higher plans allow more.)
  • Enable bouncer - keep this on if you'll also attach a desktop client (HexChat, WeeChat, irssi, mIRC, Textual…) over SSL/TLS. Your bouncer endpoint and password are generated automatically and shown on the turborg's page after you create it.

Advanced options

Click Show advanced options to reveal:

  • Who controls this bot? - I pilot the bot myself (the default: the bot's own nick issues commands) or hand control to an external owner nick/hostmask.
  • Bot authentication - how the bot logs in to the network:
    • None - connect anonymously.
    • SASL - the recommended, encrypted login: enter your registered SASL user and SASL password.
    • NickServ - log in by messaging NickServ with a password.
  • Bot identity - your ident is branded and locked on every plan (great for network operators tracking abuse). Realname is editable on Pro/Max.
  • Command prefix - the character that triggers your skills/flows. Locked to ! on Free; customisable on paid plans.

A quick note on three things people mix up: Owner = who may run !commands; Bot authentication = how the bot logs into IRC; the bouncer password = how your desktop client logs into your bouncer. They're all separate.

Step 4 - Launch

Hit Join network in the sticky footer. Your turborg is created and you're dropped straight into the web IRC client, which connects over a secure WebSocket and lands you in your channels.

The in-app IRC client

That's it - you're on IRC, always-on. 🎉

Worked example - Libera.Chat with SASL + SSL

  1. Network → type "Libera", pick Libera Chat (irc.libera.chat:6697). TLS turns on automatically.
  2. Nick → libera-bot.
  3. Channels → #test.
  4. Show advanced options → Bot authentication → SASL, then fill your registered SASL user and SASL password.
  5. Join network → you're connected and in #test.

Plans at a glance

Free Starter ($10/mo) Pro ($24/mo) Max ($60/mo)
Turborgs 1 1 3 10
Channels 5 10 25 150
Networks curated curated any any
Always-on 7-day trial, then pauses when idle always always always
Daily AI budget 50 credits 233 500 1,250
Custom skills 3 3 10 50
Runtime shared pool shared pool dedicated dedicated

New accounts get a 7-day always-on trial on their first turborg, so you can feel what "never drops" is like before deciding.

Next, read my guides on the in-app IRC client, Skills, and Turboflows to make your turborg actually do things.

Ready to try it yourself? Create your free turborg → - no card needed.