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Quick start

This walkthrough configures one project, generates all four supported output formats, adds a security skill, and verifies the result.

1. Install and enter your project​

npm install -g agentbriefer
cd path/to/your-project

2. Run the setup wizard​

agentbriefer init

When Agentbriefer recognizes a project manifest, it announces the detected language and pre-fills stack questions. Press Enter to accept a value or edit it.

The wizard covers:

  1. developer and explanation styles;
  2. language, framework, database, package manager, tests, and dependencies;
  3. project type and architecture expectations;
  4. security, testing, and dependency policies;
  5. custom instructions and stop rules;
  6. output formats;
  7. a review screen where every answer remains editable.

It writes agentbriefer.yaml in the current directory.

3. Generate instruction files​

agentbriefer generate

With the default output selection, the project now contains:

your-project/
├── agentbriefer.yaml
├── CLAUDE.md
├── AGENTS.md
├── .cursor/rules/agentbriefer.mdc
└── .github/copilot-instructions.md

4. Add a focused skill​

agentbriefer skill list --recommended
agentbriefer skill add no-secrets-in-repo

Adding a skill updates agentbriefer.yaml, creates .agentbriefer/skills/no-secrets-in-repo/SKILL.md, and synchronizes all configured output files.

5. Verify the project​

agentbriefer doctor

A clean project prints No issues found. Doctor reports warnings rather than returning a failing status code.

6. Choose the right regeneration command​

  • Continue using generate if the outputs are entirely machine-owned.
  • Switch to sync before adding manual notes outside Agentbriefer's managed markers.
agentbriefer sync
Generate overwrites the whole file

After you add manual content around a managed block, use sync. A later generate does not preserve those additions.

Next steps​