Getting started

Quickstart

Install Bwat, open a repository, and complete one small change with the agent in a few minutes.

On this page

Before you begin

Choose a code project you can safely change. A small repository you already understand is ideal.
Make sure the project is under version control and begin from a clean working tree.
For the CLI, install Node.js 22 or newer. The VS Code extension has no separate runtime requirement.

1. Install Bwat

Choose VS Code for native editor diffs and selection context, or the terminal for a focused command-line workflow. Both use the same agent.

Work beside your code

Install the extension, open a project folder, then select the Bwat icon in the Activity Bar. Your first session opens a browser so you can sign in.

Install from MarketplaceWindows, macOS, and Linux

Both surfaces run the same Bwat agent and use the same account.

2. Open your project

VS Code: open the repository as a folder or workspace, select the Bwat icon in the Activity Bar, and choose New Session. CLI: open a terminal at the repository root and run bwat.

The CLI asks whether you trust a folder the first time you open it. Trust only folders whose contents you know, because Bwat can read files and, with your approval, edit them or run commands there.

The first session opens Bwat in your browser. Sign in with your Bwat account and approve the device. Return to VS Code or the terminal when the confirmation completes; later sessions reuse that sign-in.

4. Let Bwat learn the project

Start with a question that lets you judge the answer before you ask for a change:

Try this

Give me a concise map of this project. Identify the main entry points,
the test command, and the path one important request takes through the code.

Send to Bwat

Bwat searches and reads the repository as needed. You do not have to paste files into the chat. Correct anything it misunderstood before moving on.

5. Make one small change

Choose something easy to inspect and give Bwat the desired result plus a check it can run:

Try this

Add a test for the empty-email case in the sign-up validator.
Follow the existing test style, run only the relevant test file,
and fix any failure you introduce.

Send to Bwat

In Manual mode, Bwat pauses before edits and commands. In VS Code, an edit opens as a native diff; save the proposed side with Ctrl+S or Cmd+S to approve it. In the CLI, review the printed proposal and choose the numbered action.

6. Review the result

Read the diff yourself. Ask Bwat to explain any line you do not understand.
Check that the command Bwat ran actually covers the changed behavior.
Use git diff or your Source Control view for a final review.
If the direction is wrong, interrupt the run and say what should change. You do not need to wait for the task to finish.

Run /init once in a real project. Bwat studies the repository and proposes a BWAT.md with the commands, architecture, and house rules it should load in future sessions.

Essential controls

Action	VS Code	CLI
Send	`Enter`	`Enter`
New line	`Shift+Enter`	`Shift+Enter`, `Alt+Enter`, or `\` then `Enter`
Stop a run	`Escape`	`Escape` or `Ctrl+C`
Browse commands	Type `/`	Type `/`; run `/help` to open the docs
Start fresh	`/clear`	`/clear`
Open earlier work	`/history`	`/history`, `bwat --continue`, or `bwat --resume`