Quickstart: Install Archon and Run Your First Workflow
Two paths to get Archon running: a 30-second binary install for existing Claude Code users, or a 5-minute full setup with the guided wizard and web dashboard.
Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
Archon offers two installation paths depending on how much you want to configure upfront. The Quick Install gives you a standalone binary in 30 seconds — ideal if you already have Claude Code set up. The Full Setup clones the repo, runs the guided wizard, installs credentials, and gives you the web dashboard — recommended for most users.
Quick Install (30s)
Full Setup (5min)
The quick install delivers a pre-compiled archon binary. Claude Code is not bundled — you need it separately.
1
Install Archon
macOS / Linux
Windows (PowerShell)
Homebrew
curl -fsSL https://archon.diy/install | bash
irm https://archon.diy/install.ps1 | iex
brew install coleam00/archon/archon
2
Install and authenticate Claude Code
Compiled Archon binaries require Claude Code to be installed separately, then pointed at via CLAUDE_BIN_PATH.
archon doctor checks your Claude binary path, authentication, and database. Address any warnings before continuing.
The full setup clones the repo and runs an interactive wizard that configures credentials, platform integrations, and installs the Archon skill into your target projects.
1
Install prerequisites
You need Bun, the GitHub CLI, and Claude Code.Bun:
Installing the Archon skill into your target project
Run Claude Code from your target project after setup — not from the Archon repo. The wizard copies the Archon skill into your project so it works from there.
4
Start the server (web UI)
bun run dev
This starts two processes:
Backend API on http://localhost:3090
Web UI on http://localhost:5173
Open http://localhost:5173 and click + next to “Project” to register your first repository.
With Archon installed, navigate to any git repository and run a workflow.
1
Go to your project
cd /path/to/your/project
Your project must be a git repository. Archon uses git worktrees for isolation. If it isn’t one yet: git init && git add . && git commit -m "initial commit".
2
See what workflows are available
archon workflow list
Archon ships 17 bundled workflows. You’ll see them alongside any project-specific workflows from .archon/workflows/.
3
Ask a question about the codebase
The archon-assist workflow is the lowest-friction starting point — no isolation required:
archon workflow run assist "What does this codebase do? Give me a high-level summary."
4
Fix an issue on an isolated branch
archon workflow run fix-github-issue --branch fix/issue-42 "Fix issue #42"
Archon creates a worktree on fix/issue-42, then runs the full pipeline: classify → investigate → implement → validate → PR → review → self-fix. Progress streams to your terminal in real time.
5
Let the router choose the workflow
You don’t need to remember workflow names. Describe what you want — the router reads all workflow descriptions and picks the best match:
archon workflow run "Review my latest PR"archon workflow run "Refactor the database layer safely"archon workflow run "Add dark mode to the settings page"
# Show installed versionarchon version# Check setup health (Claude binary, auth, database, adapters)archon doctor# List available workflows (run from inside a git repo)archon workflow list
If you’re running the full setup and want to verify the backend is healthy, run curl http://localhost:3090/health. You should see {"status":"ok"}.
