Getting Started

Create your account, set up an agent, and send your first message.

Get up and running with Evident in a few minutes. This guide covers both runner types — pick the one that fits your workflow.

Prerequisites

  • OpenCode installed on your machine (for the Local runner)
  • Node.js 18+ (for the CLI)
  • A GitHub account (for the GitHub Actions runner)

1. Create your account

Sign up for free at app.evident.run. No credit card required.

2. Create an organization

All agents are scoped to an organization (team). When you first sign in, you'll be prompted to create one. Give it a name — this can be just you, or your whole team.

3. Create your first agent

From the dashboard, click New Agent and choose a runner type:

  • Local — The agent runs on your own machine. Great for development, accessing local files, and using your own tools.
  • GitHub Actions — The agent runs in GitHub's free CI. No machine needed. Best for always-on access and team use.

4a. Local runner setup

If you chose Local, install the Evident CLI and start it:

Install the CLI

npm install -g @evident-ai/cli

Log in

evident login

This opens a browser to authenticate with your Evident account.

Start the runner

Copy your agent ID from the dashboard, then run:

evident run --agent <your-agent-id>

The CLI starts OpenCode and connects it to Evident via a secure tunnel. Keep this running to receive messages.

See the Local Runner guide for more details.

4b. GitHub Actions runner setup

If you chose GitHub Actions, the setup takes a few minutes but then requires no maintenance:

  1. Select a repository in the agent settings
  2. Copy the workflow YAML template provided
  3. Add it to your repo at .github/workflows/evident.yml
  4. Add your EVIDENT_AGENT_KEY and ANTHROPIC_API_KEY as GitHub Secrets

See the GitHub Actions guide for the complete walkthrough.

5. Send your first message

Once your agent is connected, open the web UI at app.evident.run, select your agent, and send a message. You'll see the response stream back in real time.

6. Optional: Connect Slack

Want to message your agent directly from Slack? Upgrade to Pro and follow the Slack integration guide.

Next steps