Quickstart

Go from zero to a working agent you can chat with — in about five minutes.

This is the shortest path from nothing to a working Evident agent running on your machine that you can chat with from the web.

You'll need:

  • Node.js 18 or newer (to install and run the Evident CLI).
  • OpenCode available on your machine — the CLI starts it for you. See the OpenCode docs if you don't have it yet.
  • A terminal you can leave open while your agent is connected.

1. Sign up and create your team

Create a free account at app.evident.run/sign-up. Your team is set up automatically the first time you use Evident — there's nothing extra to configure, and everything you create belongs to that team.

2. Create a local agent

In the app, create a new agent. Local mode is the only runtime, so there's no runner type to choose. Give the agent a name and create it. Open the agent's page — you'll find the exact command to run it, pre-filled with your agent ID.

3. Install the Evident CLI

Install the CLI globally with npm:

npm install -g @evident-ai/cli

Verify it's installed:

evident --version

4. Sign in from the command line

Authenticate the CLI with your Evident account:

evident login

This opens your browser to confirm a short code. Once you confirm, the CLI stays signed in for your later commands.

5. Run your agent

Copy your agent ID from the agent's page, then start it from the directory you want the agent to work in: 

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

The CLI authenticates, starts OpenCode on your machine, and connects it to Evident. Keep this terminal open while you want the agent reachable.

Running unattended? Use an agent key.

Create an agent key for the agent and set it as EVIDENT_AGENT_KEY. With the key set, evident run connects as that agent — you don't need evident login or --agent: 

EVIDENT_AGENT_KEY=<your-agent-key> evident run

6. Confirm it's connected

Back on the agent's page in the app, the agent now shows as online. The terminal also reports that the tunnel is connected.

7. Send your first message

Open the agent's chat from the web and send a message — for example, "What files are in this directory?". The reply streams back in real time. If the agent needs to ask you something or request permission to do something, you answer it right there in the chat.

Next steps

  • Connect Slack — let your whole team message the agent from your channels. (Slack is a Pro feature.)
  • CLI reference — every command, flag, and environment variable, including running the agent in the background.
  • Local runner — how the agent runs on your machine, reconnection, and offline message queuing.
  • Core concepts — the vocabulary behind what you just did.