Explicit agent setup
Start with Install and Getting started. Decide which executable and backend the agent should use before asking it to change project configuration. Agent setup is optional; a shell-capable client can use the CLI and the LLM index directly.
A useful task names the project, the host it runs on, the Hack version and the expected outcome. Ask the agent to inspect existing configuration before changing it and to verify the application's own behavior afterwards.
Onboarding prompt
hack agent onboard prints an onboarding prompt for an existing repository. It
inventories the repo and describes what a Hack setup should cover. It installs
nothing. Review the prompt, then hand it to your agent. hack init --with claude|codex does the same for a new project and launches the selected agent.
The hack-init skill in the hack plugin asks the CLI for this
same prompt, so an agent with the plugin can onboard a project on request.
Policy stays with its owner
Hack does not modify AGENTS.md, CLAUDE.md, client rule files or global agent
settings, and it does not run guidance checks or skill updates. Repository policy
is yours. Project environment injection and lifecycle hooks are runtime features;
follow Environment and secrets and Lifecycle
when they are part of the requested work.
Clients without a shell
A client without shell access can use the separate MCP server; see Agent integrations and MCP tools.
Source: v5 (next.12) · docs/site/guides/agent-first-setup.md.