PAPI
InstallToolsChangelogDiscord
Install Guide

Get started with PAPI

Connect PAPI to your AI coding tool. Run your first cycle plan in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

An MCP-compatible AI tool — Claude Code, Cursor, VS Code (Copilot Chat), Windsurf, OpenCode, Amazon Q CLI, or any tool supporting the MCP protocol.
Node.js 18+ — Required to run the PAPI server. If you use any of the tools above, you almost certainly already have this. Check with node --version — if it errors, install from nodejs.org.

1. Sign up

Go to getpapi.ai/login and sign in with GitHub (recommended) or email.

The onboarding wizard will ask for your project name and optional repo URL. Once done, you'll see your API key and project ID — the wizard embeds these directly into the config shown on the next screen.

Your API key is shown once. If you lose it, go to getpapi.ai/onboard?regen=1 to generate a new one.

2. Connect your tool

Select your AI coding tool below and follow the instructions.

Terminal
claude mcp add papi --env PAPI_PROJECT_ID=your-project-id --env PAPI_DATA_API_KEY=your-api-key -- npx -y @papi-ai/server

Run this command — Claude Code picks up MCP changes automatically, no restart needed.

3. First run

After saving your config, restart your MCP client. Then in your AI tool, run these three commands in order:

1
setup

Initialises PAPI for your project. Generates a Product Brief and scaffolds your workflow.

2
plan

Generates your first cycle plan — scoped tasks with full BUILD HANDOFFs, ready to build.

3
build_list

Shows the tasks queued for this cycle. Pick one and start building.

Expected time: install to first plan in under 5 minutes.

What's next

Tool reference →
Every PAPI tool — what it does, when to use it.
Dashboard →
View cycles, tasks, build reports, and decisions at getpapi.ai.
Add another project →
Go to Portfolio → New Project. Same API key, new project ID.
Discord →
Get help, share feedback, see what others are building.

Troubleshooting

PAPI tools not appearing
Check that both PAPI_PROJECT_ID and PAPI_DATA_API_KEY are set in your config. Restart your MCP client after any config change.
npx: command not found
Install Node.js 18+ from nodejs.org — it includes npx.
PAPI_DATA_API_KEY is invalid
Your key may be wrong or revoked. Generate a new one at getpapi.ai/onboard?regen=1.
PAPI_PROJECT_ID not found
Verify the project ID matches what's shown at getpapi.ai/settings.
Lost your API key
Go to getpapi.ai/onboard?regen=1 to generate a new one — this replaces the old key.