---
title: Installation
description: Create an eve project, configure a model credential, and run it locally.
---

# Installation



Create an eve project with `eve init`. The scaffold installs dependencies, creates the agent files, and starts the local development server.

## Configure a model credential

The default scaffolded model routes through the Vercel AI Gateway. Set `AI_GATEWAY_API_KEY`, or link a Vercel project to use `VERCEL_OIDC_TOKEN`.

You can also use a direct provider model. Install its AI SDK provider package and set that provider's API key before you run the agent.

Choose a model, provider, and channel that meet your data-processing and compliance requirements.

## Create a project

Run `eve init` with a project name:

```bash
npx eve@latest init my-agent
```

The command creates `my-agent/`, installs dependencies, initializes Git, and starts eve's development server. If a supported coding-agent REPL is available, eve offers to open it instead.

## Run the agent

From the project root, run the generated development command:

```bash
cd my-agent
npm run dev
```

The terminal UI sends messages to your agent. Stop the server with Ctrl+C when you need your shell for another command.

## Add eve to an existing project

Run `eve init .` from a project with a `package.json` and no existing `agent/` files:

```bash
npx eve@latest init .
```

eve adds the missing `eve`, `ai`, and `zod` dependencies without changing files the project already owns.

## Install manually

Install the runtime dependencies when you do not want to use the scaffold:

```bash
npm install eve@latest ai zod
```

Declare Node.js 24 in `package.json`, then create `agent/agent.ts` and `agent/instructions.md`. [Project structure](/docs/project-structure) shows the required layout, and [`agent.ts`](./agent-config) documents the runtime configuration.

## Continue building

Read [Project structure](/docs/project-structure) before adding instructions, tools, connections, or channels.


---

For a semantic overview of all documentation, see [/sitemap.md](/sitemap.md)

For an index of all available documentation, see [/llms.txt](/llms.txt)

For agent-facing discovery, including API and MCP surfaces, see [/agents.md](/agents.md)