Add AIDLC to a project you already have

Install the CLI and run init in your repository. It adds the AIDLC files and writes a first description of your code for your AI assistant to read. None of your code is changed.

1. Install the CLI once, so aidlc is on your path:

   npm install -g @rasensio/aidlc
   

2. Go to the root of your repository and run init. It asks which AI tools you use:

   cd path/to/your-repo
   aidlc init
   

   To skip the questions and set up one tool, name it instead:

   aidlc init --platform claude-code
   

   The other names are codex, copilot, cursor, kiro and windsurf. To see what init would write before it writes anything, add --dry-run.

3. Read the two files init wrote in .aidlc/context/: architecture.md and style-guide.md. They describe your code, and your assistant reads them before every phase, so fix anything they get wrong now. A mistake here repeats in every piece of work.

4. See the new files, then commit them:

   git status
   git add .aidlc .claude CLAUDE.md .gitattributes
   git commit -m "chore: add AIDLC"
   

   The tool folder and instructions file depend on the tool you chose — for example .cursor/ for Cursor or .kiro/ for Kiro. Add whatever git status lists as new.

Run aidlc status. You should see No active lifecycle instances. That means AIDLC is set up and waiting for your first piece of work.