Getting started

Install Agent Studio

Configure PostgreSQL and Clerk, install dependencies, and start Agent Studio locally.

Install Agent Studio from a local source checkout, connect it to PostgreSQL and Clerk, and start the development server at http://localhost:3000. This setup prepares the application for the first skill workflow; it does not seed optional demonstration data.

Before you begin

You need:

Node.js 18.18.0 or later and npm. Run node --version and confirm the reported version meets the minimum.
A PostgreSQL database and its connection string.
A Clerk account with a publishable key and a secret key.
A terminal opened at the Agent Studio repository root, where package.json and .env.example are present.

⚠️Keep DATABASE_URL and CLERK_SECRET_KEY private. Store them only in the local environment file and do not commit that file.

Install and start

Confirm the Node.js version

Run:

bash

node --version

Continue when the result is v18.18.0 or a later release. If the command is unavailable or reports an older version, install a supported Node.js release before installing dependencies.

Create the local environment file

Copy the supplied template:

bash

cp .env.example .env.local

The repository root now contains .env.local. Keep the template unchanged so you can compare it with future configuration changes.

Configure required services

Open .env.local and set these values with credentials from your PostgreSQL and Clerk projects:

dotenv

DATABASE_URL="postgresql://USER:PASSWORD@HOST:5432/DATABASE"
NEXT_PUBLIC_CLERK_PUBLISHABLE_KEY="pk_test_REPLACE_ME"
CLERK_SECRET_KEY="sk_test_REPLACE_ME"

Replace every placeholder. DATABASE_URL connects Prisma to PostgreSQL, while the two Clerk keys configure browser and server authentication. Provider keys such as GROQ_API_KEY and OPENROUTER_API_KEY are optional for installation, but a workflow needs a configured model provider before it can generate model output.

Install dependencies

Install the packages declared by the project:

bash

npm install

The postinstall script runs prisma generate, so a successful install also generates the Prisma client. Resolve any package or generation error before changing the database schema.

Initialize the database schema

Synchronize the checked-in Prisma schema with the configured database:

bash

npx prisma db push

The command must finish successfully against the database named by DATABASE_URL. This changes that database, so use a development database that you are authorized to modify.

Start the development server

Run the canonical development command:

bash

npm run dev

The script starts the Next.js development server. Keep this terminal open while you use Agent Studio.

Open Agent Studio

Open http://localhost:3000 in a browser and complete the Clerk sign-in flow. After authentication, open the dashboard. Agent Studio creates the application user record when an authenticated user reaches the dashboard.

Verify the installation

Confirm all three observable results:

npm install completes and generates the Prisma client.
npx prisma db push connects to PostgreSQL and synchronizes the schema.
http://localhost:3000 loads Agent Studio and permits an authenticated user to reach the dashboard.

✅The installation is ready when the dashboard loads while the development server remains running.

Troubleshooting

Next steps

Continue to build and run your first skill. For a model of the resources you will create, see how Agent Studio works.