ChatMLchatml
Getting Started

Quick Start

Set up your API key, add a workspace, and create your first AI-powered coding session.

1. Configure Your API Key

ChatML needs an Anthropic API key to access Claude.

  1. Go to Settings (Cmd+,) > Account
  2. Enter your Anthropic API key (starts with sk-ant-api03-...)
  3. The key is validated automatically and stored encrypted (AES-256-GCM)

Don't have an API key? Get one from Anthropic Console.

2. Add a Workspace

A workspace is a git repository you want to work with.

  1. Click the + button in the sidebar or use Cmd+K > "Add Workspace"
  2. Browse to your repository folder
  3. ChatML detects the git configuration (default branch, remotes)
  4. Your repository appears in the sidebar

3. Create a Session

Sessions are isolated environments for AI tasks.

  1. Click New Session (Cmd+N)
  2. Select your workspace
  3. Choose a name or accept the auto-generated one
  4. ChatML creates a git worktree and branch for this session

Each session gets its own working copy of your code, so you can run multiple tasks in parallel without conflicts.

4. Start a Conversation

  1. Type your request in the message input
  2. Press Enter to send
  3. Watch Claude work in real time — you'll see file reads, edits, and command execution as they happen

Example Prompts

Try these to get started:

  • "Add a health check endpoint to the API"
  • "Write unit tests for the authentication module"
  • "Refactor the database queries to use prepared statements"
  • "Review the code in this session and suggest improvements"

5. Review and Create a PR

When you're happy with the changes:

  1. Start a Review conversation to get structured code feedback
  2. Ask Claude to create a pull request
  3. Track PR status directly in ChatML

Next Steps

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Installation

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Onboarding Wizard

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