Getting Started

This quickstart ends with a running development app connected to the local Ansight CLI host and browser player. An Ansight account is required for authenticated CLI and cloud workflows.

1. Install, sign in, and check the CLI

On macOS or Linux:

curl -fsSL https://www.ansight.ai/install.sh | bash

On Windows PowerShell:

irm https://www.ansight.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Open a new terminal and sign the CLI in. The default flow opens app.ansight.ai; after you sign in there, the browser returns the authenticated session to the waiting CLI:

ansight account login

Help, account-portal, and authentication commands remain available before sign-in. After authentication succeeds, confirm the CLI and required platform tools:

ansight --version
ansight doctor

The installer verifies the release checksum, adds ansight to your user PATH, and can install the eight-skill core agent set and configure the resident host. For later maintenance, see Update the CLI, Uninstall the CLI, and System Requirements and Dependencies.

2. Add the SDK to your app

Recommended: let your coding agent do it

Open the app repository in your coding agent and send:

Use https://www.ansight.ai/skills/ansight-install.md to set up Ansight in this project and verify a connected development build.

The install skill detects the framework, uses the matching SDK guide, keeps Ansight behind the app’s developer-build guard, and verifies the integration. Review the resulting diff before committing it.

Manual setup

Choose the guide for your app:

Platform	Quickstart
.NET / .NET MAUI	.NET setup
iOS	iOS setup
Android	Android setup
React Native	React Native setup
Expo	Expo development-build setup
Flutter	Flutter setup
Capacitor	Capacitor setup

Use the all-in-one developer package unless you specifically need a smaller core-only integration. Keep package inclusion, initialization, enrollment UI, and remote tools limited to trusted development or QA builds.

3. Start the host and launch the app

Start the local host and leave it running:

ansight host run --open

Launch the app in its development configuration. Simulators, emulators, Mac Catalyst, and desktop apps find the host automatically through loopback. The app can also start first and connect when the host becomes available.

4. Verify the first live session

From another terminal, list connected sessions:

ansight session list --connected --json

Copy the returned session id and confirm that the app exposed its expected tool catalog:

ansight app tools <session-id> \
  --detail summary \
  --include-unavailable \
  --max-results 50 \
  --json

You are ready when the session is connected and the summary lists the tools exposed by that SDK integration, including any explicit denial state. If isTruncated is true, refine the catalog with --query, --feature, --category, or --id-prefix.

If the CLI installer added the Ansight core skill set to your coding agent, try:

Inspect the connected app with Ansight and describe the current screen.

Otherwise, give the agent the published skill explicitly:

Use https://www.ansight.ai/skills/agents/ansight-app-inspection.md to inspect the connected app and describe the current screen.

If the app does not connect

1. Confirm that ansight host run is still active.
2. Confirm that the app is using its development or QA build configuration.
3. Run ansight doctor and address required platform dependencies.
4. Reopen the platform setup guide and verify the startup location and build guard.
5. Check SDK diagnostics and retry ansight session list --connected --json.

Next steps

Connect a physical device

Expose the SDK’s pairing sheet from a developer-only screen in the app. With the host running, issue a one-use QR code in another terminal and scan it:

ansight pairing issue --qr

The scan registers the SDK’s app id and a random app-installation id stored in app-private storage. Later development launches reconnect automatically while that registration remains active.

Capture and replay a flow

Use the connected app normally, then close it and find the captured session:

ansight session list
ansight session serve <session-id> --open

The local replay contains the screenshots, touches, logs, telemetry, and other evidence captured by the selected SDK configuration. Continue with Session Capture and Session Replay and Review.

Open the local player or cloud portal

The resident host serves its player locally in your browser. Reopen it with ansight serve --open. Open the account portal at any time with:

ansight account

See the account and authentication reference for other sign-in methods. Local CLI and agent commands are free after sign-in. Cloud writes additionally require a current trial, paid plan, or explicit organisation grant.

Add repeatable workspace automation

Create the source-controlled workspace with the app id shown by ansight app list:

ansight workspace init . --app-id <app-id>

Continue with Workspace Getting Started to add the first test.