Getting Started

Install Ansight Studio, configure the local stdio bridge, choose the right SDK, and complete your first pairing flow.

This guide takes you from a clean workstation to a first paired session.

Recommended: Use the Ansight install skill to set up your app instead of wiring the SDK manually. The skill inspects your repo, identifies the SDK family, applies the matching platform-specific setup, keeps pairing and remote tools developer-only, and tells you what manual steps remain.

Start with the platform-routing install skill /skills/ansight-install.md. It tells the agent to inspect your app, identify the SDK family, and then fork into the matching platform-specific install skill.

Copyable prompt:

Please use this skill:
https://www.ansight.ai/skills/ansight-install.md

Goal:
Install and configure Ansight in this app.

Instructions:
- Inspect the repo.
- Identify whether this is .NET, native iOS, native Android, or React Native.
- Fork into or load the matching platform-specific install skill.
- Keep pairing and remote tools developer-only.
- Infer Ansight Studio registration metadata from the app.
- Prefer the Ansight stdio bridge for agent setup.
- Install or recommend the companion inspection skill:
  https://www.ansight.ai/skills/agents/ansight-app-inspection.md
- Create ansight-readme.md with pairing next steps.
- Run the relevant verification commands.
- Tell me what manual Ansight Studio, agent, or app wiring steps remain.

Prerequisites

  • A trusted desktop machine for running Ansight Studio.
  • A development build of your app on the same local network as Ansight Studio.
  • A supported app: .NET mobile, native iOS, native Android, or React Native.
  • A local AI client that can talk to MCP over stdio if you want agent-driven inspection.

1. Install Ansight Studio

Install Ansight Studio on your desktop and launch it before you start wiring the app.

Ansight Studio is the local control plane for:

  • issuing pairing configs
  • exporting QR pairing payloads
  • capturing and browsing sessions
  • exposing the local stdio-backed MCP bridge to agents

Use a developer-controlled machine, not a shared workstation.

2. Point Your Agent at Ansight Studio

Every MCP client has its own config shape. Prefer a stdio command config that launches ansight-daemon mcp-stdio.

For example, a stdio config usually looks like this on macOS:

{
  "ansight": {
    "command": "/Applications/Ansight.app/Contents/Helpers/ansight-daemon",
    "args": ["mcp-stdio"]
  }
}

Notes:

  • Use the exact config format your MCP client expects.
  • Prefer the ansight-daemon mcp-stdio setup in MCP Configuration so agents connect over stdio instead of directly handling Ansight Studio’s local HTTPS certificate.
  • Ansight Studio only accepts requests from localhost.
  • If your client cannot use stdio, use https://localhost:45125/mcp/ as the HTTP fallback.
  • For HTTP fallback, use localhost instead of 127.0.0.1 so the certificate hostname matches.
  • If your MCP client rejects the certificate and cannot use stdio, trust the exported data/mcp/localhost.cer certificate and retry.
  • The client handles MCP session initialization; you provide either the stdio command or the HTTP fallback endpoint.

For client-specific setup steps, read MCP Configuration.

3. Choose the SDK

Start with the SDK family that matches your app. Each SDK has its own package manager, initialization point, pairing setup, and security controls.

App TypeSetup GuideInstall Skill
.NET MAUI, .NET Android, .NET iOS, .NET Mac Catalyst.NET Setup Packages/skills/dotnet/ansight-install-dotnet.md
Native iOS SwiftUI or UIKitiOS Setup Packages/skills/ios/ansight-install-ios.md
Native Android KotlinAndroid Setup Packages/skills/android/ansight-install-android.md
React NativeReact Native Setup/skills/react-native/ansight-install-react-native.md

Use the all-in-one package for the app type first, unless you need a narrower core-only setup. The all-in-one packages include runtime defaults, host connection support, live capture, and the standard tool suites for local development.

4. Initialize Ansight in the App

Initialize from the platform’s normal app startup path:

SDKTypical startup point
.NETMauiProgram, AppDelegate, MainApplication, or the app bootstrap that builds Options.
iOSSwiftUI App.init, UIKit AppDelegate, or a startup bootstrap.
AndroidApplication.onCreate() or a bootstrap it calls.
React NativeThe JavaScript app bootstrap before calling connect(...).

Use the matching SDK setup guide for exact APIs. Before enabling remote tools, read Security and the SDK-specific security page for your platform.

5. Issue a Pairing Config in Ansight Studio

In Ansight Studio:

  1. Open the apps workspace.
  2. Register the app name and app identifier.
  3. Issue a pairing config for that app.
  4. Choose a duration that matches the workflow you need.

Ansight Studio stores the signed config locally and can also turn it into a QR payload for device-side pairing.

6. Pair the App

There are three common flows:

  • Developer pairing: bundle or inject the Studio-issued developer pairing config into a local Debug build.
  • QR pairing: show the QR payload from Studio and scan it through a developer-only pairing entry point in the app.
  • Imported or pasted payload: use an app-owned import, scanner, or debug UI to pass the pairing JSON to the SDK.

Use the pairing guide for your SDK:

7. Start Capturing Sessions

Once the app is paired and connected:

  • Ansight Studio shows live and saved sessions.
  • The dashboard exposes logs, telemetry, screenshots, touch input when enabled, and device metadata.
  • Agents connected over MCP can inspect Ansight Studio-owned data and, when enabled, live app tools.

Next Steps