Files
BMAD-METHOD/docs/explanation/faq/getting-started-faq.md
forcetrainer 12d3492e0c Add link auditor, reorganize documentation, and README update (#1277)
* feat: add link auditor tools and fix broken docs links

- Add audit-doc-links.js to scan docs for broken links with auto-resolution
- Add fix-doc-links.js to apply suggested fixes (dry-run by default)
- Remove stale "Back to Core Concepts" breadcrumb links
- Update BMad acronym to "Breakthrough Method of Agile AI Driven Development"
- Update README links to docs.bmad-method.org
- Simplify upgrade callout in getting-started tutorial

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: reorganize docs structure and archive v4 tutorial

- Remove unused section index files (tutorials, how-to, explanation, reference)
- Move getting-started-bmadv4.md to _archive
- Update quick-start-bmgd.md to remove archived file reference
- Update upgrade-to-v6.md
- Update astro.config.mjs for new structure

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* fix: ignore underscore directories in link checker

Update check-doc-links.js to skip _archive, _planning, and other
underscore-prefixed directories when validating links.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: add v4 users section to README

Add links to v4 documentation archive and upgrade guide for users
migrating from previous versions.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* feat: convert docs to site-relative links and add validation tools

- Convert all relative links (./  ../) to site-relative paths (/path/)
- Strip .md extensions and use trailing slashes for Astro/Starlight
- Add fix-doc-links.js to convert relative links to site-relative
- Add validate-doc-links.js to check links point to existing files
- Remove old audit-doc-links.js and check-doc-links.js
- Update build-docs.js to use new validation script
- Add npm scripts: docs:fix-links, docs:validate-links
- Update style guide with validation steps

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: standardize acronym to BMad across documentation

Replace incorrect "BMAD" with correct "BMad" in text and frontmatter
while preserving "BMAD-METHOD" in GitHub URLs.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: fix BMad acronym and remove draft README

- Correct acronym to "Breakthrough Method of Agile AI Driven Development"
- Remove unused README-draft.md

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: standardize BMad acronym in README

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: standardize FAQ format across all FAQ pages

- Add TOC with jump links under "## Questions"
- Use ### headers for questions (no Q: prefix)
- Direct answers without **A:** prefix
- Remove horizontal rules and "Related Documentation" sections
- End each FAQ with issue/Discord CTA
- Update style guide with new FAQ guidelines
- Delete redundant faq/index.md (sidebar handles navigation)

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* fix: use repo-relative links with .md for GitHub compatibility

Convert all documentation links to repo-relative format (/docs/path/file.md)
so they work when browsing on GitHub. The rehype plugin strips /docs/ prefix
and converts .md to trailing slash at build time for Astro/Starlight.

- Update rehype-markdown-links.js to strip /docs/ prefix from absolute paths
- Update fix-doc-links.js to generate /docs/ prefixed paths with .md extension
- Convert 217 links across 64 files to new format

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* fix: handle /docs/ prefix in link validator

Update resolveLink to strip /docs/ prefix from repo-relative links
before checking if files exist.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

* docs: restore FAQ index page

Re-add the FAQ index page that was accidentally deleted, with
updated repo-relative link format.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>
Co-authored-by: Alex Verkhovsky <alexey.verkhovsky@gmail.com>
2026-01-10 02:55:33 +08:00

2.8 KiB

title, description
title description
Getting Started FAQ Common questions about getting started with the BMad Method

Quick answers to common questions about getting started with the BMad Method.

Questions

Do I always need to run workflow-init?

No, once you learn the flow you can go directly to workflows. However, workflow-init is helpful because it:

  • Determines your project's appropriate level automatically
  • Creates the tracking status file
  • Routes you to the correct starting workflow

For experienced users: use the Quick Start Guide to go directly to the right agent/workflow.

Why do I need fresh chats for each workflow?

Context-intensive workflows (like brainstorming, PRD creation, architecture design) can cause AI hallucinations if run in sequence within the same chat. Starting fresh ensures the agent has maximum context capacity for each workflow. This is particularly important for:

  • Planning workflows (PRD, architecture)
  • Analysis workflows (brainstorming, research)
  • Complex story implementation

Quick workflows like status checks can reuse chats safely.

Can I skip workflow-status and just start working?

Yes, if you already know your project level and which workflow comes next. workflow-status is mainly useful for:

  • New projects (guides initial setup)
  • When you're unsure what to do next
  • After breaks in work (reminds you where you left off)
  • Checking overall progress

What's the minimum I need to get started?

For the fastest path:

  1. Install BMad Method: npx bmad-method@alpha install
  2. For small changes: Load PM agent → run tech-spec → implement
  3. For larger projects: Load PM agent → run prd → architect → implement

How do I know if I'm in Phase 1, 2, 3, or 4?

Check your bmm-workflow-status.md file (created by workflow-init). It shows your current phase and progress. If you don't have this file, you can also tell by what you're working on:

  • Phase 1 — Brainstorming, research, product brief (optional)
  • Phase 2 — Creating either a PRD or tech-spec (always required)
  • Phase 3 — Architecture design (Level 2-4 only)
  • Phase 4 — Actually writing code, implementing stories

Have a question not answered here? Please open an issue or ask in Discord so we can add it!