BMAD-METHOD/README.md

BMAD-METHOD

AI-Powered Agile Development Framework - Transform your software development with specialized AI agents that work as your complete Agile team.

🚀 Quick Start

Fastest Start: Web UI (2 minutes) 🏃‍♂️

1. Copy .bmad-core/web-bundles/teams/team-fullstack.txt
2. Create a new Gemini Gem or CustomGPT
3. Upload the file and set instructions: "Your critical operating instructions are attached, do not break character as directed"
4. Start chatting! Type /help to see available commands

IDE Quick Start (5 minutes) 💻

Prerequisites: Install Node.js (v14 or higher)

Option A: Using npx (easiest)

npx bmad-method install
# Choose: full installation, destination folder, and IDE

Option B: Clone and install

git clone https://github.com/bmadcode/bmad-method.git
cd bmad-method
npm install
npm run install:bmad
# When prompted, choose your project directory for installation

This installs all agents and configures them for your IDE.

📋 Table of Contents

• Overview
• Installation
• Available Agents
• Usage
• Project Structure
• Contributing

Overview

BMAD-METHOD (Breakthrough Method of Agile AI-Driven Development) revolutionizes software development by providing specialized AI agents for every role in an Agile team. Each agent has deep expertise in their domain and can collaborate to deliver complete software projects.

Why BMAD?

• 🎯 Specialized Expertise: Each agent is an expert in their specific role
• 🔄 True Agile Workflow: Follows real Agile methodologies and best practices
• 📦 Modular Design: Use one agent or an entire team
• 🛠️ IDE Integration: Works seamlessly with Cursor, Claude Code, and Windsurf
• 🌐 Platform Agnostic: Use with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI platform

Installation

Method 1: Pre-Built Web Bundles (Fastest) 📦

For ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini web interfaces:

1. Choose a bundle:
   • Recommended: .bmad-core/web-bundles/teams/team-fullstack.txt (complete development team)
   • Or pick from individual agents in .bmad-core/web-bundles/agents/
2. Upload to your AI platform (Gemini Gem, CustomGPT, or directly in chat)
3. Set instructions: "Your critical operating instructions are attached, do not break character as directed"
4. Type /help to see available commands

Method 2: CLI Installer (For IDEs) 🎯

Prerequisites: Install Node.js v14+ first

Install directly into your project:

# Interactive installation (recommended)
npx bmad-method install
# You'll be prompted for:
# - Installation type (full/single agent)
# - Destination directory
# - IDE configuration

# Or use command line options
npx bmad-method install --full --directory ./my-project --ide cursor
npx bmad-method install --agent pm --directory ./my-project --ide claude-code

Supported IDEs:

The BMad Method works with any IDE, but has built-in integration for:

• cursor - Cursor IDE with @agent commands
• claude-code - Claude Code with /agent commands
• windsurf - Windsurf with @agent commands

Available Agents

Core Development Team

Agent	Role	Specialty
analyst	Business Analyst	market analysis, brainstorming, project brief
pm	Product Manager	Product strategy, roadmaps, PRDs
architect	Solution Architect	System design, technical architecture
dev	Developer	Code implementation across all technologies
qa	QA Specialist	Testing strategies, quality assurance
ux-expert	UX Designer	User experience, UI design, prototypes
po	Product Owner	Backlog management, story validation
sm	Scrum Master	Sprint planning, story creation

Meta Agents

Agent	Role	Specialty
bmad-orchestrator	Team Coordinator	Multi-agent workflows, role switching
bmad-master	Universal Expert	All capabilities without switching

Usage

With IDE Integration

After installation with --ide flag:

# In Cursor
@pm Create a PRD for a task management app

# In Claude Code
/architect Design a microservices architecture

# In Windsurf
@dev Implement story 1.3

With Web UI (ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini)

After uploading a bundle you can ask /help of the agent to learn what it can do

CLI Commands

# List all available agents
npx bmad-method list

# Update existing installation with changes
npx bmad-method update

# Check installation status
npx bmad-method status

Teams & Workflows

Pre-Configured Teams

Save context by using specialized teams:

• Team All: Complete Agile team with all 10 agents
• Team Fullstack: Frontend + Backend development focus
• Team No-UI: Backend/API development without UX

Workflows

Structured approaches for different scenarios:

• Greenfield: Starting new projects (fullstack/service/UI)
• Brownfield: Enhancing existing projects
• Simple: Quick prototypes and MVPs
• Complex: Enterprise and large-scale projects

Project Structure

.bmad-core/
├── agents/          # Individual agent definitions
├── agent-teams/     # Team configurations
├── workflows/       # Development workflows
├── templates/       # Document templates (PRD, Architecture, etc.)
├── tasks/           # Reusable task definitions
├── checklists/      # Quality checklists
├── data/            # Knowledge base
└── web-bundles/     # Pre-built bundles

tools/
├── cli.js           # Build tool
├── installer/       # NPX installer
└── lib/             # Build utilities

expansion-packs/     # Optional add-ons (DevOps, Mobile, etc.)

Advanced Features

Dynamic Dependencies

Each agent only loads the resources it needs, keeping context windows lean.

Template System

Rich templates for all document types:

• Product Requirements (PRD)
• Architecture Documents
• User Stories
• Test Plans
• And more...

Slash Commands

Quick actions and role switching:

• /help - Show available commands
• /pm - Switch to Product Manager
• *create-doc - Create from template
• *validate - Run validations

Contributing

We welcome contributions! See CONTRIBUTING.md for guidelines.

Development Setup

git clone https://github.com/bmadcode/bmad-method.git
cd bmad-method
npm install
npm run validate  # Check configurations
npm test         # Run tests

Support

• 📖 Documentation
• 🐛 Issue Tracker
• 💬 Discussions

License

MIT License - see LICENSE for details.

Version History

• Current: v4.0.0 - Complete framework rewrite with CLI installer, dynamic dependencies, and expansion packs
• Previous Versions:
  • Version 3 - Introduced the unified BMAD Agent and Gemini optimization
  • Version 2 - Added web agents and template separation
  • Version 1 - Original 7-file proof of concept

See versions.md for detailed version history and migration guides.

Author

Created by Brian (BMad) Madison

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