BMAD-METHOD/docs/tutorials/getting-started.md

title, description

title	description
Getting Started	Install BMad and build your first project

Build software faster using AI-powered workflows with specialized agents that guide you through planning, architecture, and implementation.

What You'll Learn

• Install and initialize BMad Method for a new project
• Choose the right planning track for your project size
• Progress through phases from requirements to working code
• Use agents and workflows effectively

:::note[Prerequisites]

• Node.js 20+ — Required for the installer
• Git — Recommended for version control
• AI-powered IDE — Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, or similar
• A project idea — Even a simple one works for learning :::

:::tip[Quick Path] Install → npx bmad-method@alpha install Plan → PM creates PRD, Architect creates architecture Build → SM manages sprints, DEV implements stories Fresh chats for each workflow to avoid context issues. :::

Understanding BMad

BMad helps you build software through guided workflows with specialized AI agents. The process follows four phases:

Phase	Name	What Happens
1	Analysis	Brainstorming, research, product brief (optional)
2	Planning	Create requirements (PRD or tech-spec)
3	Solutioning	Design architecture (BMad Method/Enterprise only)
4	Implementation	Build epic by epic, story by story

Open the Workflow Map to explore phases, workflows, and context management.

Based on your project's complexity, BMad offers three planning tracks:

Track	Best For	Documents Created
Quick Flow	Bug fixes, simple features, clear scope (1-15 stories)	Tech-spec only
BMad Method	Products, platforms, complex features (10-50+ stories)	PRD + Architecture + UX
Enterprise	Compliance, multi-tenant systems (30+ stories)	PRD + Architecture + Security + DevOps

:::note Story counts are guidance, not definitions. Choose your track based on planning needs, not story math. :::

Installation

Open a terminal in your project directory and run:

npx bmad-method@alpha install

When prompted to select modules, choose BMad Method.

The installer creates two folders:

• _bmad/ — agents, workflows, tasks, and configuration
• _bmad-output/ — empty for now, but this is where your artifacts will be saved

Open your AI IDE in the project folder. Run the help workflow (/bmad-help on most platforms) to see what to do next — it detects what you've completed and recommends the next step.

:::caution[Fresh Chats] Always start a fresh chat for each workflow. This prevents context limitations from causing issues. :::

Step 1: Create Your Plan

Work through phases 1-3. Use fresh chats for each workflow.

Phase 1: Analysis (Optional)

All workflows in this phase are optional:

• brainstorming — Guided ideation
• research — Market and technical research
• create-product-brief — Recommended foundation document

Phase 2: Planning (Required)

For BMad Method and Enterprise tracks:

1. Load the PM agent in a new chat
2. Run the prd workflow
3. Output: PRD.md

For Quick Flow track:

• Use the quick-spec workflow instead of PRD, then skip to implementation

:::note[UX Design (Optional)] If your project has a user interface, load the UX-Designer agent and run the UX design workflow after creating your PRD. :::

Phase 3: Solutioning (BMad Method/Enterprise)

Create Architecture

1. Load the Architect agent in a new chat
2. Run create-architecture
3. Output: Architecture document with technical decisions

Create Epics and Stories

:::tip[V6 Improvement] Epics and stories are now created after architecture. This produces better quality stories because architecture decisions (database, API patterns, tech stack) directly affect how work should be broken down. :::

1. Load the PM agent in a new chat
2. Run create-epics-and-stories
3. The workflow uses both PRD and Architecture to create technically-informed stories

Implementation Readiness Check (Highly Recommended)

1. Load the Architect agent in a new chat
2. Run check-implementation-readiness
3. Validates cohesion across all planning documents

Step 2: Build Your Project

Once planning is complete, move to implementation. Each workflow should run in a fresh chat.

Initialize Sprint Planning

Load the SM agent and run sprint-planning. This creates sprint-status.yaml to track all epics and stories.

The Build Cycle

For each story, repeat this cycle with fresh chats:

Step	Agent	Workflow	Purpose
1	SM	create-story	Create story file from epic
2	DEV	dev-story	Implement the story
3	DEV	code-review	Quality validation (recommended)

After completing all stories in an epic, load the SM agent and run retrospective.

What You've Accomplished

You've learned the foundation of building with BMad:

• Installed BMad and configured it for your IDE
• Initialized a project with your chosen planning track
• Created planning documents (PRD, Architecture, Epics & Stories)
• Understood the build cycle for implementation

Your project now has:

your-project/
├── _bmad/                         # BMad configuration
├── _bmad-output/
│   ├── PRD.md                     # Your requirements document
│   ├── architecture.md            # Technical decisions
│   ├── epics/                     # Epic and story files
│   └── sprint-status.yaml         # Sprint tracking
└── ...

Quick Reference

Workflow	Agent	Purpose
help	Any	Get guidance on what to do next
prd	PM	Create Product Requirements Document
create-architecture	Architect	Create architecture document
create-epics-and-stories	PM	Break down PRD into epics
check-implementation-readiness	Architect	Validate planning cohesion
sprint-planning	SM	Initialize sprint tracking
create-story	SM	Create a story file
dev-story	DEV	Implement a story
code-review	DEV	Review implemented code

Common Questions

Do I always need architecture? Only for BMad Method and Enterprise tracks. Quick Flow skips from tech-spec to implementation.

Can I change my plan later? Yes. The SM agent has a correct-course workflow for handling scope changes.

What if I want to brainstorm first? Load the Analyst agent and run brainstorming before starting your PRD.

Do I need to follow a strict order? Not strictly. Once you learn the flow, you can run workflows directly using the Quick Reference above.

Getting Help

• During workflows — Agents guide you with questions and explanations
• Community — Discord (#bmad-method-help, #report-bugs-and-issues)
• Stuck? — Run help to see what to do next

Key Takeaways

:::tip[Remember These]

• Always use fresh chats — Start a new chat for each workflow
• Track matters — Quick Flow uses quick-spec; Method/Enterprise need PRD and architecture
• Use help when stuck — It detects your progress and suggests next steps :::

Ready to start? Install BMad and let the agents guide you through your first project.