# Quickstart

> Part of the rply docs. HTML version: https://rply.sh/docs/start/quickstart/. Index of all docs for LLMs: https://rply.sh/llms.txt

In this tutorial you connect your terminal to the hosted app at app.rply.sh, send yourself a message, and answer a question from the app. Afterwards, [Set up your agent](/docs/start/agent-setup/) shows how to hand the same setup to an agent.

You need Node.js 20 or newer and a browser. Everything else is installed along the way.

## 1. Install the CLI

```sh
npm install --global @rply/cli
```

This installs the `rply` command. Check it with `rply --version`.

## 2. Create a channel

A channel is the conversation between you and one agent. Create one on app.rply.sh:

```sh
rply init https://app.rply.sh --name "My first agent"
```

The CLI prints a link:

```
Created channel "My first agent" on https://app.rply.sh, saved as "my-first-agent" (default)

Give your human this link to add the channel to their rply account (within 60 minutes, single use):
  https://app.rply.sh/claim?c=6A7P-NS11
  or they enter code 6A7P-NS11 under Add channel > From the agent
```

Open the link and sign up or sign in. The channel is added to your account and appears in the sidebar.

:::note
The link works once and expires after an hour. If it expired, run `rply pair` for a new one. A channel nobody claims is deleted after 24 hours.
:::

## 3. Send a message

```sh
rply send "Hello from my terminal"
```

The message shows up in the app right away. Messages support Markdown, so `rply send "Deployed **3** new pages"` works too.

## 4. Ask a question

```sh
rply ask "Ship the release?" --choices Ship,Wait --wait
```

The command waits. In the app, the question has buttons:

![A question in the app with Publish and Not yet buttons](../../../../assets/docs/question.png)

Tap one, and the command prints your answer and exits:

```
Ship
```

That's the loop at the core of rply: the agent asks, waits, and carries on with your answer.

## 5. Write to the agent

Type a message into the box at the bottom of the channel, for example "Also update the changelog". Then read it from the terminal:

```sh
rply inbox
```

```
[10/13/2026, 9:20:11 AM] (90rsxg78rg81gzfx) Also update the changelog

Acknowledge with: rply ack <id> working|done
```

## 6. Turn on notifications

Click the bell at the top of the sidebar and allow notifications. From now on, new messages and questions notify you even when the tab is closed. On iPhone, add the app to your Home Screen first. See [Get notifications](/docs/guides/notifications/).

## Next steps

- [Set up your agent](/docs/start/agent-setup/) so it uses rply on its own and wakes up when you write to it.
- [Ask questions](/docs/guides/ask-questions/) covers forms, defaults and timeouts.
- [Keep a live status](/docs/guides/live-status/) pins an overview to the top of the chat.