Getting Started

Install the Vibefile CLI and create your first Vibefile in minutes.

Installation

Vibefile is a Go-based CLI. Install it with:

go install github.com/vibefile-dev/vibe@latest

You need Go 1.21 or later. If you’ve got that, you’re in business.

API key setup

The CLI needs an API key to call the LLM. You never put it in your Vibefile — resolution happens at runtime in this order:

1. --api-key CLI flag
2. VIBE_API_KEY environment variable
3. Provider-specific env var (inferred from the model you use):
   • ANTHROPIC_API_KEY for Claude
   • OPENAI_API_KEY for OpenAI
4. ~/.vibeconfig global config file

Most people use ~/.vibeconfig and forget about it:

# ~/.vibeconfig — never committed to version control
default_model: claude-sonnet-4-6
anthropic_key: sk-ant-...
openai_key: sk-...

One file, both providers, done.

Initialize a project

From your project root:

vibe init

This auto-detects your project type from manifest files (go.mod, package.json, Cargo.toml, etc.) and generates a Vibefile with sensible defaults. No LLM call — it’s template-based.

Override detection with --language if you want a specific stack, or --force to clobber an existing Vibefile.

Your first Vibefile

Here’s the simplest thing that works:

model = claude-sonnet-4-6

build:
    "compile and bundle for production"

test:
    "run all tests with verbose output"

check: test build
    "all quality gates passed"

Targets. Descriptions. Dependencies. That’s it — the LLM figures out the how.

Running targets

vibe run build          # run build
vibe run check          # runs test, then build, then check
vibe run build --dry    # preview the generated script without executing

The mental model:

first run:   vibe run build → LLM call → script generated and cached
next runs:   vibe run build → instant (served from cache, no LLM)

The expensive step happens once. After that you’re just running shell scripts.

What’s next

• Syntax — variables, targets, dependencies, recipes
• CLI Reference — all commands: init, run, list, check, status
• Project Detection — how vibe init detects your project and how to extend it