> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.agentbase.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Quickstart

> Get started with Agentbase AI agents in 2 minutes

Get your first AI agent running locally in 2 minutes.

**Start in the app:** Visit the [overview page](https://base.agentbase.sh/overview) for a guided quickstart that walks you through:

1. **Choose your SDK** - TypeScript, Python, or cURL
2. **Get your API key** - Secure authentication setup
3. **Copy the bootstrap command** - One-click setup
4. **Select your agent mode** - Flash, Base, or Max
5. **Configure add-ons** - Optional integrations

The guided setup generates a ready-to-use code snippet you can paste directly into your IDE.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/pointer-a6b7b4cd/vPW4n-M0vJAdiQQn/images/overview.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=vPW4n-M0vJAdiQQn&q=85&s=70ae1b662e20c15751546ef92720fdfb" alt="Agentbase overview page showing guided quickstart" width="1342" height="659" data-path="images/overview.png" />

## Before you begin

* [Agentbase account](https://base.agentbase.sh/sign-up) with credits
* Node.js 18+ installed

<Tip>Sign up with your work email to get free credits automatically!</Tip>

## Step 1: Install and run

```bash theme={null}
# Create your agent project
npm create agentbase@latest

# Select to create a Next.js agent chat app or a terminal chat app
📦 Select a template:
  1. agent-chat-nextjs (Next.js app)
  2. terminal-chat (Terminal agent chat)
✔ Choose template (1 or 2) (1):

# Navigate and start
cd my-agent
npm run dev
```

You'll be prompted to add your API key on first use. You can get your API key from the [overview page](https://base.agentbase.sh/overview).

## Step 2: Test capabilities

Try these prompts in the CLI to understand what agents can do:

```
> What can you do?
> Write and run a Python function to calculate fibonacci numbers
> Search for the latest AI news and summarize it
> Create a React component for a user profile card
```

## Step 3: Understand agent modes

Change the mode in your `index.ts` file:

```typescript theme={null}
const params = {
  message: message,
  mode: "base", // "base", "flash", or "max"
};
```

**Mode differences:**

* **Flash**: Shows agent thinking process and steps
* **Base**: Balanced performance (recommended)
* **Max**: Advanced reasoning for complex tasks

You can also test your agents in the [Agentbase playground](https://base.agentbase.sh/playground).

## Need help?

* Join our [Discord](https://discord.com/invite/KFtqf7j9fs) for support
* Monitor usage at [base.agentbase.sh](https://base.agentbase.sh)
* Check [API examples](/api/example) for more patterns