# Quickstart — your first PR in 10 minutes

This walks you from zero to a merge‑ready pull request. You'll need a GitHub
account and one AI provider key (Anthropic, an OpenCode‑compatible gateway, etc.).

## 1. Connect GitHub

Sign in and [connect GitHub](/docs/connect-github). This lets AM read your repos
and open pull requests.

## 2. Add a worker

Runs execute on a **worker** — a machine you control (your laptop, a VPS, a CI
box). On that machine, run the install command from the **Workers** tab:

```bash
am-cloud worker install \
  --panel wss://automaintainer.intrane.fr/ws/worker \
  --token <your-license-key>
```

See [Add a worker](/docs/add-worker) for systemd / linger details. The worker
appears in the Workers tab within ~15s.

## 3. Configure a provider key (BYOK)

On the worker host, set your AI provider key so the agents can think. AM never
sees or stores this key — see [BYOK](/docs/byok-provider-keys).

Then confirm it works: in the team builder, click **Test** next to a cli/model.
A green ✓ means a real run will actually launch; a red ✗ tells you exactly why
(e.g. *out of balance*). See [Verify readiness](/docs/verify-readiness).

## 4. Add a repository

In **Repos → Add**, pick a repo and set a [focus](/docs/focus) in plain English,
or choose a [playbook](/docs/playbooks). Set a [verify command](/docs/verification-gate)
that gates the PR — e.g. `npm ci && npm run test:unit` or `cargo test`.

## 5. Run it

Click **Run**. Watch the run open: you'll see the agents' activity, then the
Verification Gate result, then a pull request link. On Free/Pro you review and
merge; on Max AM can [auto‑merge](/docs/auto-merge).

## Nothing happened?

If the run finished in seconds as **`no_op`** (no activity), it's almost always a
provider key/balance issue. Go straight to
[My run made no changes](/docs/no-changes) — it's a quick decision tree.

## Next

- Tune what AM works on: [Focus](/docs/focus), [Playbooks](/docs/playbooks),
  [Objectives](/docs/objectives).
- Go hands‑off: [Scheduling](/docs/scheduling), [Explore mode](/docs/explore-mode).

> **Tip:** prefer a light UI? Toggle light/dark from the bottom of the sidebar — it sticks across sessions.