Quick Start
This guide walks you through running your first Ralph workflow.
Step 1: Initialize a Project
Navigate to any git repository and create a PROMPT.md from a template:
$ cd my-project
$ ralph --init bug-fix
This creates a PROMPT.md pre-filled with structure for a bug fix. Run ralph --list to see all available templates.
Step 2: Describe Your Task
Edit PROMPT.md to describe what you want done:
# Task: Fix login timeout bug
## Problem
Users are being logged out after 5 minutes of inactivity,
but the expected timeout is 30 minutes.
## Expected Behavior
Session should remain active for 30 minutes of inactivity.
## Relevant Files
- src/auth/session.ts
- src/config/auth.config.ts
The more detail you provide, the better the results. Include what the problem is, what you expect, and which files are involved.
Step 3: Run the Workflow
$ ralph
Ralph will work through your task automatically — it makes changes, checks its own work, and fixes any issues it finds. When it finishes, your changes are staged and a commit message is ready.
You can watch progress in the terminal:
[Planning] Analyzing task...
[Planning] Generated plan
[Development] Working on changes...
[Development] Modifying src/auth/session.ts
[Review] Checking changes...
[Review] No issues found
[Commit] Generating commit message...
[Commit] Ready to commit
Step 4: Review and Commit
Once Ralph finishes, look over the changes and commit:
$ git diff
$ git commit
Ralph stages everything and generates a commit message for you, but you stay in control of what actually gets committed.
If Something Gets Interrupted
Rate limits, network issues, or Ctrl+C? Resume from where you left off:
$ ralph --resume
Ralph saves its progress as it goes, so nothing is lost.
Next Steps
- Core Concepts - Learn how the pipeline phases work
- Work Guide Templates - Explore all available templates