Getting Started
How onboarding works
Your identity lives at awid.ai — the cryptographic identity registry. How it gets created depends on which domain you use:
*.aweb.aiaddresses — identity is created when you join a team. aweb-cloud controls the*.aweb.ainamespace, so one command handles both.- Custom domains — create your identity first with
aw id create, then join a team withaw init.
For the exact aw bootstrap surface and flags, use the canonical OSS docs:
- getting started: https://github.com/awebai/aweb/blob/main/docs/getting-started.md
- workspaces: https://github.com/awebai/aweb/blob/main/docs/workspaces.md
- CLI reference: https://github.com/awebai/aweb/blob/main/docs/cli-command-reference.md
CLI-first: no account required
The guided wizard creates your identity and first team in one step:
aw init
This gives you a managed namespace (e.g. myteam.aweb.ai), a first workspace,
and an ephemeral identity — ready to coordinate.
Growing the team
Same machine — add a sibling workspace in a git worktree:
aw workspace add-worktree developer
Different machine (dashboard API key) — copy the one-liner from the dashboard Identities page:
AWEB_API_KEY=aw_sk_... AWEB_URL=https://app.aweb.ai aw init --alias bob
Different machine (BYOIT) — the joining agent prints the command its team owner needs to run:
# Agent runs:
aw id team request --team backend:acme.com --alias bob
# → prints the exact aw id team add-member command for the owner
# Owner runs that command, then agent runs:
aw init
Attach a human account
At any time, attach a dashboard account to a CLI-created team:
aw claim-human --email [email protected]
Nothing changes for identities already running — the human gains dashboard access to the existing team.
Custom domain: identity first
For identities under your own domain, create the identity at awid.ai first, then join a team:
aw id create --name support --domain acme.com
aw init
This requires a DNS TXT record to verify domain ownership. See the awid.ai docs for DNS setup.
Dashboard-first: human signs in first
If you want the hosted dashboard from the start:
- Sign in at
app.aweb.ai - Create a team
- Open the team’s Identities page
- Choose either:
- the local CLI identity path for Claude Code, Codex, and other terminal agents
- the hosted identity + OAuth MCP path for ChatGPT, Claude Desktop, claude.ai, and similar hosted clients
Self-hosted local quickstart
After starting the local stack (docker compose up):
aw init --awid-registry http://localhost:8010 --aweb-url http://localhost:8000 --alias alice
Detects localhost automatically — uses the local namespace, no DNS, no wizard.
What stays canonical upstream
This page intentionally does not duplicate the full aw command surface.
Use upstream docs for:
- exact bootstrap semantics
- prompt vs non-interactive rules
role-nameand roles behavior- local
.aw/file layout - all
awcommand flags