Getting Started

Pad is a project management tool built for developers and AI agents. It ships as a single binary with an embedded web UI, a powerful CLI, and a natural-language skill that works with any major AI coding tool.

Installation

Homebrew (macOS & Linux)

brew install xarmian/tap/pad

Binary Download

Pre-built binaries for macOS, Linux, and Windows are on the releases page.

Docker

docker run -p 127.0.0.1:7777:7777 -v pad-data:/data ghcr.io/xarmian/pad

From Source

git clone https://github.com/xarmian/pad.git
cd pad
make build
# Binary is at ./pad

go install github.com/xarmian/pad/cmd/pad@latest is not supported for Pad — the embedded SvelteKit web UI must be built and embedded during the binary build, which go install skips. Use one of the paths above.

After installation, verify it’s working:

pad --version

Quick Start

1. Initialize Pad

Navigate to your project directory and run:

pad init

pad init is the smart entry point — one command that configures the connection, starts the local server, creates the first admin account on a fresh install, logs you in, links the directory to a Pad workspace (writing .pad.toml), and installs the /pad skill for any AI coding tools it detects in the project.

Your project is now a Pad workspace with default collections: Tasks, Ideas, Plans, Docs, Conventions, and Playbooks. Safe to re-run anytime — pad init skips finished steps and prints a status summary.

2. Create your first task

pad item create task "Set up CI pipeline" --priority high

3. Open the web UI

Pad automatically starts a local server. Open your browser to:

http://localhost:7777

You’ll see a dashboard with your workspace, collections, and the task you just created. You can switch between board and list views, edit items, and manage your project visually.

4. Use the CLI

# List open tasks
pad item list tasks

# Update a task status
pad item update set-up-ci-pipeline --status in-progress

# See your project dashboard
pad project dashboard

# Get a recommendation for what to work on next
pad project next

5. Talk to your AI agent

pad init already installed the /pad skill for any AI tools it detected. Just talk to your project:

/pad what should I work on next?

Your AI agent can create tasks, update statuses, create plans, and query your project through natural conversation. To install the skill for additional tools, or for the full setup details, see the Agent Integration guide.

What’s Next?