Cloud UI · Local engine

Install AIPI where your code lives.

Get from zero to a connected local workspace in under a minute. The cloud UI gives you a polished view; the companion keeps source, credentials, requests, and evidence on your machine.

Start the quickstart ↓Read documentation ↗

Recommended path

One setup command, then automatic local-first workflow.

npx @vmise/aipi-companion@latest init

Run this one command from your project root. It detects your app, wires IDE MCP settings, starts or reuses the local daemon, registers the project, and opens its authenticated dashboard.

01 · Install

Install the local companion

npx @vmise/aipi-companion@latest init

The companion is published on npm and binds to loopback by default. It does not open your project to the public internet.

02 · Connect your IDE

Register the local MCP server

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aipi": {
      "command": "aipi",
      "args": ["mcp"]
    }
  }
}

Codex or another supported IDE uses MCP over stdio. The agent remains in control of repository changes.

03 · Connect

One command from project root

npx @vmise/aipi-companion init

Detects your project and writes .aipirc.json.
Registers MCP for Codex, Cursor, and VS Code without replacing existing settings.
Starts or reuses the local daemon and registers the project once.
Opens the connected local dashboard with a same-origin authenticated session.

Reload your IDE after first setup and approve project trust if prompted. To open the dashboard again later, run npx @vmise/aipi-companion@latest open.

The reliable local dashboard is the default. The hosted dashboard uses an opt-in outbound pairing session after sign-in, avoiding browser Private Network Access restrictions.

04 · Connection token

How the dashboard connects

The local daemon creates a random session secret and binds only to loopback.
aipi open launches a same-origin local route that sets an HTTP-only, SameSite session cookie.
The browser reads project state directly from the loopback companion without exposing the secret in a cloud URL.
Hosted access uses a separate, short-lived outbound WebSocket pairing session.

Source code, credentials, API traffic, response bodies, logs, and project evidence remain local in both modes.

05 · MCP and daemon

One local engine for every client

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "aipi": { "command": "aipi", "args": ["mcp"] }
  }
}

aipi mcp is a thin stdio client. It reuses the daemon started by the dashboard or starts one silently when an IDE calls it.

06 · Prerequisites

What you need

✓ Node.js 22 or newer

✓ A local JavaScript or TypeScript project

✓ Codex, Cursor, VS Code, or another MCP client (optional)

✓ No account, database, or Docker required for the local core

07 · Data boundary

Local by default

✓ Source code and credentials stay local

✓ API execution and response bodies stay local

✓ Logs and evidence stay in the local workspace

○ Optional contract metadata can be synchronized for teams

Choose your mode

Start local.
Scale when ready.

LOCAL

Private development

Everything runs on your machine. Best for day-to-day debugging and sensitive repositories.

TEAM

Shared contracts

Synchronize selected contract metadata while keeping source, credentials, and response bodies local.

Continuous verification

Run discovery, request checks, and regression tests in pull requests without changing your runtime.

Current release

Start local. Pair outward only when needed.

The local dashboard and MCP server work without an account. The outbound pairing preview uses a ten-minute session, separate companion/dashboard secrets, and an operation allowlist; it never exposes MCP tool calls through the browser relay.

Open the dashboard ↗Troubleshooting & reference ↗