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Getting started

Install, open, wire one account, prompt Toad. Four steps, a few minutes.

  • Platform Windows desktop
  • Runs on your subscriptions & keys
  • Telemetry none
  • Default mode edit
  1. Install — run the installer; SmartScreen warns once (unsigned pre-sale build).
  2. Create a workspace — the modal opens itself on first launch.
  3. Wire one account — a Claude or Codex subscription login is the cheapest path.
  4. Prompt Toad — open Studio and say what you want done.

Install on Windows

  • Local desktop app — nothing phones home. Provider calls go through the CLIs and accounts you configure.
  • Pre-sale builds are unsigned: when SmartScreen warns, choose More info → Run anyway.
  • First launch auto-unlocks — no passphrase by default. Re-lock any time from Lock app on the Accounts page.

Create your first workspace

The New workspace modal opens automatically on first run. A workspace is one project; exactly one is active at a time.

  • Name it, then clone a git repo or point at a project folder.
  • Full field reference (path, tech stack, goals) → Manage guide.
Note
New workspaces default to edit mode — read plus safe file writes. Change it in Manage → Settings → Permissions; all five modes are in Manage.

Wire one account

Go to Manage → Accounts and connect at least one provider.

  • Cheapest path: Claude (subscription) → runs claude auth login, or Codex (subscription) → runs codex login.
  • Finish the provider's sign-in, then press Test model — you want “CLI auth OK”.
  • Subscription logins let the brain spawn real terminal sessions — no key to paste.
  • API keys, local models, role routing → Accounts guide.

Send your first prompt in Studio

  • Open Studio and say what you want — a one-line fix, a feature, a question about the codebase.
  • Toad coordinates the agents; they do the work. Follow-ups stay in the same thread.
  • Then pick the surface guide for your workflow — start with Studio.
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