BeeAI CLI can be used to quickly set up a local instance of the BeeAI platform, including a web interface for interacting with agents. Pre-requisites:
  • familiarity with running commands in terminal
  • API key for an LLM provider (OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, watsonx, …)
    • free API keys can be obtained from OpenRouter or Groq
    • alternatively, Ollama can be used to run local LLMs, but this requires a very powerful computer
  • (recommended) fast internet connection (a few GB will be downloaded)
1

Install uv

If you don’t have uv installed, install it using one of the supported ways.Open a terminal and run:After this, close the terminal and re-open it.
2

Install BeeAI

uv tool install beeai-cli
See bottom of this page for instructions on updating and uninstalling.
3

Start the BeeAI platform

beeai platform start
This step downloads a few gigabytes of data, so it may take a while depending on your internet connection. Once started, the platform will continue running in the background until you stop it with beeai platform stop or shut down your computer.
4

Configure an LLM provider

If you don’t already have an API key for an LLM provider, register for a free one on OpenRouter or Groq.Run this command and follow the interactive prompts:
beeai model setup
You can re-run this command anytime to change the LLM provider.
5

Check that everything works

beeai run chat Hi!
Starting up an agent for the first time may take a few minutes. If everything is successful, you should see a friendly greeting from the agent.
6

Try the web interface

beeai ui
The web UI is intentionally simplified for end-users who need basic agent interactions without CLI complexity. Think of the web UI as a deployment target for your agents, not your primary development environment.
7

Get familiar with the CLI

# List all available agents
beeai list

# Run an agent interactively
beeai run chat

# Run an agent with direct input
beeai run chat "Hello! How are you?"

# Get agent details and parameters
beeai info chat

# View all CLI options
beeai --help
8

Dive into BeeAI

Explore the rest of the documentation to learn how to connect MCP servers, build your own agents, use document retrieval, and more! 🐝