Flowly Docs

Install methods

Method	Command	When to use
Native script	`curl -fsSL https://useflowlyapp.com/install.sh \| bash`	Recommended — git checkout; `flowly update` pulls new versions between releases
`uv tool`	`uv tool install flowly-ai`	Packaged PyPI install, isolated env
`pip --user`	`pip install --user flowly-ai`	Standard Python users
Source	`git clone … && pip install -e .`	Contributors

# Recommended (macOS / Linux)
curl -fsSL https://useflowlyapp.com/install.sh | bash

# Recommended (Windows PowerShell)
irm https://useflowlyapp.com/install.ps1 | iex

# Packaged PyPI install
uv tool install flowly-ai
pip install --user flowly-ai

All methods install the same flowly CLI. The native script clones the repo into an isolated, uv-managed virtualenv and installs Flowly editable — so it needs no pre-installed Python (uv provides it), and flowly update can fast-forward it with git pull without waiting for a PyPI release. The packaged methods track PyPI releases instead.

First run

On a fresh machine the first-run picker opens automatically right after the install script finishes. It asks how to power Flowly — sign in with a Flowly account (managed, nothing else to configure) or enter your own API key — which is the one mandatory step before the agent can run. The same picker also seeds your workspace and offers to start the gateway.

If it didn't open automatically (e.g. you installed via uv tool/pip in a non-interactive shell), run it yourself:

flowly setup

See Setup wizard for every subcommand and the BYOK one-shot.

Updating

The simplest way is the built-in updater — it detects how Flowly was installed and upgrades in place (no prompt). For a native-script (git checkout) install it runs git pull --ff-only + reinstall; for the packaged methods it upgrades the package (on Windows the PyPI paths relaunch through a detached helper so the running flowly.exe isn't locked):

flowly update

Or upgrade manually with the same tool you installed it with:

flowly update                      # git checkout: git pull + reinstall
uv tool upgrade flowly-ai          # if installed via uv
pip install -U --user flowly-ai    # if installed via pip

Or re-run the native install script, which fast-forwards the checkout to the latest commit:

curl -fsSL https://useflowlyapp.com/install.sh | bash

Check the installed version with:

flowly --version

Running as a background service

By default Flowly runs in your terminal session. To keep the gateway running without a terminal — surviving reboots and terminal close — install it as a background service:

flowly service install --start

This registers a service using your platform's native scheduler:

Platform	Backend	Service file
macOS	launchd	`~/Library/LaunchAgents/ai.flowly.gateway.plist`
Linux	systemd (user unit)	`~/.config/systemd/user/ai.flowly.gateway.service`
Windows	Task Scheduler	`~/AppData/Local/flowly/ai.flowly.gateway.xml`

The service label is ai.flowly.gateway.

On Linux, enabling systemd linger lets the service survive logout —

flowly doctor --fix can enable this for you. On Windows, Flowly tries Task Scheduler first; if that's denied (no administrator shell) it automatically falls back to a Startup-folder launcher that runs the gateway at logon — so admin is not required.

For the full lifecycle (start, stop, restart, status, logs, uninstall), see Service.

Verify your install

flowly doctor          # diagnose config + runtime health
flowly status          # show gateway status

Quick Start

Setup Wizard