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The CLI is the fastest way to bring pre.dev into a codebase that already exists. There’s no import step and nothing to upload — cd into the repo, run predev, and the agent works on your files where they live.
1

Launch in your repo

The first launch in a folder creates a pre.dev project linked to that directory. When the CLI sees an existing codebase — a GitHub remote or a directory full of source files — it offers to reverse-engineer it before you start:
Pick Yes to kick off the mapping right away, or Not now and run /reverse whenever you’re ready.
2

Reverse-engineer the codebase with /reverse

Maps the existing code into your project’s architecture graph. It runs in the background — typically a few minutes — and you can keep chatting while it works. When it’s done, /arch shows the resulting architecture graph right in the terminal, and the agent plans future work against it instead of rediscovering your codebase every session.
3

Sprint on new features

Each sprint opens as a new tab and builds in an isolated session. With the architecture mapped, sprints slot new work into the structure you already have — reusing your patterns, stack, and conventions rather than inventing new ones.For smaller changes, just chat:
4

Review with git

The agent edits files directly in your working tree, so your normal workflow is the review process:
Stage, commit, and push on your own terms. Parallel sessions (/fork, /sprint) work in isolated git worktrees so they never collide with your checkout or with each other; their work lands back in your main workspace when they finish.
Everything stays in sync with the web workspace. The reverse-engineered architecture, Kanban board, and roadmap for this repo are all there when you open the same project at pre.dev.

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Tips

  • One directory, one project. Relaunching predev in the same folder resumes the same project — history, sessions, and settings included. Use predev --new if you want a clean slate for the same directory.
  • Re-run /reverse after big changes. If the codebase shifts significantly (a large merge, a refactor done outside pre.dev), reverse-engineer again so the architecture graph matches reality.

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Next steps

Command reference

Every slash command, grouped by what it does.

CLI overview

Install, first run, and when to use the CLI vs the web.