> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.docwriter.org/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install

> Install DocWriter and authenticate it with Anthropic.

## Requirements

* Node.js 22 or later (`node --version` to check; use `nvm use 22` if needed).
* macOS or Linux (WSL works on Windows).

## Install

```sh theme={null}
git clone https://github.com/shreyashankar/docwriter.git
cd docwriter
npm install
npm run build
npm link
```

Verify:

```sh theme={null}
docwriter --version
```

## Authenticate

DocWriter calls Anthropic through the Claude Agent SDK. Choose one:

**Option A — Claude subscription** (no API key needed):

```sh theme={null}
claude login
```

**Option B — API key:**

```sh theme={null}
export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-...
```

Or pass `--api-key sk-ant-...` on the command line.

## First launch

```sh theme={null}
docwriter ~/writing/my-project
```

Opens at `http://localhost:7723`. The folder appears in the file tree on the left.

## Next steps

* [Quickstart](/quickstart) — open a file and run through the editing loop.
* [CLI reference](/reference/cli) — every flag.