Getting started

This is the shortest path from nothing to a deployed, working app — and then to that app running on your phone.

1. Install the desktop app

Download Spikefrost for macOS from the download page and drag it into Applications. (Keeping it in Applications matters — automatic updates need a writable, permanent home.)

First launch: open the app, and if macOS asks, confirm you want to open an app downloaded from the internet — builds are signed and notarized by Apple.

The desktop app includes the sf command-line tool, so there is nothing else to install for the normal app workflow. Open a new terminal and check that it is available:

sf --version

2. Install and sign in to Claude Code or Codex

This step is required before chat-driven building works. Spikefrost is the workspace and desktop experience; it uses a coding agent installed on your Mac to read and change your project. Choose one:

Option A — Claude Code

Install Claude Code:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

Open a new Terminal window, then start it:

claude

Follow the browser prompts to sign in with an eligible Claude or Anthropic Console account. Verify it afterward with claude --version.

Option B — Codex

Install Codex CLI:

curl -fsSL https://chatgpt.com/codex/install.sh | sh

Open a new Terminal window, then start it:

codex

The first time Codex opens, choose Sign in with ChatGPT or another available sign-in method. Verify it afterward with codex --version.

You only need one of these CLIs. Spikefrost detects the coding agent available on your Mac and uses it for app conversations. For a more detailed walkthrough, see Set up Claude Code or Codex.

3. Sign in to Spikefrost

Enter your work email. We send a 6-digit code — no passwords. Enter the code and you're in: you'll see your teams on the left and your apps in the middle.

This is separate from your Claude or Codex sign-in: your Spikefrost account provides the workspace, while your chosen coding-agent account provides the coding model.

4. Create your first app

Click New App, give it a name, and pick a template (or start blank). The app is created in the cloud instantly; click Add to my Mac to get a local working copy — that's the folder you and the agent will build in.

5. Build by talking

Open the app and just say what you want in the chat:

"Build a simple booking page for my barbershop: services, a calendar, and a form that emails me each booking."

Spikefrost starts your chosen Claude Code or Codex CLI inside the app's project folder. The agent designs, writes the code, and shows its work as it goes. Iterate in plain language — "make the header dark", "add prices" — like you would with a colleague. You can steer mid-run: type while it works and it adjusts course.

Prefer your hands on the code? Click Finder or Terminal in the app bar — it's a normal project folder; the agent and you can both edit it.

6. For developers: use the same tools directly

The desktop app is the easiest way to get started, but it is not the only way to work. Developers can open the same project in Terminal and run their chosen coding agent directly. sf is the developer interface to the Spikefrost platform; Claude Code or Codex is the coding agent.

If you installed the macOS app, you already have sf. Open the project from the app with Terminal, then start your preferred coding agent from that folder:

sf whoami
claude
# or
codex

Because the terminal is inside the Spikefrost project, sf knows which app it belongs to. Your coding agent can read the project's instructions, change the source, run sf build, and deploy with sf deploy when you ask it to.

Install sf without the desktop app

Developers who want a terminal-only setup can install the CLI directly on macOS, Linux, or WSL:

curl -fsSL https://edge.spikefrost.com/sf/install.sh | sh

Open a new terminal, then sign in and verify the setup:

sf --version
sf login
sf whoami

If you already manage Node.js yourself, you can use npm instead:

npm install -g @spikefrost/cli

From there you can create a project without opening the desktop app:

sf app create "My First App"
cd "my-first-app"
claude  # or: codex

The desktop and terminal workflows operate on the same Spikefrost apps and use the same local files. Choose the desktop app for a guided visual experience; use the CLIs directly when you want terminal control or scripting.

7. Deploy

Say "deploy it" (or run sf deploy in the terminal). Your app goes live on its own URL in about a minute — click Open Site in the app bar to see it. Every later deploy updates the same URL, and each deploy refreshes the edge cache automatically.

8. Put it on your phone

Ask the agent for a mobile app — "make me a mobile app for this" — and it builds a real native companion. Press the Phone button in the app bar and scan the QR code: full flow in Test your app on your phone.

9. When you're ready for the app stores

Shipping to the App Store and Google Play needs store accounts that belong to you — set them up once with our click-by-click guides:

• Apple App Store: accounts and keys
• Google Play: accounts and keys

Where to go next

• Guides — deeper material on agents, operations, and patterns: Guides
• Web console — manage teams, billing, connectors, and apps from the browser: c.spikefrost.com
• Phone access to your workspace — the desktop app can pair your phone (Connect Mobile in the sidebar) so you can talk to your apps from anywhere.