Quick Start
Create your first AI agent in 5 minutes
This guide will walk you through creating and deploying your first ElizaOS agent. No coding experience required!
Install ElizaOS CLI
First, install the ElizaOS command-line interface:
bun install -g @elizaos/cli
Then create your first agent:
elizaos create my-first-agent
This will create a new directory with all the files you need.
Get an AI Key
You'll need an API key from one of these providers:
- Go to OpenAI API
- Create an account and get your API key
- Add it to your
.env
file
OPENAI_API_KEY=your_key_here
- Go to Anthropic Console
- Create an account and get your API key
- Add it to your
.env
file
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=your_key_here
- Install a local AI model (like Ollama)
- Configure the local endpoint
- No API key needed!
No environment variable required
Configure Your Agent
Customize your agent by editing agent/eliza.character.json
:
{
"name": "MyAgent",
"description": "A helpful AI assistant",
"personality": "friendly and helpful",
"plugins": ["bootstrap"],
"clients": ["discord", "web"]
}
You can customize:
- Name: Your agent's name
- Description: What your agent does
- Personality: How your agent behaves
- Plugins: What capabilities your agent has
- Clients: Where your agent will run
Start Your Agent
Start your agent in development mode:
elizaos dev
You'll see output like:
🤖 Starting ElizaOS...
✅ Database connected
✅ Plugins loaded
🌐 Web interface: http://localhost:3000
Your agent is now running!
Test Your Agent
- Open your browser to
http://localhost:3000
- Start chatting with your agent
- Test different questions and commands
- Refine the personality if needed
Next Steps
Once your agent is working locally, you can:
- Deploy to platforms: Set up Discord, Telegram, or Twitter
- Customize personality: Add more personality traits and knowledge
- Add plugins: Enhance your agent with additional capabilities
- Deploy to cloud: Make your agent available 24/7
Troubleshooting
Common Issues
Agent won't start?
- Check that your API key is correctly set in
.env
- Make sure you have the required dependencies installed
- Verify your internet connection
Agent not responding?
- Check the console for error messages
- Verify your API key is valid and has credits
- Try restarting the agent
Need help?
- Check the FAQ for common questions
- Join the Discord community for support
- Review the troubleshooting guides
What's Next?
Now that you have a working agent, explore:
- Character Creation Guide - Design unique personalities
- Platform Deployment - Deploy to Discord, Twitter, etc.
- Templates - Use pre-built agent templates
Resources
- YouTube tutorials: Step-by-step video guides
- Discord community: Get help from other creators
- Documentation: Detailed technical guides
- Free help sessions: 15-minute one-on-one support
Congratulations! You've created your first AI agent with ElizaOS. The possibilities are endless - what will you build next?