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Ben Basha edited this page Jul 15, 2025 · 3 revisions

Quick Start Guide

Get up and running with Claude Autopilot in under 5 minutes! This guide will walk you through setting up your first "set it and forget it" automated Claude Code workflow.

💤 The Claude Autopilot Promise

Work smarter, not harder. Claude Autopilot is designed to let you:

  • ✅ Queue up tasks Friday evening, enjoy your weekend, return Monday to completed work
  • ✅ Start a large refactoring before dinner, come back to a transformed codebase
  • ✅ Begin code generation while kids are awake, finish playing with everything done
  • ✅ Sleep peacefully while Claude Autopilot handles hundreds of tasks automatically

Before You Begin

Ensure you have:

  • ✅ VS Code 1.74.0 or later
  • ✅ Claude Code CLI installed and accessible
  • ✅ Python 3.8 or later
  • ✅ Claude Autopilot extension installed

Need help with installation? See the Installation Guide.

Step 1: Open Your Workspace

  1. Open VS Code
  2. Open a folder/workspace where you want to use Claude Autopilot
  3. Ensure you have some files to work with (code files, documents, etc.)

Step 2: Start Claude Autopilot

Method 1: Command Palette

  1. Press Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + P to open Command Palette
  2. Type "Claude: Start Claude Autopilot"
  3. Press Enter

Method 2: Quick Access

  • Look for the Claude Autopilot icon in the VS Code sidebar
  • Click to open the Claude Autopilot panel

Step 3: First Dependency Check

When Claude Autopilot starts, it automatically checks your dependencies:

  • 🟢 Green checkmarks: Everything is ready
  • 🟡 Yellow warnings: Minor issues (often safe to ignore)
  • 🔴 Red errors: Must be fixed before proceeding

If you see red errors, check the Troubleshooting Guide.

Step 4: Add Your First Message

  1. In the Claude Autopilot panel, click "Add Message"
  2. Enter a simple task, for example: 
    Please analyze the current directory structure and create a brief summary of the main files and their purposes.
  3. Click "Add to Queue"

Step 5: Start Processing

  1. Click the "Start Processing" button
  2. Watch as Claude Autopilot:
    • Sends your message to Claude Code
    • Processes the response
    • Shows results in real-time

Step 6: View Results

  1. Real-time Output: Watch the processing in the main panel
  2. History Tab: Click "History" to see completed tasks
  3. Queue Tab: Monitor pending and completed messages

Example Workflows

Workflow 1: "Friday Evening → Monday Morning" Setup

Perfect for weekend productivity:

Message 1-50: "Convert each .js file in /src/components/ to TypeScript with proper interfaces"
Message 51-75: "Add comprehensive JSDoc comments to all converted TypeScript files" 
Message 76-100: "Generate unit tests for each converted component using Jest"

Result: Start your weekend with a JavaScript codebase, return Monday to a fully-typed, documented, and tested TypeScript project.

Workflow 2: "Dinner Time Processing"

Great for family time:

Message 1-25: "Refactor all class components in /src/ to functional components with hooks"
Message 26-50: "Add error boundaries to all converted functional components"
Message 51-60: "Generate comprehensive PropTypes documentation for each component"

Result: Start cooking dinner with legacy code, eat with family, return to modern React codebase.

Workflow 3: "Overnight Code Generation"

Ideal for large-scale generation:

Message 1-30: "Generate CRUD operations for each model in /models/ directory"
Message 31-60: "Create corresponding API endpoints for each CRUD operation"
Message 61-90: "Generate comprehensive integration tests for all API endpoints"
Message 91-100: "Create detailed API documentation with examples for each endpoint"

Result: Go to sleep with basic models, wake up to a complete API with tests and documentation.

Understanding the Interface

Main Panel Sections

  1. Status Bar: Shows current processing status
  2. Queue Section: Lists pending and processing messages
  3. Output Section: Displays real-time results
  4. Controls: Start/stop processing, add messages

Queue Operations

  • ➕ Add: Add new messages
  • ✏️ Edit: Modify existing messages
  • 🗑️ Delete: Remove messages
  • 📋 Duplicate: Copy messages
  • ↕️ Reorder: Change message order

Status Indicators

  • 🟢 Ready: System ready for processing
  • 🟡 Processing: Currently working on tasks
  • 🔴 Error: Issue requires attention
  • ⏸️ Paused: Processing paused (manual or auto-resume)

Best Practices for Beginners

1. Start Small

  • Begin with simple, single-task messages
  • Gradually increase complexity as you learn

2. Use Clear Instructions

✅ Good: "Add error handling to the login function in src/auth.js"
❌ Vague: "Fix the authentication stuff"

3. Break Down Complex Tasks

Instead of:

"Refactor the entire application to use TypeScript and add comprehensive testing"

Try:

Message 1: "Convert src/utils/helpers.js to TypeScript"
Message 2: "Add type definitions for the main User interface"
Message 3: "Create Jest tests for the helpers module"

4. Monitor Progress

  • Keep an eye on the processing status
  • Review outputs before adding dependent tasks
  • Use the history feature to track what's been completed

Configuration for Beginners

Start with these essential settings:

{
  "claudeLoop.session.skipPermissions": true,
  "claudeLoop.sleepPrevention.enabled": true,
  "claudeLoop.queue.autoMaintenance": true,
  "claudeLoop.developmentMode": false
}

Common First-Time Issues

Issue: "Claude not found"

Solution: Ensure Claude Code is installed and in your PATH

claude --version  # Should show version number

Issue: Queue won't start processing

Solution: Check the dependency status indicators

Issue: No output appears

Solution: Wait a moment - Claude Code responses can take time

Issue: Permission errors

Solution: Enable claudeLoop.session.skipPermissions in settings

Next Steps

Now that you have Claude Autopilot running:

  1. Explore Configuration: Customize settings in Configuration Guide
  2. Learn Advanced Features: Check out Use Cases for inspiration
  3. Optimize Your Workflow: Read Best Practices
  4. Join the Community: Visit GitHub Discussions

Quick Reference Commands

Action Command
Start Claude Autopilot Claude: Start Claude Autopilot
Stop Claude Autopilot Claude: Stop Claude Autopilot
Add Message Claude: Add Message to Queue
Open Settings Cmd/Ctrl + , → Search "Claude Autopilot"

Getting Help

If you run into issues:

  1. Check the status indicators in the Claude Autopilot panel
  2. Review the Troubleshooting Guide
  3. Enable debug logging and check for error messages
  4. Ask for help in GitHub Discussions

Congratulations! You've completed your first Claude Autopilot workflow. You're now ready to automate your Claude Code tasks efficiently.

Quick start guide last updated: July 2025

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