Quick start guide for the Tessl Framework

Install Tessl

Follow the Installation steps. You can verify Tessl is installed by typing tessl on the command line, and that you're logged in by typing tessl whoami. Once you've done this, create a new directory for your project and navigate to it. We'll use quickstart for this example, and will refer to it as the root directory.

cd quickstart

Initialize Tessl in your project

Next, run the following command to set up tessl in your project.

tessl init

This will add configuration files (which you can read more about on the Configuration page).

Set up agent integration (recommended)

Tessl is best used with an AI agent, although if you prefer you can also use Tessl via the CLI. To set up Tessl with your preferred agent, run the following command:

tessl setup agent

You'll be asked if you want to automatically configure the MCP server for your preferred agent. This step is optional, but recommended for the best experience using Tessl.

Your agent should connect to the MCP server once it's initialized.

If your agent isn't listed, or if your agent doesn't pick up the server when initialized, you may need to configure the MCP server manually. Refer to your agent's documentation for precise instructions. Run tessl setup mcp --client other to print the raw configuration:

{
  "tessl": {
    "type": "stdio",
    "command": "tessl",
    "args": ["mcp"]
  }
}

Create your first spec

Now that you've initialized Tessl, let's use it to create a spec that pluralizes a given English word.

We'll use Claude Code as our agent in our examples going forward. You can run the same prompts in your agent of choice. Alternatively, you can also use the Tessl CLI directly, shown in the second tab.

Agent

Tessl CLI

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Write a spec that pluralizes English words.

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tessl create --prompt "A package that pluralizes English words" --spec specs/pluralize.spec.md

Note: the CLI does not go through the bootstrapping interview. If you want to add bootstrapping information, you will need to edit the AGENTS.md file manually.

Review the spec

You have just generated your first spec file with Tessl. Review what has been generated. You'll find the spec in the specs directory found in your root directory. For more information about Tessl specs, refer to the Specs page.

You can manually change the generated spec for minor changes or use the following steps for larger edits.

Agent

Tessl CLI

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Edit the Tessl spec to add a new capability for plurals that are exception words.

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tessl edit specs/pluralize.spec.md --prompt "Add a new capability to pluralize irregular nouns."

Build implementation

Once you're happy with the content of your spec, generate the implementation code.

Agent

Tessl CLI

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Build my application

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tessl build --spec specs/pluralize.spec.md

Run your generated code

Take your new application for a spin!

Next steps

Iterate to add functionality to your application and make it more robust by adding tests and documentation to your project.