Docs

/ onboard

The single setup-and-orientation command. On first run it generates project context. On subsequent runs it presents a full project overview.

The /onboard command is the single entry point for getting set up on a project and for getting oriented to one. It detects whether setup is complete from .flydocs/config.json and runs the right flow automatically.

Usage

agent chat 
/onboard
agent chat 
bring me up to speed on this project

First-run setup mode

On first run in a project that is using the local tier, /onboard completes the setup that flydocs init didn't. It generates your project context using your existing IDE agent — Claude Code or Cursor — running entirely in the inference session you're already in. No FlyDocs API key is required for local-mode context generation.

The first-run flow:

  1. Detects setup state from .flydocs/config.json — if context files don't exist yet, it enters setup mode.
  2. Generates flydocs/context/project.md by reading your codebase, manifests, and IDE config files; produces a structured project description (scope, tech stack, conventions, active priorities).
  3. Generates flydocs/context/service.json — a service descriptor capturing your APIs, dependencies, and topology.
  4. Marks setup complete in the config so subsequent /onboard runs go straight to orientation mode.

For first-run users on the cloud tier, /onboard redirects you to the workspace Get Started page in the portal at app.flydocs.ai, which walks through provider connection, API key generation, and CLI install in a five-card checklist.

Orientation mode (returning users)

Once setup is complete, running /onboard again presents a structured overview of the project's current state. Use it when joining a new project, returning after a long gap, or onboarding a new teammate.

  1. Project Context: Reads flydocs/context/project.md — your project's scope, tech stack, conventions, and active priorities
  2. Installed Skills: Lists active skills and their purpose from .flydocs/config.json
  3. Active Issues: Fetches in-progress, blocked, and recently updated issues from your project tracker
  4. Recent Session History: Summarizes what was worked on in recent sessions
  5. Workspace Topology: Shows repo structure and sibling services for multi-repo setups
  6. Knowledge Index: Highlights key decisions and notes from flydocs/knowledge/

After orientation completes, the AI presents a structured overview:

  • What this project is and what it does
  • The tech stack and key conventions
  • What's currently being worked on
  • What's blocked and why
  • Recent decisions and their rationale
  • How this repo fits into the broader system (if multi-repo)

When to Use It

  • Right after flydocs init on a fresh project (first-run setup)
  • First time working on an existing project (orientation)
  • Returning after a week or more away
  • Onboarding a new team member (have them run /onboard as their first command)
  • Getting a quick refresher before a planning session

Difference from /start-session

/start-session is for beginning active work — it loads context and helps you pick an issue to work on. /onboard handles setup and read-only orientation: it presents the full project picture without starting a work session. Think of /onboard as reading the map, and /start-session as starting the drive.

Replaces /flydocs-setup

The previous /flydocs-setup command has been consolidated into /onboard. If you have internal documentation or runbooks referencing /flydocs-setup, update them to use /onboard.

Related Commands