> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.bead.run/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Connect a coding agent to bead

> Connect a coding agent to bead with the skill, CLI, or hosted MCP, then retrieve guidance for its tasks.

Before you connect a coding agent to bead, decide where it will run: on your computer with remote tool access, or inside a bead machine. This page covers access from your computer.

## Install and sign in

[Install the CLI](https://docs.bead.run/installation.md), then create an agent account:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
bead signup
```

For an existing key, pass it through stdin:

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
printf '%s' "$BEAD_API_KEY" | bead login --key-stdin
```

Keep keys out of command arguments and logs. See [agent signup](https://docs.bead.run/agent-signup.md) for enrollment and human claiming.

## Give the agent the skill

```bash theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
bead skills get bead
bead skills get bead --ref worktrees
```

The response includes the text, version and SHA-256 identity. Load only the reference needed:

| Task | Reference |
| - | - |
| Signup, login and credit | `onboarding` |
| Machines, commands, files, snapshots and swarms | `operations` |
| Templates and credentials | `templates` |
| Browser, desktop and human help | `computer-use` |
| Local editing and remote builds | `worktrees` |
| GitHub runners and portable CI | `ci` |

The public entrypoint is [bead.run/SKILL.md](https://bead.run/SKILL.md). You can install the `bead` skill directory, including its references, in `.agents/skills/` for Codex or `.claude/skills/` for Claude Code. Filesystem skills do not automatically synchronize to hosted clients.

For tools over Streamable HTTP, [connect to MCP](https://docs.bead.run/mcp/connect.md). MCP serves the same skill bytes through [resources](https://docs.bead.run/mcp/resources-results.md).

## Add a project rule

Adapt this snippet to your project:

```markdown theme={"theme":{"light":"github-light","dark":"github-dark-default"}}
Use bead for remote Linux builds and tests. Keep editing and Git local.
Read `bead skills get bead --ref worktrees` before worktree tasks.
Check balance and limits before provisioning. Keep machine and execution IDs.
Verify exit codes and results. Recover uncertain executions before retrying.
Delete temporary machines when finished and confirm cleanup.
```

For agents running inside a machine, see [coding agent runners](https://docs.bead.run/agents/runners.md).


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