Check the prerequisites
You need Node.js 20 or newer and a running Docker runtime with Docker Compose. Fresh installs use the AnswerLayer-specific local port 8172 by default.
Local AnswerLayer
Give this page to your agent
The AnswerLayer CLI downloads a public container image, starts a standalone local stack, and preserves its data in an isolated Docker volume. No private repository or hosted account is required.
Prompt
Copy and send this
Open https://www.answerlayer.io/docs/cli and set up AnswerLayer locally. Follow the agent instructions on that page, ask before connecting any database, and never ask me to paste secrets into chat.
Run one quickstart
Quickstart pulls and pins the public image, launches Postgres, runs migrations, creates local credentials and demo data, then offers a hidden provider-key prompt for the first model-backed answer.
npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local quickstart Verify before connecting data
Confirm that the runtime is ready and the local credential works. When you connect real data, use a dedicated database user restricted to approved schemas and SELECT only.
npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local status --json npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest auth me --json First boot and the synthetic demo do not require Git, an AnswerLayer account, a model-provider key, or registry credentials. When you choose to add Anthropic, quickstart hides the key while you type and continues without another setup command.