# Quickstart

> From nothing to your first report in five commands.

Five commands take you from nothing to a report. The full run takes about an hour, and you can leave it running.

## Requirements

Four things need to be on the machine before the first run.

| You need | Why |
|---|---|

| **Node 20 or newer** | The CLI is a Node program. |
| **Chromium** | Every prospect drives a real browser. Installed in step 2. |
| **One AI CLI, logged in** | `claude`, `opencode` or `codex` plays the prospect. |
| **ffmpeg** (optional) | A playable `video.mp4` per session. Without it you get `video.webm`. |

## Install

Installing takes three steps and a few minutes.

-

### Get the code

```
git clone https://github.com/0xSarnavo/leakdown-cli
cd leakdown-cli && npm ci && npm run build
```

-

### Add a browser and video support

```
npx playwright install chromium
brew install ffmpeg
```

-

### Check your setup

```
node dist/cli.js --doctor  checking your setup...
  ✓ Node.js >= 20: v22.12.0
  ✓ Playwright chromium: launches OK
  ✓ AI CLI (any one): claude: installed, codex: not installed, opencode: installed
  ✓ brain claude (live call): responded
  ✓ mailbox (live): not configured (optional — see README for OTP signups)
  ✓ ffmpeg: /opt/homebrew/bin/ffmpeg — sessions get a playable video.mp4

```

A `✗` line names what to install. The result is cached for a week; `--doctor --force` checks again.

## Your first run

The first run uses the full ladder, then you open the report it writes.

-

### Run the full test

```
node dist/cli.js your-site.com --ladder --yes --headless  ladder on your-site.com: wide haiku ×10 → filter → sonnet verifies → opus digs

▸ stage 1/6 · site
  ...
  ladder done: 10 wide + 1 deep session(s). VERIFIED.md and REPORT.md sit beside the report, mirrored at runs/your-site.com/.

  3 of 10 completed their goal. 4 walked out with a reason. 3 ran out of patience still trying.
  Fix first: your-site.com/signup/step-2 — 3 of 10 walked out here
  "The plan selector looks like a confirmation page. I think I am done."

  Full report: runs/your-site.com/2026-09-17/10-14-02/AGGREGATE.md, then REPORT.md beside it

```

`--yes` takes the default for every question and `--headless` hides the browser. Drop both to watch it and answer the menus yourself. The last four lines are the result: the one number, the first wall, and where the report is.
-

### Read the report

```
runs/your-site.com/AGGREGATE.md
```

[Reading the report](https://docs.leakdown.dev/reading-the-report) explains each section.

Make it a command

Run `npm link` once inside the clone and every command works as `leakdown` instead of `node dist/cli.js`, from any folder. The CLI reads `.env` from, and writes `runs/` to, the folder you run it in.

## Next steps

Once the first report is in, these pages cover the usual follow-ups.
[**Set up email**Let prospects read verification codes and magic links.→](https://docs.leakdown.dev/email)[**Add it to CI**Fail the build when signup breaks.→](https://docs.leakdown.dev/goal-tests)[**Shape the prospects**Presets, your own personas, and real-visitor weighting.→](https://docs.leakdown.dev/personas)[**Pick the model**Brain, model and effort, and usage limits.→](https://docs.leakdown.dev/choosing-the-ai)

---
Source: https://docs.leakdown.dev/quickstart