Quickstart

Install Anvil, scan your project, and fix your first issue -- all in under 5 minutes.

Prerequisites

• Node.js 20.0.0 or later
• pnpm, npm, or yarn
• A TypeScript or JavaScript project

Install

Closed beta

Anvil is currently in closed beta. You need to request access before you can install.

# Using pnpm (recommended)
pnpm add -D @eddacraft/anvil-cli

# Using npm
npm install -D @eddacraft/anvil-cli

Initialise

Run the setup wizard in your project root:

anvil init

Anvil detects your project type, creates an .anvilrc configuration file, and sets up the .anvil/ directory:

Initialising Anvil in current project...

Detected environment:
  Project: my-app
  Package Manager: pnpm
  Git: yes
  TypeScript: yes

Anvil initialised successfully!

Created files:
  .anvilrc
  .anvil/

Scan Your Project

This is the moment you see what Anvil catches. Run a full scan:

anvil check --all

Most projects have something. Here is typical output:

Checking architecture... done
Checking anti-patterns...
  [AP-003] Explicit any type detected
    src/utils/parser.ts:42
    Using 'any' defeats type safety
    Fix: Define a proper type or use 'unknown'

  [AP-006] Empty catch block
    src/services/auth.ts:87
    Empty catch blocks hide errors
    Fix: Log the error or re-throw

2 warnings found.

If everything passes, you will see:

Checking architecture... done
Checking anti-patterns... done
Checking secrets... done

All gates passed.

Turn On Watch Mode

Start Anvil in the background so it validates on every save:

anvil watch --source

Anvil Watch

Watching for changes...
Press Ctrl+C to stop.

Save a file and see Anvil catch it. Every change is validated in milliseconds, not minutes.

Run watch mode in a dedicated terminal pane or use the VS Code extension

for in-editor diagnostics. :::

Fix Your First Issue

Take one of the warnings from the scan -- say AP-003, the explicit any in src/utils/parser.ts:

Before:

export function parse(input: any): Record<string, unknown> {
  // ...
}

After:

export function parse(input: string): Record<string, unknown> {
  // ...
}

Save the file. If watch mode is running you will see immediate confirmation:

Change detected: src/utils/parser.ts

Checking anti-patterns... done

All gates passed.

One warning down. Repeat for the rest at your own pace.

Next Steps

• Interactive tutorial -- run anvil tutorial for a guided walk-through inside your terminal
• Set up your first project -- architecture boundaries, suppressions, and CI
• Understand gates -- what Anvil validates and why
• Configuration reference -- customise checks, patterns, and watch behaviour

Feature tutorials:

• Custom policies -- write OPA/Rego rules for your team's standards
• Architecture boundaries -- define and enforce module boundaries
• Drift detection -- capture snapshots and track architectural drift
• CI integration -- add Anvil to your pipeline

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Need help? Check Troubleshooting or open an issue.