Getting started

From download to a working, data-connected tool is about a minute. Here’s the whole path.

1. Install the app

Grab the build for your platform from the downloads page — macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel), Windows x64, or Linux (.deb / .rpm). The app is free; it auto-updates by default (you can turn that off in Settings).

2. Sign in

On first launch, sign in with your email. Two options:

• Activation code — enter your email, get a 6-digit code, type it in. No password needed.
• Password — classic sign in, with a sign-up tab if you’re new.

Behind the scenes cvforge mints a data API key for the install and stores it in your OS keychain. You never see or handle it — the app injects it server-side, so keys never touch the pages you build.

3. Create your first app

1. Click + New app on the dashboard.
2. Name it, and pick an agent. No coding-agent CLI installed? Choose CVForge AI, the built-in agent that works with zero setup (it runs on prepaid credits). Have Claude Code, Codex, or OpenCode? cvforge detects them and runs them embedded.
3. The workspace opens: agent on the left, live preview on the right.

4. Ask for what you want

Type plain English. Some first prompts that work well:

• “Build a 3D implied-volatility surface for AAPL options.”
• “Show me SPX open interest by strike for the next monthly expiration.”
• “Make a scanner for contracts where today’s volume is above open interest.”
• “Build an iron-condor payoff diagram for TSLA with adjustable strikes.”

The agent writes a single index.html using the preloaded cvApi data client and Plotly for charts; the preview reloads on every save. Iterate in conversation — “make it a heatmap”, “add a symbol picker”, “color puts red”.

5. Save, reopen, share

• Save — one click creates a git-backed checkpoint you can restore any time.
• Reopen — finished apps open in preview-only mode (no agent running, no tokens spent). Open the code pane again whenever you want changes.
• Share — publish to the gallery, or just send the index.html; it’s a file on your machine.

Where to next

• The full app tour — everything in the desktop app.
• The data reference — everything you can ask for.
• Plans & limits — what Free includes and what Go/Research add.