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Bridge is easiest to understand when you use it. This quickstart gets you from zero to a working Bridge project with one local provider and one successful read.
This guide uses the filesystem provider because it works anywhere and shows the core Bridge workflow without any extra setup.

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Before you begin

  • macOS, Linux, or Windows
  • A terminal
  • A project folder with files you want an agent to read

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Step 1: Install Bridge

Install Bridge using one of the supported methods in Installation. After installation, confirm the CLI is available: 
bridge --version

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Step 2: Initialize a Bridge project

Run bridge init in the root of the project where you want to use Bridge. 
mkdir my-agent-project
cd my-agent-project
bridge init
Bridge creates a bridge.yaml file in the current directory. For the file format, URI rules, and manual editing guidance, see Configuration.

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Step 3: Connect your first provider

Connect a local directory and name it files: 
bridge connect file://./docs --as files
If your project does not have a docs folder, point Bridge at any directory you want an agent to read.
Provider names are up to you. Choose short aliases like files, db, or context so agent calls stay simple.
Bridge writes that provider into bridge.yaml. For manual editing rules and provider-specific URI examples, see Configuration.

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Step 4: List and read context

Use bridge ls to inspect what is available: 
bridge ls --from files
Then read a file: 
bridge read README.md --from files
Bridge returns structured JSON on stdout so agents can parse it directly. See CLI interface for the output model and Commands for the full command reference. You can also check provider health at any time: 
bridge status

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What comes next

From here, you can either go deeper into the same workflow or connect another backend:
  • use Commands to learn the full CLI surface
  • use Configuration to understand bridge.yaml
  • use Providers to connect Postgres and learn backend-specific behavior

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What you have now

  • A local bridge.yaml file
  • A named provider connection
  • A repeatable way to list and read context
  • JSON output that agents can consume directly

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Next steps

Commands

See every CLI command, global flag, and current runtime caveat in one place.

Providers

Learn how filesystem and Postgres behave once you move past the first local example.

Back to introduction

Review the core ideas behind Bridge and how it fits into an agent workflow.

View the source

Explore the CLI, roadmap, and release history on GitHub.