First Chat

Once you have Agent One installed and configured, you’re ready to chat.

CLI Mode

The simplest way to interact with Agent One is the CLI channel:

./agent-one

You’ll see a prompt. Type a message:

> What can you do?

The agent responds using the model tier selected by the complexity router. Simple questions use the cheap model; complex requests escalate to smart.

TUI Mode

For a richer terminal experience with Bubbletea:

./agent-one --tui

The TUI provides:

Scrollable chat history with markdown rendering
Visual indicators for model tier and token usage
Channel setup wizard for WhatsApp pairing

Try These Commands

Once running, try some practical interactions:

Track a purchase

> Track a purchase: headphones $120

The agent stores this in the built-in purchases tool (if enabled in config).

Set a reminder

> Remind me to call the dentist tomorrow at 3pm

Ask about configuration

> What channels do I have enabled?

Modify configuration via chat

> Add a cron for Friday 5pm: weekly wrap-up report

The agent modifies config.yaml and hot-reloads — no restart needed.

Connect WhatsApp

To receive and send messages via WhatsApp:

Enable WhatsApp in your config:

channels:
  default: whatsapp
  whatsapp:
    enabled: true
    device_db: "./data/whatsapp.db"

Start Agent One with the TUI (required for QR pairing):

./agent-one --tui

Follow the QR code pairing flow in the TUI setup wizard.
Once paired, send a message to the linked WhatsApp number — the agent responds there.

Connect Telegram

Create a bot via BotFather and get the token.
Update config:

channels:
  telegram:
    enabled: true
    bot_token: "${TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN}"

Set the environment variable and restart:

export TELEGRAM_BOT_TOKEN="your-token-here"
./agent-one

Message your bot on Telegram.

What’s Next

Signals — understand the 5 event types that wake the agent
MCP Tools — connect external tools via MCP servers
Autonomous Hands — set up scheduled autonomous workflows