Installation & Setup

Prerequisites

Install the Python package

This includes all CLI commands and pre-installed Node.js dependencies — no npm install needed.
Terminal window
```
uv tool install claude-code-tools
```
To include the optional Google Docs and Google Sheets integrations:
Terminal window
```
uv tool install "claude-code-tools[gdocs]"
```
To upgrade an existing installation, add --force:
Terminal window
```
uv tool install --force claude-code-tools
# or with the gdocs extra:
uv tool install --force "claude-code-tools[gdocs]"
```
Install the Rust-based search engine

aichat-search powers both the human TUI and agent search. Choose one method:
- Homebrew (macOS / Linux): brew install pchalasani/tap/aichat-search
- Cargo (compiles from source, ~5 min): cargo install aichat-search
- Pre-built binary: download from Releases (look for rust-v* releases)
Without aichat-search, search will not work, but other aichat commands (resume, trim, rollover, etc.) still function normally.
Install the associated Claude Code plugins

The tools above come with companion plugins that add hooks, skills, agents, and slash commands to Claude Code. These extend the CLI tools with in-session capabilities like >resume triggers, session search, safety guards, and more.

See the Plugins page for installation instructions.

Five commands are installed by default:

Command	Description
`aichat`	Session continuation without compaction, full-text search (for humans and agents)
`tmux-cli`	Terminal automation (“Playwright for terminals”)
`fix-session`	Repair broken conversation chains
`vault`	Encrypted `.env` backup and sync
`env-safe`	Safe `.env` inspection

With the [gdocs] extra, you also get:

Command	Description
`md2gdoc`	Convert Markdown to a Google Doc
`gdoc2md`	Convert a Google Doc to Markdown
`csv2gsheet`	Upload CSV to a Google Sheet
`gsheet2csv`	Download a Google Sheet as CSV