DEV Community

Deduped
Deduped

Posted on

Install the BMad Method in Claude Code and run your first change

#ai #claude #agile #tooling

Most AI coding sessions fail the same way: you describe a change, the model starts writing, and the decisions about what to build and how it fits together stay implicit. By the third prompt the context has drifted.

bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD is an agile method for AI driven development that keeps those decisions explicit. Per the README, small changes go straight to build, complex work gets more depth, and the process sizes itself to the work. This post shows the install and first run in Claude Code.

Pick a line

BMad ships two lines. The README says stable v6.12 is installed by the npm installer and frozen aside from bug fixes. V7 is a preview alpha whose skills and install path change often. Both need uv for setup and Python scripts.

Stable route: v6.12

You need Node.js 20.12 or newer and Python 3.10 or newer. In your project run:

npx bmad-method install
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Open the project in your AI coding tool, invoke bmad-build with what you want to change, and run bmad-help whenever you want guidance on what comes next.

V7 preview route

The README recommends this for solo developers or small teams who can cope with breaking changes. It needs a coding tool that supports skills. With Node.js, npm and Git:

npx skills add bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD --skill '*'
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

That installs the full method and asks which coding tools to install it to. To pick skills one by one, run the command without --skill '*' and include bmad for setup and help, plus the module records bmod-method and bmod-core-tools.

Claude Code plugin route

Inside Claude Code, add the marketplace:

/plugin marketplace add bmad-code-org/bmad-plugins
Enter fullscreen mode Exit fullscreen mode

Then install bmad-method for the delivery workflows and bmad-core-tools for standalone skills, including the bmad hub. Codex users add the same marketplace from a terminal with codex plugin marketplace add bmad-code-org/bmad-plugins.

First run

Open your coding tool in the project and ask the bmad skill to run bmad setup. Then call bmad-build with one real change, for example "add password reset to the login flow". Ask bmad status to check versions and see what to run next. To update later, ask for bmad setup, which runs npx skills update and refreshes the project. With a plugin marketplace, update there first.

Why it helps

  • Briefs, specifications and architecture notes carry context forward instead of living in chat history.
  • You can start anywhere. Use BMad end to end, or take its briefs and architecture into your existing delivery workflow.
  • The same method covers a weekend prototype and a system with years of history.

For worked examples, see the BMad Method use case page. If you are comparing ways to run Claude Code, the Claude Code use cases are a useful companion.

Caveats

  • V7 is alpha and expects breaking changes between updates.
  • Method overhead is wasted on a one-line fix, so use it for changes that need thinking.
  • This walkthrough follows the README and has not been run end to end by us.

Source repo: bmad-code-org/BMAD-METHOD.

Want the setup commands for 50 AI repos people actually ship with? Get the free AI Repos That Actually Ship pack: https://dedupedai.com/ship-pack/?utm_source=devto&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=shippack

Get one email every Monday with the week's hottest AI repos and exactly how to use them: subscribe free at dedupedai.com

Top comments (0)