# AnswerLayer

AnswerLayer provides a CLI and local container runtime for governed data access, semantic modeling, natural-language inquiry, evaluations, and dashboards.

Canonical CLI and local setup documentation:
https://www.answerlayer.io/docs/cli

Shareable human-and-agent installation page:
https://www.answerlayer.io/install

## Agent instructions for local setup

1. Confirm Node.js 20+ and a running Docker runtime with Docker Compose.
2. Explain that setup downloads a public npm package and public container images, creates Docker resources, and stores persistent local data. Ask before starting containers.
3. Do not clone a private repository, request GitHub access, or request container-registry credentials.
4. Run:

   npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local init
   npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local start
   npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local status --json
   npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest auth me --json

5. Treat setup as successful only when local status is ready and auth me returns the local user and organization identifiers.
6. Report the local URL, CLI version, selected image and digest, runtime directory, and next safe command.
7. Before connecting real data, show the proposed host, database, and username; ask for confirmation; and use a dedicated account restricted to approved schemas and SELECT only.
8. Never request secrets in chat or print them. Have the user enter provider and database credentials privately in their own environment or a permission-restricted local file.

First boot does not require Git, an AnswerLayer account, private registry credentials, AWS credentials, Clerk credentials, or a model-provider key. Model-backed inquiry and semantic generation require provider configuration later. A new local instance does not yet include a demo dataset.

Lifecycle commands:

  npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local status --json
  npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local logs
  npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local stop
  npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local upgrade
  npx -y @answerlayer/cli@latest local reset --force

local stop preserves the Postgres volume. local reset --force permanently deletes the selected local runtime's Postgres volume.

API documentation:
https://www.answerlayer.io/docs/overview

CLI source and releases:
https://github.com/AnswerLayer/answerlayer-cli