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Readme
BMAD-METHOD
AI-Powered Agile Development Framework - Transform your software development with specialized AI agents that work as your complete Agile team.
📺 Subscribe to BMadCode on YouTube - V4 walkthrough and comprehensive guide coming soon!
⭐ If you find this project helpful or useful, please give it a star! It helps others discover BMAD-METHOD and you will be notified of updates!
🔄 Important: Keeping Your BMAD Installation Updated
Stay up-to-date effortlessly! If you already have BMAD-METHOD installed in your project, simply run:
npx bmad-method install
The installer will:
- ✅ Automatically detect your existing v4 installation
- ✅ Update only the files that have changed
- ✅ Create
.bak
backup files for any custom modifications you've made - ✅ Preserve your project-specific configurations
This makes it easy to benefit from the latest improvements, bug fixes, and new agents without losing your customizations!
🚀 Quick Start
Fastest Start: Web UI (2 minutes) 🏃♂️
- Get the bundle: Copy
dist/teams/team-fullstack.txt
(from this repository) - Create AI agent: Create a new Gemini Gem or CustomGPT
- Upload & configure: Upload the file and set instructions: "Your critical operating instructions are attached, do not break character as directed"
- Start Ideating and Planning: Start chatting! Type
*help
to see available commands or pick an agent like*analyst
to start right in on creating a brief.
💡 All pre-built bundles are in the
dist/
folder - ready to copy and use immediately!
IDE Quick Start (5 minutes) 💻
Prerequisites: Install Node.js (v20 or higher)
Run npx bmad-method install
This installs all agents and configures them for your IDE. If you have an existing v3 installation, it will offer to upgrade it automatically.
📋 Table of Contents
Overview
BMAD-METHOD (Breakthrough Method of Agile AI-Driven Development) revolutionizes software development by providing specialized AI agents for every role in an Agile team. Each agent has deep expertise in their domain and can collaborate to deliver complete software projects.
Why BMAD?
- 🎯 Specialized Expertise: Each agent is an expert in their specific role
- 🔄 True Agile Workflow: Follows real Agile methodologies and best practices
- 📦 Modular Design: Use one agent or an entire team
- 🛠️ IDE Integration: Works seamlessly with Cursor, Claude Code, and Windsurf
- 🌐 Platform Agnostic: Use with ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or any AI platform
Installation
Method 1: Pre-Built Web Bundles (Fastest) 📦
For ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini web interfaces:
- Choose a bundle:
- Recommended:
dist/teams/team-fullstack.txt
(complete development team) - Or pick from individual agents in
dist/agents/
- Recommended:
- Upload to your AI platform (Gemini Gem, CustomGPT, or directly in chat)
- Set instructions: "Your critical operating instructions are attached, do not break character as directed"
- Type
/help
to see available commands
Method 2: CLI Installer (For IDEs) 🎯
Prerequisites: Install Node.js v20+ first
Install directly into your project: npx bmad-method install
Supported IDEs:
The BMad Method works with any IDE, but has built-in integration for:
cursor
- Cursor IDE with @agent commandsclaude-code
- Claude Code with /agent commandswindsurf
- Windsurf with @agent commandsroo
- Roo Code with custom modes (see.roomodes
)- More coming soon - BUT ITS easy to use with ANY IDE - just copy the bmad-code folder to your project, and rename it .bmad-code.
Available Agents
Core Development Team
Agent | Role | Specialty |
---|---|---|
analyst |
Business Analyst | market analysis, brainstorming, project brief |
pm |
Product Manager | Product strategy, roadmaps, PRDs |
architect |
Solution Architect | System design, technical architecture |
dev |
Developer | Code implementation across all technologies |
qa |
QA Specialist | Testing strategies, quality assurance |
ux-expert |
UX Designer | User experience, UI design, prototypes |
po |
Product Owner | Backlog management, story validation |
sm |
Scrum Master | Sprint planning, story creation |
Meta Agents
Agent | Role | Specialty |
---|---|---|
bmad-orchestrator |
Team Coordinator | Multi-agent workflows, role switching, is part of every team bundle |
bmad-master |
Universal Expert | All capabilities without switching |
Usage
With IDE Integration
After installation with --ide
flag:
# In Cursor
@pm Create a PRD for a task management app
# In Claude Code
/architect Design a microservices architecture
# In Windsurf
@dev Implement story 1.3
With Web UI (ChatGPT/Claude/Gemini)
After uploading a bundle you can ask /help of the agent to learn what it can do
CLI Commands
# List all available agents
npx bmad-method list
# Install or update (automatically detects existing installations)
npx bmad-method install
# Check installation status
npx bmad-method status
Upgrading from V3 to V4
If you have an existing BMAD-METHOD V3 project, simply run the installer in your project directory:
npx bmad-method install
# The installer will automatically detect your V3 installation and offer to upgrade
The upgrade process will:
- Create a backup of your V3 files in
.bmad-v3-backup/
- Install the new V4
.bmad-core/
structure - Migrate your documents (PRD, Architecture, Stories, Epics)
- Set up IDE integration for all V4 agents
- Create an install manifest for future updates
After upgrading:
- Review your documents in the
docs/
folder - if you had a PRD or architecture in your old project, copy it from the backup to the docs folder if they are not there. - Optionally run the
doc-migration-task
to align your documents with V4 templates - you can do this with your agent my saying something like: 'run {drag in task} against {drag prd or arch file from docs} to align with {drag the template from .bmad-core/templates/full-stack-architecture.md} - If you have separate front-end and backend architecture docs you can modify step 2 to merge both into a single full stack architecture or separate Front and Back end.
The reason #2 and 3 are optional is because now BMad V4 makes sharding optional for the SM. See Core Configuration
Note: The agents in .bmad-core/
fully replace the items in bmad-agent/
- you can remove the backup folder versions.
🔧 Core Configuration (NEW in V4)
Critical: V4 introduces bmad-core/core-config.yml
- a powerful configuration file that enables BMAD to work seamlessly with any project structure, whether it's V4-optimized or legacy. You can even now use non-standard PRDs and architectures!
What is core-config.yml?
This configuration file tells BMAD agents exactly where to find your project documents and how they're structured. It's the key to V4's flexibility and backwards compatibility.
Key Features
- Version Awareness: Agents understand if your PRD/Architecture follows V4 conventions or earlier versions
- Flexible Document Locations: Works whether your epics are embedded in PRD or properly sharded
- Developer Context: Define which files the dev agent should always load
- Debug Support: Built-in logging for troubleshooting story implementation
Why It Matters
- Use BMAD with ANY project structure - V3, V4, or custom layouts
- No forced migrations - Keep your existing document organization
- Customize developer workflow - Specify exactly which files provide context
- Seamless upgrades - Start with V3 docs and gradually adopt V4 patterns
See the detailed core-config.yml guide for configuration examples and best practices.
Teams & Workflows
Pre-Configured Teams
Save context by using specialized teams:
- Team All: Complete Agile team with all 10 agents
- Team Fullstack: Frontend + Backend development focus
- Team No-UI: Backend/API development without UX
Workflows
Structured approaches for different scenarios:
- Greenfield: Starting new projects (fullstack/service/UI)
- Brownfield: Enhancing existing projects
- Simple: Quick prototypes and MVPs
- Complex: Enterprise and large-scale projects
Project Structure
.bmad-core/
├── agents/ # Individual agent definitions
├── agent-teams/ # Team configurations
├── workflows/ # Development workflows
├── templates/ # Document templates (PRD, Architecture, etc.)
├── tasks/ # Reusable task definitions
├── checklists/ # Quality checklists
├── data/ # Knowledge base
└── web-bundles/ # Optional can be added if you use the install command and select this folder as a destination for the build bundle files
tools/
├── cli.js # Build tool
├── installer/ # NPX installer
└── lib/ # Build utilities
expansion-packs/ # Domain-specific add-ons (Technical & Non-Technical)
dist/ # 📦 PRE-BUILT BUNDLES (Ready to use!)
├── agents/ # Individual agent bundles (.txt files)
├── teams/ # Team bundles (.txt files)
└── expansion-packs/ # Expansion pack bundles
📦 Pre-Built Bundles (dist/ folder)
All ready-to-use bundles are in the dist/
directory!
Teams:
dist/teams/
- Complete team configurationsteam-fullstack.txt
- Full-stack development teamteam-ide-minimal.txt
- Minimal IDE workflow teamteam-no-ui.txt
- Backend-only teamteam-all.txt
- All agents included
Individual Agents:
dist/agents/
- Single agent files- One
.txt
file per agent (analyst, architect, dev, etc.)
- One
Expansion Packs:
dist/expansion-packs/
- Specialized domains- Game development, DevOps, etc.
For Web UI usage: Simply copy any .txt
file from dist/
and upload to your AI platform!`
Advanced Features
Dynamic Dependencies
Each agent only loads the resources it needs, keeping context windows lean.
Template System
Rich templates for all document types:
- Product Requirements (PRD)
- Architecture Documents
- User Stories
- Test Plans
- And more...
Slash Star Commands
Ask the agent you are using for help with /help (in the web) or *help in the ide to see what commands are available!
Expansion Packs - Beyond Software Development
BMAD Method's natural language framework isn't limited to software development. Create specialized agents for ANY domain:
Technical Expansion Packs
- 🎮 Game Development - Game designers, level creators, narrative writers
- 🏗️ Infrastructure/DevOps - Cloud architects, security specialists, SRE agents
- 📱 Mobile Development - iOS/Android specialists, UX designers
- 🔗 Blockchain/Web3 - Smart contract developers, DeFi architects
Non-Technical Expansion Packs
- 💼 Business Strategy - Strategic planners, market analysts, business coaches
- 💪 Health & Wellness - Fitness coaches, nutrition advisors, meditation guides
- 🎨 Creative Arts - Story writers, world builders, character developers
- 📚 Education - Curriculum designers, tutors, learning coaches
- 🧠 Personal Development - Life coaches, goal setters, habit builders
- 🏢 Professional Services - Legal advisors, medical protocols, research assistants
Creating Your Own Expansion Pack
The BMAD framework can support any domain where structured AI assistance is valuable:
- Define specialized agents with domain expertise
- Create task procedures for common workflows
- Build templates for domain-specific outputs
- Package as an expansion pack for others to use
📖 Read the full Expansion Packs Guide for detailed examples and inspiration!
🛠️ Use the Expansion Pack Creator to build your own!
Contributing
We're excited about contributions and welcome your ideas, improvements, and expansion packs! 🎉
Before Contributing - MUST READ
To ensure your contribution aligns with the BMAD Method and gets merged smoothly:
- 📋 Read CONTRIBUTING.md - Our contribution guidelines, PR requirements, and process
- 🎯 Read GUIDING-PRINCIPLES.md - Core principles that keep BMAD powerful through simplicity
- 🆕 New to GitHub? Start with our Pull Request Guide
Key Points to Remember
- Keep dev agents lean (save context for coding!)
- Use small, focused files over large branching ones
- Reuse existing tasks (like
create-doc
) instead of creating duplicates - Consider expansion packs for domain-specific features
- All contributions must follow our natural language, markdown-based approach
We're building something amazing together - let's keep it simple, powerful, and focused! 💪
Development Setup
git clone https://github.com/bmadcode/bmad-method.git
cd bmad-method
npm install
Documentation & Guides
Architecture & Technical
- 🏗️ Core Architecture - Complete technical architecture and system design
- 📖 User Guide - Comprehensive guide to using BMAD-METHOD effectively
- 🚀 Expansion Packs Guide - Extend BMAD to any domain beyond software development
Workflow Guides
- 📚 Universal BMAD Workflow Guide - Core workflow that applies to all IDEs
- 🏗️ Working in the Brownfield Guide - Complete guide for enhancing existing projects
- 🎯 Cursor Guide - Complete workflow for Cursor users
- 🤖 Claude Code Guide - Complete workflow for Claude Code users
- 🌊 Windsurf Guide - Complete workflow for Windsurf users
- 🦘 Roo Code Guide - Complete workflow for Roo Code users
Support
License
MIT License - see LICENSE for details.
Version History
- Current: v4 - Complete framework rewrite with CLI installer, dynamic dependencies, and expansion packs
- Previous Versions:
See versions.md for detailed version history and migration guides.
Author
Created by Brian (BMad) Madison
Built with ❤️ for the AI-assisted development community