The outcome

Learn the interaction loop using a small task with a clear outcome.

OpenCode is a open-source AI coding agent for terminal, desktop, and editor workflows. Using plan, build, exploration, and custom agents across repositories while controlling models, commands, edits, external directories, web access, skills, and subagents. This guide narrows that broad capability into one repeatable outcome, with checkpoints that keep the source material and your judgment in the loop.

Before you begin

Set the boundary before the tool starts.

Choose one real task, identify who will use the result, and decide what evidence or test will make the result acceptable. Gather only the source material needed for that task. If the work contains confidential, personal, regulated, or client-owned information, confirm that the platform and account are approved before sharing it.

Troiana principle

AI should make the work easier to inspect. If the workflow removes the source, the owner, or the review step, redesign the workflow.

Step by step

A workflow you can repeat.

  1. 01

    Install OpenCode, connect one approved provider, and confirm how its credentials and session data are stored.

  2. 02

    Open a clean repository branch and use a planning agent to inspect the task without edits.

  3. 03

    Configure ask or deny rules for risky actions before switching to a build agent.

  4. 04

    Review the complete action history, diff, tests, and provider usage before committing or sharing.

Working standard

What good use looks like.

  • State the outcome before the background.
  • Provide the real source material.
  • Review the result before expanding the task.

Provider terms, credential storage, agent definitions, permission syntax, and defaults can change across versions. Pin the version and current documentation, deny secrets and external directories by default, keep shell, edits, web access, skills, MCP tools, and subagents least-privileged, review saved approvals, avoid auto mode on untrusted repositories, bound iterations and cost, and independently verify every change.

Official references

Check the current product documentation.

Features, plan limits, availability, and data controls change. These official pages are the starting points used for this collection.