Shape Quick Start
Get started with Shape IDE — open a project, learn essential commands, and try AI chat.
This guide gets you from a fresh Shape install to productive editing in a few minutes.
Welcome screen
When Shape opens without a project, the center of the workbench shows quick actions:
| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| Open Project | Choose a folder on disk |
| Open Terminal | Open the bottom terminal panel |
| Open AI Chat | Open the chat panel |
| Clone Repository | Clone a Git URL into a folder you pick |
Reopen the welcome flow anytime from Help → Welcome.
1. Open a project
File → Open Folder, or use Ctrl+K Ctrl+O.
Pick the folder that contains your code. The Explorer lists files; click one to open it in the editor.
To clone instead: use Clone Repository on the welcome screen, paste a Git URL, and choose a parent folder.
2. Essential commands
| Action | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Command palette | Ctrl+Shift+P |
| Quick open file | Ctrl+P |
| Find in project | Ctrl+Shift+F |
| Toggle terminal | Ctrl+` |
| Open settings | Ctrl+, |
| Toggle AI chat | Ctrl+L |
If you forget a shortcut, search for the action in the command palette.
3. Configure the basics
Open Settings (Ctrl+,). Common first stops:
- Editor — font, format on save, tab size
- Editor → Design — Tailwind controls and design autocomplete
- Agents — models, auto-run, and MCP servers
4. Try AI chat
Open the chat panel and send a question about the open project. Use @ mentions to attach files, folders, the codebase, or the current selection.
In Code mode the agent can search, edit, and run checks in the same thread. Review proposed edits with Keep / Undo. See Chat overview and Chat modes.
5. Preview and Git
- Open the Browser from the Chrome icon on the activity bar, point it at your local URL, and use design mode to inspect the live page.
- Stage hunks from a diff tab, or open Git Manager for pull requests and checks.