Quick Start

Get Aspect Code running in 2 minutes.

Your first 2 minutes

This guide walks you through installing Aspect Code and generating your first knowledge base. Takes about 2 minutes.

1. Install the extension

  • Open VS Code
  • Go to Extensions (Ctrl+Shift+X / Cmd+Shift+X)
  • Search for "Aspect Code"
  • Click Install

  • That's it. No account, no signup, no configuration needed.

    2. Open the Aspect Code panel

    Click the Aspect Code icon in the Activity Bar (left sidebar) to open the panel.


    You'll see "Setup required" with an orange Generate button.

    3. Generate the knowledge base

    Click the orange + (Generate) button in the panel.


    Aspect Code will:

  • Scan your workspace for supported files
  • Analyze dependencies and architecture
  • Create the .aspect/ folder with KB files
  • Ask which AI assistants you use (Copilot, Cursor, Claude)
  • Generate instruction files for your selected assistants

  • For most repos, this takes a few seconds to a couple minutes depending on size.

    4. Review generated files

    After generation, check your repo for:


    Knowledge Base (.aspect/ folder):

  • architecture.md — hubs, entry points, directory layout
  • map.md — data models, symbols, naming conventions
  • context.md — module clusters, integrations, data flows

  • Assistant instruction files (depending on your selection):

  • .github/copilot-instructions.md — for GitHub Copilot
  • .cursor/rules/aspectcode.mdc — for Cursor
  • CLAUDE.md — for Claude / Claude Code
  • 5. Commit or gitignore

    Aspect Code will ask whether to add generated files to .gitignore.


    Commit them if you want to share architecture context with your team.

    Gitignore them if you want to keep them local-only.


    You can change this later by editing .gitignore or running "Aspect Code: Stop ignoring generated files".

    6. Start coding with context

    Open Copilot, Cursor, or Claude. They now read your .aspect/ KB and instruction files automatically.


    Your assistant now knows:

  • Which modules are high-risk hubs
  • Where entry points are
  • What files change together
  • Your project's naming conventions

  • Try asking it to make a change and watch for architecture-aware suggestions.

    How to undo / remove everything

    To remove Aspect Code completely:


  • Uninstall the extension from VS Code Extensions
  • Delete the .aspect/ folder
  • Delete generated instruction files (CLAUDE.md, .cursor/rules/aspectcode.mdc, etc.)
  • Remove any Aspect Code entries from .gitignore

  • See Troubleshooting for more details.

    Next steps

  • The Panel — Learn about panel states and controls
  • Instruction Modes — Choose Safe, Permissive, or Custom
  • Configure Assistants — Add or change AI tools
  • Troubleshooting — Common issues and solutions