Creator Engine Quickstart

This is the canonical, copy-paste path for a first governed change with Creator Engine. It starts from the proven tenant path: initialize the local CE brain once, launch your own coding agent through CE on the host backend, Shape a Scope, ratify it, let CE drive the governed run, then review the Completion Report.

Contained-by-default launch remains hardening work in progress. Today, use the host backend unless your operator has explicitly told you a contained backend is ready for your repo.

1. Initialize CE Brain Once

ce brain init

Artifact: a local CE brain store for this repo.

State after this step: CE can remember governed project context across sessions. Run this once per repo, then leave it alone unless CE tells you to refresh it.

2. Launch Your Governed Agent Session

ce launch --backend host

Artifact: a governed terminal session around the coding agent you already use.

State after this step: you are in Frame. You can explore the goal in plain language, ask questions, and inspect the repo. This exploration shapes context only; it is not the contract for work.

Slash commands, harness skills, and agent-specific shortcuts can be convenient sugar, but the canonical journey is the ce CLI.

3. Shape The Work

ce shape login-empty-state

Artifact: a sharpened candidate Scope boundary: goal, constraints, and questions that must be answered before work can start.

State after this step: CE has enough context to draft a Scope, or it has named the missing details you need to answer.

4. Create The Scope

ce scope login-empty-state \
  --goal "Show helpful copy when the login activity view has no events yet" \
  --done-when "A new repo shows empty-state copy instead of a blank panel" \
  --done-when "The copy points the user to launching the first governed run" \
  --done-when "Existing populated activity views are unchanged" \
  --budget 1 \
  --budget-unit % \
  --budget-window per_run \
  --change-type code

Artifact: a Scope record. The Scope is the governing contract for the run.

State after this step: the work is in Shape. CE can check whether the Scope is Ready. The required fields are Goal, Done-when, and Change-type. Use the smallest honest Change-type that describes the risk.

Budget is optional. The example opts into a paste-testable 1% per-run cap; substitute the amount, unit, and window your operator gives you for your lane.

5. Ratify The Scope

ce ratify login-empty-state --approver-ref 0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef0123456789abcdef

Artifact: a ratification record bound to the Scope.

State after this step: the front gate is open. CE may Build exactly this Scope. If the goal, Done-when, or Change-type changes later, shape a revised Scope instead of treating the chat transcript as authorization.

The literal above is valid 64-hex syntax for the example. In a real run, generate a fresh approver ref with openssl rand -hex 32 and pass that value.

6. Drive The Governed Run

ce drive login-empty-state --spawn

Artifact: a governed run with evidence, a changed branch, and usually a pull request. If there is no change to make, the run records that outcome instead.

State after this step: CE is in Build, then Review. The agent works inside the ratified Scope. If review finds a problem, the loop can go back to Shape or Build; this is not a waterfall.

7. Read The Completion Report

ce report login-empty-state

Artifact: a Completion Report with three plain sections:

Outcome   PR opened -> #24
Verdict   Done-when 3/3 met · tests green · in scope
Next      Review PR #24

State after this step: you have the evidence needed to Review. Judge the diff, tests, and report against the Done-when you ratified.

8. Ship Or Loop

If the result satisfies the Scope and your review gate is green, ship through the governed merge path your repo uses. If it does not satisfy the Scope, send the work back with feedback tied to Done-when.

Artifact: a shipped outcome: merged PR, delivered research, or ratified no-change.

State after this step: the Scope is done, or it has looped back with concrete Review feedback.

Anti-Drift Rule

Welcome packs must link this Quickstart and how-ce-builds-software.md instead of copying their journey text. Tenant-specific packs may add local prerequisites and contacts, but the CE journey itself lives here.