This guide starts after installation. If StashBase is not installed yet, download it for macOS, Windows, or Linux.
You need one folder and one Agent. Search by meaning and external agents are optional and have their own guides.
1. Open a folder
The first window opens with a blank Chat and the Gallery. Pick a starting point:
- Open Folder… for your own material. Start with a folder whose contents you know: course notes, a paper collection, project docs, or a codebase.
- Make a copy on a Gallery entry to download a ready-made Wiki and open it in a new window.
Sources stay where they are. Opening a folder adds it to your Library; it does not move, rename, or convert files.
Keyword search works from here on, with no account and no setup. Search by meaning stays off until you add your own OpenAI or OpenRouter key, either from the Set up search by meaning button in Search or under Settings → Advanced → Search by Meaning. Search setup covers both, plus transcription for recordings.
2. Choose an Agent
The Agent picker sits in the Chat composer. Pick Claude Code or Codex and complete setup with your existing provider account. If you cannot use either, choose the built-in Default Agent as a fallback and sign in to StashBase for free credits.
Claude Code and Codex use your existing provider account. If the CLI is missing, StashBase offers Install and continue; Codex also asks you to Sign in with ChatGPT the first time. The agents guide compares the three.
3. Build the Wiki
Choose your folder as the Chat’s scope, then ask in plain words:
Build a Wiki from the sources in this folder. Create an overview, organize the main topics, and link back to the source files.
The Agent creates or improves wiki/index.md and adds focused pages under
wiki/ when the overview gets large, leaving the sources outside wiki/
as they were. Tool calls and file edits appear in the Chat, so you can
review each change.
Wiki Pages are ordinary Markdown files in your folder. Open them in StashBase or any editor; they are yours to keep.
4. Use it
- Ask a question about the material. Answers point back to sources; select one to open it beside the Chat.
- Ask the Agent to improve a page when you learn something new.
- Ask again when sources change. Wiki updates happen on request, not on a schedule.
Next steps
- Set up search by meaning so agents find material that uses different words from your question. Add transcription if the folder has recordings.
- Connect Claude Desktop or another MCP client to the same library.
- How-to guides by task: PDFs, recordings, second brains, and agent access.
If the current app differs from this guide, check the latest release notes or report a documentation issue.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need an account to start using StashBase?
No. Opening folders, browsing, editing and keyword search need no account. You sign in to StashBase only if you use the built-in Default Agent. Claude Code and Codex use the account you already have with Anthropic or OpenAI.
Does opening a folder move or change my files?
No. Opening a folder adds it to your Library and leaves the files where they are, with the same names and formats. Text prepared from PDFs, DOCX files, images and recordings is kept in app storage, not in your folder.
Do I have to build a Wiki before I can use StashBase?
No. A Wiki is optional. You can open a folder, search it, and draft or revise with an Agent right away. Build Wiki Pages when you want an overview of a large folder that you and your agents can reuse.
What does building a Wiki change in my folder?
It creates or edits Markdown files under wiki/ only. It does not move, rename, delete or rewrite your source files, and every tool call and file edit shows in the Chat so you can review it.