Skip to main content
The CLI generates React and vanilla JavaScript projects. For React Native, iOS, Android, or C++, see Building a Voice UI to get started without the CLI.

​
Prerequisites

  • Python 3.11+ and uv
  • Node.js 18+

​
Step 1: Scaffold your project

# Install the Pipecat CLI
uv tool install "pipecat-ai[cli]"

# Start your project
pipecat init
When init asks how you want to build, choose Scaffold a runnable bot now. The wizard will guide you through the setup. Choose the following options:
This quickstart uses the interactive pipecat init wizard so you end up with the same project this guide walks through below. When you’re ready to build your own bot, we recommend driving development with a coding agent — see Build Your Next Bot.

​
Step 2: Start the bot

cd my-voice-app/bot
cp .env.example .env       # add your API keys
uv sync
uv run bot.py
The bot starts at http://localhost:7860.

​
Step 3: Start the client

cd ../client
npm install
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:5173, click Connect, allow microphone access, and start talking.
First run note: The initial startup may take ~20 seconds as Pipecat downloads required models and imports. Subsequent runs will be much faster.
🎉 Success! Your bot is running locally. Now let’s deploy it to production so others can use it.

​
Understanding the Quickstart Client

​
Next steps