Quick start
The guided install, screen by screen. About 30 minutes, most of it waiting for CloudFront.
{/* Imported from CoderHelm/coderhelm-platform/docs/self-host/quick-start.md at 96a2a3bafd5e. Edit it there. */} You need an AWS account you can administer, Node.js 20 or newer and the AWS CLI v2. The guided install checks both and tells you how to fix anything missing. See Requirements.
mkdir coderhelm && cd coderhelm
npx -y github:CoderHelm/coderhelm-platformThe guided install runs one step at a time. Each step explains what it asks and suggests an answer (press Enter to keep it). Type back at any question to return to the previous step. Your answers are saved after each step: if you stop, running the same command again picks up where you left off (--restart starts over).
Step 1: your machine and AWS sign-in
CoderHelm setup. Type "back" at any question to return to the previous step.
Step 1 of 8 [██░░░░░░░░░░░░░░] Your machine and AWS sign-in
CoderHelm deploys with the AWS CLI and Node.js from this machine. Checking them.
You're not signed in to AWS. Profiles on this machine: dev, prod-admin
AWS profile to use [dev]: prod-admin
Sign in now with `aws sso login --profile prod-admin`? (yes/no) [yes]:
Signed in to account 123456789012 as arn:aws:sts::123456789012:assumed-role/Admin/youNode.js and the AWS CLI are checked first. If you aren't signed in, it lists your AWS profiles, and for an SSO profile it runs aws sso login for you.
Step 2: where to install
Step 2 of 8 [████░░░░░░░░░░░░] Where to install
AWS account [123456789012]:
AWS region [eu-west-1]:
A short name for this install [prod]:The account must be the one you're signed in to. The short name prefixes every resource (coderhelm-prod-...), so two installs can share an account.
Step 3: web address
Step 3 of 8 [██████░░░░░░░░░░] Web address
CoderHelm needs one web address. Without a domain it uses CloudFront's own (https://dxxxx.cloudfront.net), ...
Route 53 zones in this account: example.com
Hostname (empty for the CloudFront address) [coderhelm.example.com]:
example.com is in Route 53: the certificate and DNS records are created for you.Leave it empty to use CloudFront's address. A hostname outside Route 53 asks for an ACM certificate in us-east-1; see Domains.
Step 4: Claude access
Step 4 of 8 [████████░░░░░░░░] Claude access
Claude through anthropic or bedrock [anthropic]: bedrock
Bedrock inference profile prefix [eu.]:
ok anthropic.claude-opus-5-5
TODO anthropic.claude-sonnet-5-5 is not enabled in this region
Enable model access here before your first run: https://console.aws.amazon.com/bedrock/home?region=eu-west-1#/modelaccessWith anthropic, you can paste a key to check it with one free call to Anthropic. The key is not saved: teams add their own in Settings → AI models. With bedrock, it checks that each model is enabled in your region. See Model providers.
Step 5: you and email
Step 5 of 8 [██████████░░░░░░] You and email
Your email: you@example.com
Emails come from [coderhelm@example.com]:
example.com is your Route 53 zone: the deploy adds its DKIM records and SES verifies it in minutes.
This account is in the SES sandbox: email only reaches verified addresses, 200 a day. ...
Let anyone with this email domain sign up (empty: only you) [example.com]:You become the first admin. It checks the sender's SES identity and whether the account is still in the SES sandbox. See Email.
Step 6: optional extras
Step 6 of 8 [████████████░░░░] Optional extras
Jira: connect from Settings → Jira after sign-up ...
A Slack or Teams incoming webhook for update notices (empty: email only):
Turn on Sign in with Google (needs a Google OAuth client)? (yes/no) [no]:Google's client id and secret go straight into Secrets Manager, never into a file. See Integrations.
Step 7: updates
Step 7 of 8 [██████████████░░] Updates
Install updates automatically? (yes/no) [no]: yes
Maintenance window ("Sun 03:00", "daily 02:00") [Sun 03:00]:
Time zone of the window [Europe/Berlin]:
Major releases: ask (wait for an admin) or auto [ask]:You can change these any time in Settings → System. See Updates.
Step 8: summary and cost
Step 8 of 8 [████████████████] Summary and cost
Here is what will be installed:
Account / region 123456789012 / eu-west-1 (install "prod")
Address https://coderhelm.example.com
Claude Amazon Bedrock (eu.)
...
Estimated AWS cost per month for a small team (USD):
Lambda, API Gateway, SQS, DynamoDB, EventBridge 2–15
...
Total about 11–62
Not included: Claude on Bedrock: per token, on this AWS bill.
Save this and deploy now? ("back" to change something) (yes/no) [yes]:It saves coderhelm.config.json (every setting is in the Config reference) and deploys.
Deploy, GitHub App, first sign-up
The deploy shows each resource as CloudFormation creates it; the first one takes 20 to 30 minutes. Then:
- Your browser opens a page that creates your GitHub App. Press Create GitHub App on github.com. The keys go into Secrets Manager. See The GitHub App.
- The sign-up page opens. Sign up with the admin email.
- The terminal prints a checklist:
CoderHelm v1.0.0 is running at https://coderhelm.example.com
Checklist
[x] CoderHelm deployed
[x] GitHub App created
[ ] Sign up as the first admin (you@example.com): https://coderhelm.example.com/?signup=1
[ ] Install the GitHub App on your repositories
[x] Models: Amazon Bedrock (no key needed)
[ ] Send a test email from the setup page (new AWS accounts start in the SES sandbox)
[x] Auto-update on
The setup page checks each of these live: https://coderhelm.example.com/settings/setup/The setup page
After you sign up, the dashboard shows the setup checklist to the first admin, at Settings → Setup. Each item checks itself live and links to where you fix it:
- GitHub App connected
- repositories enabled
- model provider working
- email working (it sends you a test)
- Jira or Slack connected (optional)
- auto-update on
- first run tried
Without a terminal (CI)
Every question has a flag, and --answers <file> reads them from JSON. A bad answer stops with the reason:
npx -y github:CoderHelm/coderhelm-platform init --yes \
--region eu-west-1 --admin you@example.com --provider bedrock --bedrock-prefix eu. \
--auto-update on --window "Sun 03:00" --timezone Europe/Berlin --majors ask --deploy yesLaunch Stack
To install from the AWS console instead, create a stack from the template the release publishes:
- Template URL:
https://coderhelm-public.s3.amazonaws.com/cfn/coderhelm-selfhost-launch.yaml - One-click link (us-east-1; change the region in the console):
https://console.aws.amazon.com/cloudformation/home?region=us-east-1#/stacks/quickcreate?stackName=CoderHelmInstaller&templateURL=https://coderhelm-public.s3.amazonaws.com/cfn/coderhelm-selfhost-launch.yaml
The stack asks the same questions, runs the installer in a CodeBuild project in your account, and finishes with a link to the setup page. Creating the GitHub App needs a browser, so the NextStep output gives the two commands to run from your computer (pull, then github-app).
Check it
npx -y github:CoderHelm/coderhelm-platform health