Getting Started with Waymaker Sync

Difficulty: Beginner

Quick Start (3 Commands)

# 1. Install the CLI
npm install -g @waymakeros/cli

# 2. Authenticate
waymaker auth login

# 3. Initialize your project
waymaker init

That's it! You're ready to sync.

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Overview

Waymaker Sync enables Trinity Architecture — one markdown file creates three synchronized views:

• IDE View: Edit in VS Code, Cursor, or any editor
• Document View: Readable in Commander Explorer
• Task View: Cards on Commander taskboard

Learn more about Trinity Architecture

What You'll Get

• AI that remembers yesterday's decisions
• Persistent context across Claude/Cursor/Windsurf sessions
• Automatic sync between IDE and Commander
• 2-4 hours saved daily re-explaining context to AI

Prerequisites

• Waymaker Account: Free account at waymakerone.com
• Node.js: Version 18 or higher
• IDE: VS Code, Cursor, or Windsurf

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Step-by-Step Setup

Step 1: Install the CLI

npm install -g @waymakeros/cli

Verify installation:

waymaker --version

Step 2: Authenticate

waymaker auth login

This opens your browser to sign in with your Waymaker account. After authenticating, you'll see:

✅ Authenticated as you@email.com

Step 3: Initialize Your Project

Navigate to your project directory and run:

cd /path/to/your/project
waymaker init

The interactive setup will:

1. Create or select a Commander workspace
2. Create or select a project
3. Create or select a taskboard
4. Generate .commander/config.json

Step 4: Create Your First Synced File

Create a task file with sync frontmatter:

mkdir -p docs/02-working/tasks/backlog

Create docs/02-working/tasks/backlog/my-first-task.md:

---
sync:
  type: task
  status: active
  priority: medium
---

# My First Synced Task

This is my first task that will sync to Commander.

## Checklist

- [ ] Learn about Waymaker Sync
- [ ] Create more synced documents
- [ ] Explore the Commander taskboard

Step 5: Start Syncing

Start the sync daemon:

waymaker sync start

Or sync all files immediately:

waymaker sync-all

Step 6: View in Commander

Open commander.waymakerone.com to see your synced task on the taskboard.

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Verify Everything Works

Check Sync Status

waymaker sync status

Expected output:

Waymaker Sync Status

Status: Running
Project: /path/to/project
Taskboard: Your Taskboard Name

Statistics:
  Files Watched: 24
  Last Sync: 2 minutes ago

Use MCP Tools (for AI Assistants)

If using Claude Code, Cursor, or another MCP-compatible assistant:

waymaker_sync_status

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Folder Conventions

Organize your docs for clean sync:

docs/
├── 01-planning/
│   └── product-requirements/   # type: epic
├── 02-working/
│   ├── tasks/
│   │   ├── backlog/            # type: task, status: backlog
│   │   ├── active/             # type: task, status: active
│   │   └── completed/          # type: task, status: done
│   └── sessions/               # type: session
└── 03-knowledge/
    └── patterns/               # type: document

Tip: Moving a file to completed/ automatically marks the task as done in Commander.

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Common Commands

Command	Description
waymaker auth login	Authenticate with Waymaker
waymaker auth logout	Sign out
waymaker init	Initialize project sync
waymaker sync start	Start sync daemon
waymaker sync stop	Stop sync daemon
waymaker sync status	Check daemon status
waymaker sync-all	Sync all files immediately
waymaker sync-all --dry-run	Preview what would sync
waymaker kanban	View taskboard in terminal

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Troubleshooting

"Not authenticated"

waymaker auth login

"Not initialized"

waymaker init

Files Not Syncing

1. Check frontmatter — Must have sync: block
2. Check file location — Must match watch_patterns in config
3. Check daemon — Run waymaker sync status

For more issues, see Troubleshooting Guide.

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Next Steps

1. Configure your AI assistant — Teach Claude/Cursor to write correct frontmatter
2. Learn frontmatter options — Types, statuses, priorities, and more
3. Understand Trinity Architecture — How one file becomes three views

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Related Articles

• Trinity Architecture
• Configure AI Assistants
• Frontmatter Reference
• CLI Commands Reference
• Troubleshooting

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Need help? Contact support@waymakerone.com