Getting Started

This guide walks through setting up Loop on a local machine, populating it with the seed data, and verifying that the install is wired correctly by sending a single correction end-to-end.

Prerequisites

Before you start, make sure you have the following ready:

• Node.js 20 or newer and npm
• A database for persistent storage (any database that fits your stack)
• A Slack workspace you can install the provided Slack app into, plus the bot token shared separately
• An Anthropic API key for the AI note writer
• The pre-built Next.js project (provided as the starting point)
• The seed data for testing (provided alongside the project)

Clone and install

Clone the pre-built project and install dependencies.

git clone <project-repo-url> loop
cd loop
npm install

Configure environment variables

Loop reads its secrets from a local env file. Create one in the project root with the keys below, replacing each placeholder with the value shared with you.

SLACK_BOT_TOKEN=xoxb-your-slack-bot-token
ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-your-anthropic-api-key
DATABASE_URL=your-database-connection-string

The Slack bot token and the Anthropic API key are server-side only — they must never be exposed to the browser.

Run locally

Start the development server.

npm run dev

The app should now be reachable at the local URL printed in the terminal. Open it in a browser to confirm it loads.

Seed the database

Load the provided seed data so the dashboard, employee list, and process list have content to render.

npm run seed

After seeding you should see employees, processes, and existing reminders show up on the manager dashboard.

Verify the install

Send a single correction end-to-end to confirm every moving part is wired up:

1. Open the manager dashboard and go to the Send form.
2. Toggle to Correction, pick an employee and a process, and type a short note.
3. Submit the form.
4. Confirm the reminder appears on the dashboard with status pending.
5. Confirm the employee receives a Slack DM containing the note, the process link, and a link to /reminder/[id].
6. Open the /reminder/[id] link, optionally add feedback, and click I've read and understand this.
7. Back on the dashboard, confirm the reminder flips to acknowledged and that the employee feedback is visible from the detail view.

If all seven steps work, the local install is good.