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Getting Started

Quick Start - Storyline Docs

Get started with Storyline in 5 minutes. Initialize a project and create your first story.

This guide gets you from zero to your first implemented feature in minutes.

Prerequisites

Before starting, ensure you have:

  1. Claude Code installed and working
  2. Git installed and configured
  3. Storyline installed (Installation guide)

Verify your installation:

/sl-setup check

Option A: Full Pipeline (Major Features)

Use this for new features, major projects, or when you want full traceability.

1. Initialize your project

/sl-setup init

Creates the .storyline/ directory structure.

2. Create epics from a PRD

If you have a PRD or requirements doc:

/sl-epic-creator path/to/your-prd.md

Or use guided mode to create one interactively:

/sl-epic-creator

3. Generate stories from an epic

/sl-story-creator .storyline/epics/epic-001-your-feature.md

4. Create a technical spec

/sl-spec-story .storyline/stories/epic-001/story-01.md

5. Implement the code

/sl-develop .storyline/specs/epic-001/spec-01.md

Watch as Claude breaks down the spec, implements code, runs tests, and creates commits.

Option B: Standalone Stories (Quick Tasks)

Use this for bug fixes, small features, or tasks that don’t need a full epic.

1. Initialize (if not done)

/sl-setup init

2. Create a standalone story

/sl-story-creator

Follow the prompts:

  • Select work type (bug fix, small feature, etc.)
  • Enter title and description
  • Define acceptance criteria

3. Generate spec and implement

/sl-spec-story .storyline/stories/.standalone/story-your-task.md
/sl-develop .storyline/specs/.standalone/spec-your-task.md

Check Your Progress

At any point:

/sl-setup status

Shows what you’ve created and suggests next steps.

Example: Adding a Login Feature

Here’s a complete walkthrough:

# Initialize the project
/sl-setup init

# Create an epic (guided mode)
/sl-epic-creator
# → Describe: "User authentication with email/password login"
# → Identifier: "auth"

# Generate stories from the epic
/sl-story-creator .storyline/epics/epic-auth-01-authentication.md

# Create spec for the first story
/sl-spec-story .storyline/stories/epic-auth-01/story-01.md
# → Choose strategy: simple (1:1)

# Implement the code
/sl-develop .storyline/specs/epic-auth-01/spec-01.md

# Check what was created
/sl-setup status

Example: Fixing a Bug

Quick standalone workflow:

# Create standalone story
/sl-story-creator
# → Type: bug fix
# → Title: "Fix login validation error"
# → Description: "Email validation accepts invalid formats"

# Generate spec (standalone stories are always 1:1)
/sl-spec-story .storyline/stories/.standalone/story-fix-login-validation.md

# Implement the fix
/sl-develop .storyline/specs/.standalone/spec-fix-login-validation.md

# Review and push when ready
git status
git push

Tips

  • Start small: Try a standalone story first to learn the workflow
  • Use identifiers: They help track work across tools (JIRA, GitHub Issues)
  • Check status often: /sl-setup status keeps you oriented
  • Review before pushing: Commits are created but never auto-pushed

Next Steps