Getting Started with Babysitter
Welcome to Babysitter! This guide will help you go from zero to running your first AI-orchestrated development workflow in just a few minutes.
30-Second Overview
Babysitter = Claude Code + autopilot + quality control
Instead of:
You: "Build me a login page"
Claude: *builds something*
You: "Make it better"
Claude: *tweaks it*
You: "Run the tests"
Claude: *tests fail*
You: "Fix the tests"
... (repeat for hours)
You just say:
/babysitter:call build a login page with 90% quality target
Babysitter handles the iteration, testing, and quality checks automatically. Come back later, it's still working (or waiting for your approval).
Choose Your Path
| If you are... | Start here |
|---|---|
| Impatient (just want to try it) | Quickstart - 10 minutes to first run |
| Thorough (want to understand first) | Keep reading this page, then Installation |
| Already installed | First Run Deep Dive to understand what happened |
| Coming back | Jump to the Tutorials for deeper projects |
What is Babysitter?
Babysitter is an orchestration framework for Claude Code that transforms how you work with AI-assisted development. Instead of manually iterating with Claude until your code is "good enough," Babysitter automates the entire process with:
- Automatic quality convergence - Set a quality target (like 85%), and Babysitter iterates until it's achieved
- Session persistence - Close your laptop, come back tomorrow, and pick up exactly where you left off
- Human-in-the-loop approval - Add approval gates (breakpoints) for critical decisions before they execute
- Complete audit trails - Every decision, iteration, and change is recorded in an event journal
Think of Babysitter as a project manager for your AI coding sessions - it keeps track of progress, ensures quality standards are met, and never loses context.
Why You Will Love Babysitter
| Without Babysitter | With Babysitter |
|---|---|
| "Claude, can you improve that?" (repeat 10x) | Set quality target once, iterate automatically |
| Lose all context when session ends | Resume from any point, even days later |
| Hope the AI made good decisions | Review and approve at key decision points |
| No record of what happened | Complete journal of every action |
| Run tasks one at a time | Parallel execution for faster results |
Key Benefits
1. Quality Convergence
Stop manually asking Claude to "make it better." Define your quality target (test coverage, code standards, etc.) and Babysitter iterates until it's achieved.
# Example: Iterate until 85% quality score
claude "/babysitter:call implement user auth with TDD, 85% quality target"
2. Never Lose Progress
Every action is recorded in an event-sourced journal. Session interrupted? No problem.
# Resume exactly where you left off
claude "Resume the babysitter run for the auth feature"
3. Human-in-the-Loop Control
Add approval gates for critical decisions. Review context, approve or reject, and only then does execution continue.
# Babysitter will pause for approval before deploying
claude "/babysitter:call deploy to production with breakpoint approval"
4. Structured Workflows
Choose from built-in methodologies (TDD, Spec-Kit, GSD) or create your own. Consistent, repeatable processes across your team.
Quick Navigation
| I want to... | Go to... |
|---|---|
| Install Babysitter | Installation Guide |
| Run my first workflow (5 min) | Quickstart |
| Understand what happened | First Run Deep Dive |
| See all commands | CLI Reference |
| Learn about Quality Convergence | Quality Convergence Guide |
Prerequisites
Before you begin, ensure you have the following:
Required Software
| Software | Version | How to Check | Installation Guide |
|---|---|---|---|
| Node.js | 20.0.0+ (22.x recommended) | node --version | nodejs.org |
| npm | 8.0.0+ | npm --version | Comes with Node.js |
| Claude Code | Latest | claude --version | Claude Code Docs |
Recommended (for best experience)
| Software | Purpose | Installation |
|---|---|---|
| nvm | Manage Node.js versions easily | nvm-sh/nvm |
| Git | Version control for your projects | git-scm.com |
| jq | Parse JSON output from CLI | brew install jq (macOS) |
Knowledge Prerequisites
| Level | What You Should Know |
|---|---|
| Required | Basic command line usage (cd, ls, npm) |
| Required | How to use Claude Code (basic prompting) |
| Helpful | JavaScript/TypeScript basics (for custom processes) |
| Optional | Test-driven development concepts |
Verify Your Environment
Run these commands to confirm you're ready:
# Check Node.js (need 20.0.0+)
node --version
# Expected: v20.x.x or v22.x.x
# Check npm
npm --version
# Expected: 8.x.x or higher
# Check Claude Code
claude --version
# Expected: Claude Code version info
If any command fails, install the missing software before continuing.
Installation Overview
Getting Babysitter running involves three steps:
- Install the Babysitter plugin (via Claude Code's plugin system)
- Install the CLI packages (npm global install for orchestration commands) Estimated time: 5-10 minutes
Ready? Head to the Installation Guide for step-by-step instructions.
Your Learning Path
Day 1: Get Started (Today!)
- Read this introduction (you are here)
- Install Babysitter (5 min)
- Complete the Quickstart (10 min)
- Understand your first run (10 min)
Week 1: Build Confidence
- Try different quality targets (80%, 90%, 95%)
- Experience session resumption (close and resume a run)
- Use breakpoints for approval workflows
- Explore the TDD methodology
Week 2+: Level Up
- Compare methodologies (TDD, GSD, Spec-Kit)
- Customize quality targets and iteration limits
- Learn about parallel execution
- Create your first custom process (advanced)
How Babysitter Works (The Big Picture)
You: "Build a todo API with TDD"
|
v
+------------------+
| Babysitter |
| Orchestration |
| |
| 1. Research |---> Analyze codebase
| 2. Plan |---> Create specifications
| 3. Implement |---> TDD iterations
| 4. Quality |---> Score and improve
| 5. Approve |---> Human checkpoint
| 6. Complete |---> Deliver result
+------------------+
|
v
Everything logged to .a5c/runs/<runId>/journal/
The Magic: Event-Sourced Persistence
Every action Babysitter takes is recorded as an event in a journal:
{"type":"RUN_STARTED","runId":"01KFFTSF8TK8C9GT3YM9QYQ6WG","timestamp":"2026-01-25T10:30:00Z"}
{"type":"TASK_STARTED","taskId":"research-001","timestamp":"2026-01-25T10:30:01Z"}
{"type":"TASK_COMPLETED","taskId":"research-001","result":{...},"timestamp":"2026-01-25T10:30:45Z"}
This means:
- Crash recovery: Replay the journal to restore exact state
- Audit trail: Complete history of every decision
- Debugging: Trace exactly what happened and when
What You Will Build
In this getting started guide, you will:
Quickstart Tutorial (10 minutes)
Build a simple calculator module with TDD:
- Write tests first
- Implement code to pass tests
- Achieve 80% quality score
- See automatic iteration in action
Expected Outcome
calculator/
calculator.js # Implementation
calculator.test.js # Test suite
README.md # Generated documentation
Quality Score: 85/100
Tests: 12 passing
Coverage: 92%
Getting Help
Stuck? Try These Resources
| Resource | Best For |
|---|---|
| Troubleshooting Guide | Installation issues |
| FAQ | Common questions |
| GitHub Issues | Bug reports |
| GitHub Discussions | Questions and ideas |
Common First-Time Issues
| Problem | Solution |
|---|---|
| "command not found: babysitter" | Run npm install -g @a5c-ai/babysitter |
| Plugin not appearing | Restart Claude Code after installation |
Ready to Begin?
Your journey starts with installation. Let's get Babysitter running on your machine.
Next Step: Installation Guide
Quick Reference Card
Keep these commands handy:
# Start a new run
claude "/babysitter:call <your request>"
# Resume an existing run
claude "/babysitter:call resume the babysitter run"
# Check available skills
/skills
# View run history
ls .a5c/runs/
Ready to transform your AI-assisted development?