> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.qaos.machdel.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Installation

> Install, update, and uninstall the QAOS CLI on your machine.

## Before you begin

If you don't have one yet, [create a QAOS account](https://qaos.machdel.com/login) and set up a project from the [QAOS Dashboard](https://qaos.machdel.com). You'll need a project to run audits and view reports.

***

## Prerequisites

Before using QAOS, make sure you have:

* **Node.js 16 or later** — [Download from nodejs.org](https://nodejs.org)
* **Playwright browser binaries** — required for the headless browser that powers QAOS
* A QAOS account — [Sign up](https://qaos.machdel.com/login)

Verify your Node.js version:

```bash theme={null}
node --version
# v18.0.0 or higher recommended
```

npx is included with Node.js — no separate installation needed.

### Install Playwright browser binaries

QAOS uses Playwright internally to control a Chromium browser. The browser binaries must be installed separately before your first run:

```bash theme={null}
npx playwright install chromium
```

<Note>
  You only need to run this once. If the binaries are missing, QAOS will display a clear error message reminding you to run this command.
</Note>

***

## Run without installing

You can run QAOS directly using npx without installing anything globally:

```bash theme={null}
npx qaos --version
```

npx will download the latest version of the CLI on first use and cache it locally.

***

## Install globally (optional)

If you prefer to have `qaos` available as a standalone command, you can install it globally:

```bash theme={null}
npm install --global qaos
```

After that, you can run `qaos` directly instead of `npx qaos`.

***

## Update

To run the latest version with npx, use the `@latest` tag:

```bash theme={null}
npx qaos@latest --version
```

If you installed globally, update with:

```bash theme={null}
npm install --global qaos@latest
```

***

## Uninstall

If you installed QAOS globally and want to remove it:

```bash theme={null}
npm uninstall --global qaos
```

If you only used npx, there is nothing to uninstall — npx caches are managed by npm automatically.

***

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="'qaos' is not recognized as a command">
    If you are using npx, make sure you are running `npx qaos` and not just `qaos`. If you installed globally and the command is not found, your npm global bin directory may not be in your `PATH`. Run:

    ```bash theme={null}
    npm bin -g
    ```

    Add the printed path to your shell's `PATH` variable (`.bashrc`, `.zshrc`, or equivalent).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Node.js version too old">
    QAOS requires Node.js 16 or later. Update using [nvm](https://github.com/nvm-sh/nvm):

    ```bash theme={null}
    nvm install --lts
    nvm use --lts
    ```
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

***

## Next steps

Once ready, [authenticate your CLI](/getting-started/authentication) to connect it to your QAOS account.