> ## 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.

# Introduction

> QAOS is an AI-powered agent that automatically audits your web application for security vulnerabilities and UI/UX issues.

<img className="block dark:hidden" src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/machdel/images/hero-light.png" alt="QAOS Dashboard" noZoom />

<img className="hidden dark:block" src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/machdel/images/hero-dark.png" alt="QAOS Dashboard" noZoom />

## What is QAOS?

QAOS is an intelligent testing agent that browses your web application exactly like a real user would — clicking buttons, filling forms, navigating pages — while simultaneously scanning for security vulnerabilities and accessibility problems.

Unlike static analysis tools, QAOS understands context. It identifies issues that only surface during real interactions: session tokens exposed after login, privilege escalation through hidden form parameters, or rate limiting that only kicks in after the tenth failed attempt.

## What QAOS detects

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Security Vulnerabilities" icon="shield-halved" color="#dc2626">
    Access control bypasses, injection attacks, weak cryptography, session hijacking vectors, misconfigured headers, and more — mapped to industry standards.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Accessibility & UI/UX Issues" icon="universal-access" color="#8265fd">
    WCAG 2.1 violations, keyboard navigation gaps, color contrast failures, missing form labels, and UX problems that affect real users.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## How it works

<Steps>
  <Step title="Create an account and project">
    Sign up on the [QAOS Dashboard](https://qaos.machdel.com) and create a project to associate your runs with.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Install the CLI">
    Install `qaos` globally via npm and authenticate with your account.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure a run">
    Write a JSON config file describing the pages to test and which agents to use, or generate one through the web UI.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Run the agent">
    Execute `qaos run` — the agent launches a browser, navigates your site, and streams results in real time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Review the report">
    View a full issue report in the dashboard, with severity ratings, reproduction steps, and fix recommendations.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Core concepts

| Concept       | Description                                                                     |
| ------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Run**       | A single test execution defined by a config file                                |
| **Task**      | A scoped test scenario within a run (e.g. "log in and check the settings page") |
| **SubAgent**  | A specialized agent module — either `security` or `uiux`                        |
| **QAOS Mode** | Automatic crawl mode: the agent discovers and tests all pages autonomously      |
| **Issue**     | A detected problem, classified by type, severity, and location                  |

## Before you begin

<Warning>
  QAOS is designed exclusively for testing **your own web applications** or applications you have explicit written authorization to test.

  Running QAOS against websites you do not own or have permission to test may violate computer fraud laws and our [Terms of Use](/legal/terms-of-use). You are solely responsible for ensuring you have the right to test any target.
</Warning>

Ready to get started? [Install the CLI →](/getting-started/installation)