How to use compound-engineering-plugin: install and run the loop

Check the prerequisites

You need a supported AI coding agent host. The README lists 14 hosts, including Claude Code, Cursor and Codex. The skills run inside those hosts, so the plugin does not work on its own as a separate application.

• Pick one host you already use, such as Claude Code, Cursor or Codex.
• If you use Codex, you can install through the Codex app or the Codex CLI.

Install the plugin in Claude Code

In Claude Code, add the marketplace and then install the plugin. Both commands are typed inside Claude Code.

• Run the marketplace command first, then the install command.
• If you already have the plugin, refresh the marketplace before updating. The README warns that running /plugin update alone keeps you on the old version.

Install the plugin in Cursor or Codex

In Cursor, open Agent chat and install from the plugin marketplace. For Codex CLI, register the marketplace in your terminal, then add the plugin. Restart Codex after the install finishes. The Codex app has a separate path that adds a custom marketplace from the Plugins sidebar.

• Cursor: run /add-plugin compound-engineering in Agent chat, or search for "compound engineering" in the plugin marketplace.
• Codex CLI: register the marketplace, then install the plugin, then restart Codex.
• If you use a non-default Codex profile, run both Codex steps with the same CODEX_HOME value.

Learn the core loop of skills

The core loop has six steps: brainstorm the requirements, plan the implementation, work through the plan, simplify the code, review the result, then compound the learning. Each cycle is meant to make the next one easier. In Codex, invoke skills with $skill-name, for example $ce-plan. In most other slash-skill hosts, use /skill-name.

• /ce-brainstorm: interactive Q&A that writes a requirements-only plan before planning.
• /ce-plan: turns feature ideas or requirements into an implementation-ready plan.
• /ce-work: executes the plan, with host verification, commits and shipping.
• /ce-simplify-code: refines freshly written code and prunes useless tests and comments.
• /ce-code-review: report-only multi-agent review against the plan. Local apply is explicit.
• /ce-compound: captures the learning into docs/solutions/ for future loops.

Run your first loop

Start by running /ce-setup in your project. According to the README, it reports optional tool capabilities, creates a repo .compound-engineering/config.yaml when it is missing, and refreshes the committed example. Then move through the loop in order, so each stage can read the previous one's output.

Lessons are written to docs/solutions/, and the next /ce-brainstorm and /ce-plan read those files as grounding. The README describes this as the point of the loop: run one teaches the tool, and run two remembers.

• Run /ce-setup in the project.
• Use /ce-brainstorm to write requirements, then /ce-plan to build the implementation plan.
• Use /ce-work to carry out the plan, /ce-simplify-code to tidy it, and /ce-code-review to check it.
• Finish with /ce-compound so the lesson lands in docs/solutions/.

Change where artifacts are stored

The artifact folders such as docs/solutions/ and docs/plans/ are the defaults. If your docs/ folder holds tracked content, the README says you can move every CE artifact folder under one repo-relative root with the docs_root setting. The configuration guide covers the details.

• Default folders: docs/solutions/ and docs/plans/.
• Setting: docs_root, which relocates all CE artifact folders under one root.