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Guide · Open source

How to use ECC: install it with Claude Code and get started

Updated · written with AI from the project's own documentation and checked against our catalogue data

ECC (affaan-m/ECC) is an open-source add-on for AI coding agents such as Claude Code. It bundles reusable skills, workflows, memory and security checks so your agent plans before building, tests its changes, reviews its own work and keeps useful notes between sessions. This guide is for developers who already use an AI coding agent and want to know how to install ECC, what it does and whether it fits their work.

ECCaffaan-m/ECC · ★ 295k · MIT

Quick start

  1. 1Confirm your agent harness. Make sure you use Claude Code or another supported agent harness. ECC only adds value on top of one.
  2. 2Use only official sources. Get ECC from the GitHub repository, the listed npm packages, the GitHub App, the plugin slug ecc@ecc or ecc.tools.
  3. 3Choose one install route. For Claude Code, pick either the guided setup or the native plugin commands. Both install the same ecc@ecc plugin.
  4. 4Find the exact install command in the README. The install command is not shown in the source text used for this page, so read the current README for the exact npm or plugin command.
  5. 5Start with planning and testing. Ask your agent to plan before building and to test its changes, so you see the core workflow first.
  6. 6Save reusable fixes as skills. When the agent solves a recurring problem, keep the fix as a skill so it can reuse it in later sessions.

What ECC does for your AI coding agent

ECC is not a standalone coding tool. It sits on top of an agent harness, the environment an AI coding agent runs in. According to the project's README, ECC gives the agent a coordinated engineering process: it plans before it builds, verifies changes with tests, reviews its own work from a fresh context, remembers what matters, and turns repeated wins into reusable skills and workflows.

Instead of writing the same process instructions into every prompt, you install ECC once and it becomes part of how the agent works.

  • Planning before building
  • Testing changes and verifying them
  • Reviewing the agent's own work from a fresh context
  • Saving useful notes (memory) and reusable skills between sessions
  • Security checks on agent-generated code
plan -> test -> implement -> review -> verify -> remember -> improve

Check the prerequisites before you install

The main prerequisite is an existing AI coding agent harness. The README says ECC works best with Claude Code and has native Codex and Qoder plugin paths. Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini and Zed get more limited adapters, which the README describes as capability-limited.

If you do not use any AI coding agent, ECC adds no value, because it only works on top of one.

  • Claude Code or another supported agent harness (Claude Code is the best-supported option)
  • Familiarity with running commands in a terminal

Install ECC with Claude Code

The README offers two routes for Claude Code: a guided setup or native plugin commands. Both install the same ecc@ecc plugin. Pick one route. The README warns not to stack a full manual Claude install on top of it.

The README lists the npm packages ecc-universal and ecc-agentshield, and the plugin slug ecc@ecc. The exact install command is not shown in the text this page is based on, so check the README for the current command rather than guessing one.

  • Pick either the guided setup or the native plugin commands, not both
  • Install only from official sources: the GitHub repository, the listed npm packages, the GitHub App, the plugin slug ecc@ecc or the website ecc.tools
  • Avoid third-party re-uploads and unofficial mirrors, which the project says are not reviewed and may contain malware
git clone https://github.com/affaan-m/ECC

Use ECC's skills, workflows and memory

Once installed, ECC's value comes from the skills, workflows and memory it provides. Skills are reusable process instructions, and memory keeps useful notes across sessions. The README says ECC lets the agent reuse past fixes through saved skills and memory.

Because the README covers many harnesses and components, expect a learning curve. Start with the planning, testing and review flow and add more features as you need them.

  • Ask the agent to plan before it writes code, then test and review the result
  • Let the agent save recurring fixes as skills so it can reuse them later
  • Keep the scope small at first; the project covers many components

Use ECC across other coding tools

ECC supports several harnesses, but support is uneven. Codex and Qoder have native plugin paths. Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini and Zed have adapters that the README describes as capability-limited, so do not expect full feature parity on those tools.

If you need one consistent workflow across a team that uses different tools, this uneven support matters. Test ECC on the tool your team actually uses before you commit to it.

  • Claude Code: best supported
  • Codex and Qoder: native plugin paths
  • Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini and Zed: capability-limited adapters

Check whether ECC is the right choice

ECC is a good fit for developers who already use Claude Code and want a shared planning, testing and review workflow, for teams that want consistent agent behaviour across tools, and for developers who care about security checks on agent code.

It is a poor fit for people who do not use an AI coding agent, and for anyone who wants a simple tool with a short learning curve. The README lists comparable projects: Cursor rules, Aider, Continue and Cline.

  • Good fit: existing Claude Code users who want a shared workflow
  • Good fit: teams that need consistent behaviour across several tools
  • Poor fit: people without an AI coding agent
  • Poor fit: users who want a single, simple tool

What people use it for

  • Giving Claude Code a repeatable plan, test and review routine for every feature
  • Keeping one shared agent workflow across a small team using different coding tools
  • Having the agent reuse past fixes through saved skills and memory
  • Adding security checks to agent-generated code before it is merged

Frequently asked questions

Is ECC free?

ECC is MIT-licensed open source, and the README says the repository is MIT-licensed. The README also mentions a paid hosted GitHub App, ECC Pro, for private repositories, so check the pricing page on ecc.tools if you need private repo support.

What do I need to use ECC?

You need Claude Code or another supported agent harness. ECC is an add-on, so it adds no value without an AI coding agent.

How do I install ECC safely?

Install only from official sources named in the README: the GitHub repository, the npm packages ecc-universal and ecc-agentshield, the GitHub App, the plugin slug ecc@ecc, or ecc.tools. Avoid unofficial mirrors, which the project says may contain malware.

Does ECC work with Cursor?

Yes, but only through a capability-limited adapter. The README says Cursor, OpenCode, Gemini and Zed do not get full feature parity with Claude Code.

What are the alternatives to ECC?

The README lists Cursor rules, Aider, Continue and Cline as comparable projects. Choose based on whether you want a process layer on Claude Code (ECC) or a different editor or agent tool.

Why is ECC hard to learn?

The README covers many harnesses and components, so it has a wider scope than a single simple tool. Start with the planning, testing and review workflow before adding other features.

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Our verdict

ECC is worth trying if you already use Claude Code and want a shared planning, testing and review workflow with saved skills and security checks. Skip it if you do not use an AI coding agent, want a simple tool, or need the same feature set in Cursor, Gemini or Zed.

Install options & downloads