> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://vvennela-ftl-18-95.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# ftl init

> Initialize FTL in the current project by creating a .ftlconfig file with default settings

## Overview

The `ftl init` command creates a `.ftlconfig` file in the current directory, initializing FTL for your project. This file stores project-specific configuration and must exist before you can run coding tasks.

## Usage

```bash theme={null}
ftl init
```

## Behavior

When you run `ftl init`:

* Creates a `.ftlconfig` file in the current directory with default settings
* If `.ftlconfig` already exists, prints a message and exits without making changes
* The config file is required for running `ftl code` and other commands

## Example

```bash theme={null}
$ cd my-project
$ ftl init
Created /home/user/my-project/.ftlconfig
```

If you run it again in the same directory:

```bash theme={null}
$ ftl init
.ftlconfig already exists.
```

## What Gets Created

The `.ftlconfig` file contains project-specific settings that control:

* Which AI agent to use (inherited from global config)
* Which tester model to use for test generation
* Snapshot backend configuration (local or S3)
* AWS integration settings (optional)

## Global vs Project Config

FTL uses a two-level configuration system:

* **Global config** (`~/.ftl/config.json`) - Set by `ftl setup`, stores agent and tester defaults
* **Project config** (`.ftlconfig`) - Created by `ftl init`, can override global settings

Project settings take precedence over global settings.

## Next Steps

After running `ftl init`:

1. Run `ftl code "your task"` to start a coding session
2. Optionally run `ftl config --aws` to enable AWS features

## Required Before

Before running `ftl init`, you should:

1. Run `ftl setup` to configure your agent and API credentials
2. Navigate to your project directory

## See Also

* [ftl setup](https://vvennela-ftl-18-95.mintlify.site/cli/setup.md) - Initial FTL setup wizard
* [ftl code](https://vvennela-ftl-18-95.mintlify.site/cli/code.md) - Run a coding task
* [ftl config](https://vvennela-ftl-18-95.mintlify.site/cli/config.md) - Configure AWS integration


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