Rivet

Rivet helps you explore multiple design directions for your web app. It opens a local visual editor, generates parallel variants, lets you refine with comments, and can send the chosen direction back into your project.

Install

Run the installer from the project where you want AI agents to use Rivet:

npx -y rivet-design@latest install

Rivet requires Node.js 22.13 or newer. The installer exits with an upgrade message on older runtimes instead of continuing with an outdated Rivet release.

The installer writes CLI usage guidance and command allowlists for detected shell-capable agents such as Claude Code, Cursor, and Codex. After installing, start a new agent session and say "Open Rivet" or "/rivet".

You can also run Rivet directly without a global install:

npx -y rivet-design@latest open --project /path/to/app

If installed globally, the package exposes the rivet binary:

rivet open --project /path/to/app

Automatic Updates

Published global installations check npm for a newer Rivet release before CLI and MCP startup. Successful checks are cached for one hour. When an update is available, Rivet installs it, refreshes existing MCP registrations and agent guidance, and continues the original command through the updated CLI without a prompt.

If the registry or npm is unavailable, Rivet reports the missed update on stderr and continues with the installed version. Run rivet update to bypass the cache and explicitly verify the installed version. Versions published before automatic updates were introduced require one final npx -y rivet-design@latest install migration.

Updated skill and rule files are available on disk immediately. An agent session that already loaded them may need its normal restart or reload before it uses the refreshed instructions.

CLI Agent Commands

Rivet's agent-facing commands print one JSON envelope on stdout, write progress to stderr, and do not prompt for input.

For interactive user workflows, run rivet open without --no-browser so the Rivet UI opens in the browser. Use --no-browser only for headless/background automation, CI/e2e checks, or when the user explicitly asks not to open a browser; in those cases, report the returned editorUrl.

rivet open --project /path/to/app
rivet status --project /path/to/app
rivet variants start --project /path/to/app --instruction "try three hero layouts" --count 3
rivet wait <workId> --project /path/to/app --timeout 120
rivet variants list --project /path/to/app
rivet variants commit <variantId> --project /path/to/app
rivet changes request --project /path/to/app --instruction "make the header coral" --element "#header"
rivet changes pull --project /path/to/app
rivet update
rivet stop --project /path/to/app

For a fresh project, create or use an empty directory, open Rivet there, then start variants with --fresh:

rivet open --project /path/to/new-app
rivet variants start --project /path/to/new-app --fresh --instruction "build a SaaS landing page" --count 3

For shell agents, pass caller metadata on each command when available:

rivet open --project /path/to/app --caller-agent cursor --caller-model <model> --caller-session <session-id>

How It Works

1. rivet open starts or attaches to the local Rivet editor server for a project. It can attach to an existing dev server or start the app's standard dev, start, or serve script when possible.
2. The editor shows your app and variant previews in the browser. Agents use rivet variants ... and rivet changes ... to enqueue work.
3. Use rivet wait, rivet status, or rivet status --watch to observe progress.
4. Commit the chosen variant with rivet variants commit <variantId> or use the editor to keep refining.

If Rivet reports pull mode, staged work can be drained with rivet changes pull --project <path>, applied by the agent, then acknowledged with rivet changes pull --project <path> --ack <leaseId>.

Supported Frameworks

• Next.js
• Vite
• Create React App
• Remix
• SvelteKit
• Static HTML

Requirements

• Node.js 22.13+
• A shell-capable coding agent for agent-driven flows
• Git for variant branch/history features

License

GPL-3.0-or-later