Get started with Weave

Weave is a local-first knowledge workspace. Markdown, notes, code, and project material stay in the local directories you select. The desktop app also owns local full-text and vector indexes. Signing in does not automatically upload an entire knowledge base.

1. Install the desktop app

On macOS, move Weave to Applications before launching it. This gives the app and bundled local components such as the MCP bridge a stable path.

On first launch, grant access only to directories you explicitly select. Weave does not require default access to the whole disk.

2. Import a knowledge base

1. Create a knowledge base and select a local directory.
2. Confirm the Markdown and other supported material in that directory.
3. Let the import task finish. Import, full-text indexing, and semantic indexing are separate observable stages.
4. Open a document from the file tree and verify that preview, search, and citations return to the source.

Large directories take longer on first import. Durable tasks resume after the app restarts instead of rebuilding the entire knowledge base from scratch.

3. Choose a semantic model

Full-text search does not require a semantic model. For semantic retrieval, install a local embedding model in Settings. Downloads report real progress and prefer a reachable source. A failed model download does not affect source files or full-text search.

4. Connect AI

Weave supports user-configured AI providers. Provider credentials stay in the operating system credential store, not in knowledge-base files. Context is sent to the selected provider only when you start a conversation, request an explanation, or authorize an Agent tool call.

5. Connect an Agent

To let Codex, Claude, VS Code, or another MCP-capable Agent use a knowledge base, create a connection under “Manage → AI integrations (MCP)” for that knowledge base. New connections are read-only. Write capabilities are granted separately and remain protected by confirmation flows.

Data boundaries

• Your local directory remains the owner of the source material.
• Signing in enables account, membership, and opt-in cloud capabilities; it does not mean uploading the local knowledge base.
• Excerpts returned to an external AI or Agent may be sent to its model provider. Grant only the knowledge bases needed for the task.
• Before uninstalling, back up the source directories and any local state you need to retain.