> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.lowkey.run/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Bootstraps: configure your Lowkey agent after deploy

> Bootstraps are prompt-based configuration instructions you paste into your agent chat to teach it how to behave on your Lowkey install.

After your Lowkey agent is running, bootstraps are how you finish setting it up. Each bootstrap is a markdown file in the Lowkey repository. You paste a prompt into your agent chat, the agent reads the file from GitHub, and it configures itself accordingly — updating its memory, installing tools, and applying settings. You don't edit config files manually; you tell your agent what to do, and it does it.

## How bootstraps work

Every bootstrap follows the same pattern: you give your agent a URL pointing to one or more bootstrap files, and it reads and applies them on its own.

The canonical prompt looks like this:

```
Lowkey please bootstrap yourself based on this url https://github.com/inceptionstack/lowkey/tree/main/bootstraps/essential
```

You can use this exact phrase for any bootstrap directory or individual file. The agent fetches the content, reads the instructions, and configures itself.

<Note>
  Bootstraps are idempotent — running the same bootstrap more than once is safe. Each bootstrap checks for a marker file (e.g. `memory/.bootstrapped-model-config`) before doing work, so duplicate runs are skipped automatically.
</Note>

## Bootstrap categories

Lowkey ships with three categories of bootstraps:

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Essential" icon="circle-check" href="/bootstraps/essential">
    Run these on every new install. They reduce mistakes and significantly improve agent behavior. Essential bootstraps cover model config, security, memory, coding standards, and more.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Optional" icon="sliders" href="/bootstraps/optional">
    Pick the optional bootstraps that fit your workflow. They extend Lowkey with features like GitHub Actions code review, CI/CD notifications, and a web UI.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Telegram" icon="paper-plane" href="/bootstraps/telegram">
    Set up Telegram integration so you can interact with your agent from any device. Includes both direct message and group chat support.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## Recommended order

<Steps>
  <Step title="Run essential bootstraps first">
    Paste the essential bootstraps URL into your agent chat immediately after your first session. These set up the foundation everything else depends on — model configuration in particular should run before anything else.

    ```
    Lowkey please bootstrap yourself based on this url https://github.com/inceptionstack/lowkey/tree/main/bootstraps/essential
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add optional bootstraps as needed">
    Once essential bootstraps are done, browse the optional list and run any that match your workflow. These are additive — you can run them at any time.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Set up Telegram (if you want mobile access)">
    If you want to interact with your agent from Telegram, run the Telegram bootstraps last. They depend on the essential bootstraps having run first.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Tip>
  You can also run individual bootstraps by pointing your agent at a specific file URL. For example:

  ```
  Lowkey please bootstrap yourself based on this url https://github.com/inceptionstack/lowkey/blob/main/bootstraps/essential/BOOTSTRAP-MODEL-CONFIG.md
  ```

  This is useful when you want to re-apply a single bootstrap without re-running the full set.
</Tip>