Quickstart

👏 Welcome to Qwen Code!

This quickstart guide will have you using AI-powered coding assistance in just a few minutes. By the end, you’ll understand how to use Qwen Code for common development tasks.

Before you begin

Make sure you have:

A terminal or command prompt open
A code project to work with
A Qwen Code account

Step 1: Install Qwen Code

To install Qwen Code, use one of the following methods:

NPM (recommended)

Requires Node.js 20+ , you can use node -v check the version. If it’s not installed, use the following command to install it.

If you have Node.js or newer installed :


npm install -g @qwen-code/qwen-code@latest

Homebrew (macOS, Linux)


brew install qwen-code

Step 2: Log in to your account

Qwen Code requires an account to use. When you start an interactive session with the qwen command, you’ll need to log in:


# You'll be prompted to log in on first use
qwen


# Follow the prompts to log in with your account
/auth

Select Qwen OAuth, log in to your account and follow the prompts to confirm. Once logged in, your credentials are stored and you won’t need to log in again.

Note

When you first authenticate Qwen Code with your Qwen account, a workspace called “.qwen” is automatically created for you. This workspace provides centralized cost tracking and management for all Qwen Code usage in your organization.

Tip

If you need to log in again or switch accounts, use the /auth command within Qwen Code.

Step 3: Start your first session

Open your terminal in any project directory and start Qwen Code:


# optiona
cd /path/to/your/project
# start qwen
qwen

You’ll see the Qwen Code welcome screen with your session information, recent conversations, and latest updates. Type /help for available commands.

Chat with Qwen Code

Ask your first question

Qwen Code will analyze your files and provide a summary. You can also ask more specific questions:


explain the folder structure

You can also ask Qwen Code about its own capabilities:


what can Qwen Code do?

Note

Qwen Code reads your files as needed - you don’t have to manually add context. Qwen Code also has access to its own documentation and can answer questions about its features and capabilities.

Make your first code change

Now let’s make Qwen Code do some actual coding. Try a simple task:


add a hello world function to the main file

Qwen Code will:

Find the appropriate file
Show you the proposed changes
Ask for your approval
Make the edit

Note

Qwen Code always asks for permission before modifying files. You can approve individual changes or enable “Accept all” mode for a session.

Use Git with Qwen Code

Qwen Code makes Git operations conversational:


what files have I changed?


commit my changes with a descriptive message

You can also prompt for more complex Git operations:


create a new branch called feature/quickstart


show me the last 5 commits


help me resolve merge conflicts

Fix a bug or add a feature

Qwen Code is proficient at debugging and feature implementation.

Describe what you want in natural language:


add input validation to the user registration form

Or fix existing issues:


there's a bug where users can submit empty forms - fix it

Qwen Code will:

Locate the relevant code
Understand the context
Implement a solution
Run tests if available

Test out other common workflows

There are a number of ways to work with Claude:

Refactor code


refactor the authentication module to use async/await instead of callbacks

Write tests


write unit tests for the calculator functions

Update documentation


update the README with installation instructions

Code review


review my changes and suggest improvements

Tip

Remember: Qwen Code is your AI pair programmer. Talk to it like you would a helpful colleague - describe what you want to achieve, and it will help you get there.

Essential commands

Here are the most important commands for daily use:

Command	What it does	Example
`qwen`	start Qwen Code	`qwen`
`/auth`	Change authentication method	`/auth`
`/help`	Display help information for available commands	`/help` or `/?`
`/compress`	Replace chat history with summary to save Tokens	`/compress`
`/clear`	Clear terminal screen content	`/clear` (shortcut: `Ctrl+L`)
`/theme`	Change Qwen Code visual theme	`/theme`
`/language`	View or change language settings	`/language`
→ `ui [language]`	Set UI interface language	`/language ui zh-CN`
→ `output [language]`	Set LLM output language	`/language output Chinese`
`/quit`	Exit Qwen Code immediately	`/quit` or `/exit`

See the CLI reference for a complete list of commands.

Pro tips for beginners

Be specific with your requests

Instead of: “fix the bug”
Try: “fix the login bug where users see a blank screen after entering wrong credentials”

Use step-by-step instructions

Break complex tasks into steps:


1. create a new database table for user profiles
2. create an API endpoint to get and update user profiles
3. build a webpage that allows users to see and edit their information

Let Claude explore first

Before making changes, let Claude understand your code:


analyze the database schema


build a dashboard showing products that are most frequently returned by our UK customers

Save time with shortcuts

Press ? to see all available keyboard shortcuts
Use Tab for command completion
Press ↑ for command history
Type / to see all slash commands

Getting help

In Qwen Code: Type /help or ask “how do I…”
Documentation: You’re here! Browse other guides
Community: Join our GitHub Discussion for tips and support