Installation

Install the Kite CLI, authenticate with Kite Cloud, and add the Node.js SDK when you are ready to send events.

Choose what you need:

Goal	Install
Create, validate, and run a Kite project	`@kitesdk/cli`
Send events from a Node.js backend	`@kitesdk/node`
Develop Kite itself	The source workspace

For the 5-minute quickstart, install only the CLI.

Requirements

Node.js 20 or newer
npm, included with Node.js
A Kite account with an organization

Check your runtime and package manager:

node --version
npm --version

If Node.js reports a version below v20, upgrade it before continuing.

Install the CLI

Install the CLI globally, then verify that your shell can find it:

npm install --global @kitesdk/cli
kite --version

If kite --version prints a version number, the installation is ready.

Updating the CLI

Run npm install --global @kitesdk/cli@latest to install the latest public release.

Authenticate

The CLI connects to Kite Cloud at https://api.usekite.cloud by default. Start the device login and follow the URL shown in your terminal:

kite auth login

After approving access in the browser, verify the selected account and organization:

kite whoami

kite whoami confirms that installation and authentication both work. The CLI stores its revocable session outside your project and never writes it to the repository.

Using a self-hosted API

Most users should not set KITE_API_URL. For a self-hosted or local API, set it before logging in:

export KITE_API_URL="http://localhost:4400"
kite auth login

In PowerShell, use $env:KITE_API_URL = "http://localhost:4400".

Install the Node.js SDK

You do not need an SDK to run Kite locally. Add the Node.js SDK later, in the backend service that will send real customer traits and product events:

npm install @kitesdk/node

@kitesdk/node is for server-side code. Keep KITE_API_KEY in your deployment platform's secret store and never include it in a browser bundle.

import { Kite } from '@kitesdk/node';

const kite = new Kite({ apiKey: process.env.KITE_API_KEY! });

The generated Kite model uses the typed DSL from @kitesdk/config. Install that package only when you manage the model inside an existing Node.js project:

npm install --save-dev @kitesdk/config

Continue to the SDK guide for customer identification, event tracking, retries, and error handling.

Run Kite from source

This path is only for contributors changing Kite itself. It is not required to use Kite in a product.

git clone https://github.com/kite-engine/Kite-Oficial.git
cd Kite-Oficial
corepack enable
pnpm install
pnpm build

Run the workspace version of the CLI:

pnpm --filter @kitesdk/cli dev -- --help

Use workspace filters only while developing the repository. Product projects should use the published CLI instead.

Troubleshooting

Symptom	What to check
`kite` is not recognized	Reopen your terminal. If it still fails, run `npm prefix --global` and ensure that npm's global executable directory is on `PATH`.
`EBADENGINE` during installation	Upgrade to Node.js 20 or newer, then install the CLI again.
Login opens the wrong API	Remove `KITE_API_URL` unless you intentionally use a self-hosted API, then log in again.
`kite whoami` shows the wrong account	Run `kite auth logout`, then `kite auth login` and approve the correct account.
Global installation is not permitted	Fix npm's global-directory permissions rather than running the CLI as an administrator.

Once kite whoami shows the correct account and organization, build your first local model in the 5-minute quickstart.