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Use the AppSignal agent instructions to install AppSignal in an existing application with an AI coding agent. The agent inspects the project for an existing AppSignal app name and environment, asks you for any missing settings, and waits for your confirmation before changing the configuration. The installation is complete only after the agent sends the first data to AppSignal.

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Before you start

You need an AI coding agent that can read and change your project, install dependencies, and run the application or its commands. Sign in to AppSignal so you can retrieve the settings the agent requests. The selected integration determines which values you need: The agent also asks you to confirm the application name and environment for a back-end installation. It proposes values from the project’s existing configuration and uses development as the proposed environment when it cannot find one. A Front-end API key already identifies the AppSignal application and environment, so browser integrations do not configure those values separately.
The Organization-level Push API key is a write-only secret. Give it only to an agent and environment you trust. The agent instructions require it to store the key in the project’s existing secret storage or environment and never commit it. The Front-end API key is designed to be included in browser code.

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Give the instructions to your agent

  1. Download or send your agent the AppSignal installation entry point.
  2. Ask the agent to install AppSignal by following that file. It directs the agent to the pre-install checks and the one installation file that matches your project.
  3. Answer the agent when it requests a key, collector endpoint, application name, or environment.
  4. Confirm the proposed configuration before the agent writes it.
  5. Let the agent finish the Send your first data step and report the result.
Do not give the agent every language-specific file as installation context. The entry point identifies the project’s language and instructs the agent to read only the matching installation file.

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Agent instruction files

The files are standard Markdown. You can download them, attach them to an agent, or give the agent their direct links.

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Start and safety checks

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Language and integration instructions

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Confirm the first data arrived

Back-end demonstration commands normally send an error and a performance trace. Real requests and jobs add performance data after the application starts with AppSignal enabled. Host metrics can take longer because the AppSignal agent must remain running long enough to collect and send them. The legacy front-end JavaScript integration sends browser errors only. AppSignal for Browser also sends web vitals. It batches them until the page is hidden or closed, the user navigates away, or a client-side route changes. Browser integrations do not create back-end throughput charts, host metrics, check-ins, or heartbeats. If the expected data does not appear, give the agent the command output and any AppSignal diagnostic output. Do not share the complete Organization-level Push API key in its final report.