Your first 5 minutes with Crade
From download to a useful answer in five minutes. Install, sign in, connect an AI provider (or use the built-in one), try your first prompt. Here is exactly what to do.
The fastest way to evaluate Crade is to try it on something you would actually use it for. This is the five-minute version of that walkthrough: install, sign in, ask one good question, see if the result is worth keeping.
Minute 1: install
Download Crade from crade.ai. On macOS the installer is a .dmg you drag into Applications. On Windows it is a .exe that runs the installer. Open the app once installed.
On macOS, Crade asks for Screen Recording permission the first time you ask it about your screen. Approve it in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording. Without this, Crade cannot see anything.
Minute 2: sign in
Crade asks how you want to use it: with the built-in Crade backend (no setup, instant), or by connecting your own Claude or ChatGPT account. The choice is reversible. You can switch later.
If you already pay for Claude Pro or ChatGPT Plus, connect that account. Your existing subscription pays for the AI, no second bill. If not, the built-in backend on the Free plan is enough to try the rest of this walkthrough.
Minute 3: try your first prompt
Open any document, webpage, or app you would normally need help with. A long email. A confusing form. A spreadsheet you are mid-way through. A PDF you do not have time to read.
Crade should be floating over the screen. Click the chat input and type one sentence.
Press Enter. The answer appears in the Crade window within a few seconds.
Minute 4: refine
If the first answer is not specific enough, reply in the same chat: "Focus on the financial section", "Make it shorter", "What is the most important part?". Crade re-reads the screen and adjusts.
Try a second use case on a different window. The point of this minute is to feel the loop: see something on screen, ask a question, get the answer, act on it. If that loop feels useful, Crade is worth keeping.
Minute 5: explore Agent mode (optional)
If you are on Pro, Agent mode unlocks file and shell access. Try something hands-off: "Save a summary of this page to ~/Desktop/notes.md". Crade writes the file and confirms in the chat.
On Free, Agent mode is off. Crade gives you the answer in chat, you copy out what you need. Either way works; Agent mode just removes the copy-paste step.
Where to go next
- If you mainly do email and writing → see the Email & Writing posts
- If you mainly write quotes and invoices → see Quotes & Receipts
- If you build things → see Build & Code
- If you do a lot of meetings and Slack → see Meetings & Catchup
If something is not working
Crade not seeing your screen on macOS: re-check Screen Recording permission. Restart Crade after granting it. On Windows: this should work without any permission step. If a specific app is invisible to Crade, file a quick bug report from the Crade menu. It usually means the app uses a non-standard rendering layer.
If you already pay for Claude Pro or Max, connecting it to Crade means your AI usage runs through your existing subscription. Here is exactly how to connect it and what changes when you do.
Agent mode lets Crade do more than answer questions. It can edit files, run commands, scaffold projects, save PDFs to your Desktop. Here is how to turn it on and what changes when you do.