Pipedream Connect provides a developer toolkit that lets you add + integrations to your app or AI agent. The fastest way to get started is with the Pipedream CLI. In this quickstart, you’ll:
  • Install the Pipedream CLI
  • Create a Connect project
  • Set up a Pipedream OAuth client to authenticate API requests
  • Run the SDK playground locally to explore the Pipedream SDK and pre-built tools

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Set up Connect with the CLI

1

Install the Pipedream CLI

Using Homebrew:
brew tap pipedreamhq/pd-cli
brew install pipedreamhq/pd-cli/pipedream
From source:
curl https://cli.pipedream.com/install | sh
Verify the installation:
pd --version
2

Log in to your account

Authenticate with your Pipedream account:
pd login
This opens your browser to complete authentication. Once logged in, you can close the browser tab.
3

Initialize a Connect project

Run the Connect initialization command:
pd init connect
This interactive command walks you through:
  • Creating a new Connect project (or selecting an existing one)
  • Setting up a Pipedream OAuth client to authenticate requests to the Connect API
  • Configuring your local development environment
The CLI automatically creates a .env file with your OAuth client credentials and project ID. Keep this file secure and don’t commit it to version control.
4

Start the SDK playground

The CLI sets up a local SDK playground where you can test Connect integrations:
cd your-project-name
npm run dev
Open http://localhost:3000 to see the playground running.The SDK playground demonstrates:
  • Component browser - Explore 10,000+ pre-built API operations (triggers and actions)
  • Managed auth - Connect your users’ accounts to + apps
  • Component configuration - Configure and test components with real API data
  • Live execution - Run actions and see the results in real-time
5

Test a component

In the SDK playground:
  1. Search for an app (e.g., “Slack” or “Google Sheets”)
  2. Browse the available actions and triggers for that app
  3. Select an action to configure (e.g., “Send Message to Channel”)
  4. Connect your account when prompted
  5. Configure the action’s inputs
  6. Click Run to execute it and see the results
The playground shows example code for each operation and component.

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What’s next?

Now that you have Connect running locally, explore these resources:

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Example: Quick SDK preview

The SDK playground demonstrates how to use the Connect SDK to execute actions and deploy triggers. Here’s a simple example of running an action: 
import { PipedreamClient } from '@pipedream/sdk';

const client = new PipedreamClient({
  projectEnvironment: "development",
  clientId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_ID,
  clientSecret: process.env.PIPEDREAM_CLIENT_SECRET,
  projectId: process.env.PIPEDREAM_PROJECT_ID,
});

// Run a pre-built Slack action
const result = await client.actions.run({
  id: "slack-send-message-to-channel",
  external_user_id: "user-123",
  configured_props: {
    slack: { authProvisionId: "apn_abc123" },
    channel: "#general",
    text: "Hello from Connect!",
  },
});
The CLI’s pd init connect command generates a complete example app with these patterns already implemented.