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Installation ​

System requirements

Flow supports Linux, macOS, and Windows systems.

  • Linux: requires xclip for clipboard features and notify-send (from libnotify) for desktop notifications.
  • Optional: Git is required for git workspace features.

Quick Install ​

shell
curl -sSL https://install.flowexec.io | bash
powershell
irm https://install.flowexec.io/win | iex

Alternative Install Methods ​

Homebrew (macOS/Linux) ​

shell
brew install flowexec/tap/flow

Go Install ​

bash
go install github.com/flowexec/flow@latest

Manual Download ​

Download the latest release from the releases page and add the binary to your PATH. Each release includes checksums for verification.

Windows

Download the .zip archive for your architecture, extract flow.exe, and add its directory to your PATH environment variable.

Upgrading ​

Using the built-in update command ​

flow can check for and install updates itself:

shell
# Check for an update and prompt before installing
flow cli update

# Install the latest version without confirmation
flow cli update --yes

# Install a specific version
flow cli update --version v2.1.0

flow cli update replaces the running binary in-place — no additional steps needed.

Automatic update notifications ​

flow can check for new releases in the background and print a notice after your next command completes. This is disabled by default and opt-in:

shell
# Enable background update checks
flow config set update-check true

# Disable them again
flow config set update-check false

When a newer version is available, you'll see a one-line notice at the end of your next command's output. Run flow cli update to act on it.

Using your original install method ​

Re-run the same command you used to install — see Quick Install and Alternative Install Methods above. Homebrew uses brew upgrade flowexec/tap/flow.

NOTE

Review the Breaking Changes guide before upgrading.

Verify Installation ​

Check that flow is installed correctly:

shell
flow --version

Shell Completion ​

Enable tab completion for your shell:

bash
# Bash
flow completion bash > /etc/bash_completion.d/flow

# Zsh (oh-my-zsh)
flow completion zsh > ~/.oh-my-zsh/completions/_flow

# Fish
flow completion fish > ~/.config/fish/completions/flow.fish

# PowerShell
flow completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression

Next Steps ​

Ready to start automating? → Quick start guide

CI/CD & Containers ​

For GitHub Actions, Docker, and other integrations, see the integrations guide.