> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://signalpilot.ai/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# SignalPilot: Introduction

> AI agent with full org context that ChatGPT or IDE copilots can't access

## Agentic Harness for Fast Moving Data Teams

**SignalPilot** is a Jupyter-native AI agentic harness that investigates data by connecting to your **db warehouse, dbt lineage, query history, slack threads, notion, and Jira tickets** — giving the AI institutional knowledge that coding assistants like ChatGPT and copilots can't access.

<img src="https://mintcdn.com/signalpilot/eNsMqS0wVKbRO_X-/images/agentic-harness-signalpilot.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=eNsMqS0wVKbRO_X-&q=85&s=36920cf7c1ea9a3240c53bfacfc70a17" alt="SignalPilot Agentic Harness: MCP Context Layer + Long-Running Agent Loop + Memory + Skills/Rules" width="1600" height="805" data-path="images/agentic-harness-signalpilot.png" />

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Multi-Source Context" icon="plug">
    **Aggregates organizational knowledge**

    Db warehouse, db warehouse, dbt lineage, database schemas, Slack discussions, Jira tickets, past investigations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Long Running Agent Loop" icon="rotate">
    **Plans, Executes, Iterates**

    Not single-shot completions — continuous loop until task complete with analyst-in-the-loop
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multi-Session Memory" icon="brain">
    **Remembers institutional knowledge**

    Past hypotheses, validated assumptions, known data quirks, MCP subagent
  </Card>

  <Card title="Skills and Rules" icon="code">
    **Teach SignalPilot your domain**

    Custom skills (reusable analysis patterns), coding standards (imports, style), business logic (revenue formulas)
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

<Note>
  **🔒 Zero data retention** • **Read-only access** • **Local-first execution** • **SOC 2 in progress**
</Note>

***

## How is SignalPilot different from ChatGPT or Copilot?

**ChatGPT and IDE copilots** are general-purpose code generators. **SignalPilot** is purpose-built for data investigation:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Full Org Context" icon="plug">
    **ChatGPT/Copilots:** Manual copy-paste or code files only

    **SignalPilot:** Auto-connects to dbt, databases, Slack, Jira, query history via MCP
  </Card>

  <Card title="Multi-Step Investigations" icon="rotate">
    **ChatGPT/Copilots:** Single-shot responses or single-file edits

    **SignalPilot:** Long-running loop with analyst-in-the-loop approval
  </Card>

  <Card title="Team Memory" icon="brain">
    **ChatGPT/Copilots:** No memory between sessions or notebooks

    **SignalPilot:** Remembers hypotheses, assumptions, data quirks
  </Card>

  <Card title="Custom Domain Logic" icon="code">
    **ChatGPT/Copilots:** Generic suggestions

    **SignalPilot:** Your team's skills, rules, and business logic
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

**Why "harness"?** SignalPilot provides the infrastructure that lets AI work on complex data investigations while keeping you in control.

<Card title="See Full Comparison with Real Examples" icon="balance-scale" href="/docs/introduction/why-signalpilot">
  SignalPilot vs ChatGPT vs Copilot — Head-to-head workflows + when to use each
</Card>

## One Minute Installer

**Prerequisites:** macOS, Linux, or Windows (WSL)  • uv  • Internet connection

**Don't have [uv](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/)?** Install it first (takes seconds):

```bash theme={null}
curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh
```

<small>Or see [uv installation guide](https://docs.astral.sh/uv/getting-started/installation/) for other methods (Homebrew, Windows, etc.)</small>

**Then install SignalPilot:**

```bash theme={null}
uvx signalpilot
```

**What happens:**

```bash theme={null}
✓ Creating workspace at ~/SignalPilotHome
✓ Installing isolated Python 3.12 + Jupyter Lab + SignalPilot extension
✓ Installing data packages (pandas, numpy, matplotlib, plotly...)
✓ Optimizing Jupyter cache for fast startup
⚡ Setup complete in 1m 10s

→ Launching Jupyter Lab at http://localhost:8888
```

<Accordion title="Closed terminal or browser? Relaunch anytime" icon="rotate">
  **Option 1: Using uvx (recommended)**

  ```bash theme={null}
  uvx signalpilot home
  ```

  **Option 2: Manual activation**

  ```bash theme={null}
  cd ~/SignalPilotHome
  source .venv/bin/activate && jupyter lab
  ```
</Accordion>

<Card title="Full Installation Guide" icon="book" href="/docs/getting-started/installation">
  Alternative methods, manual installation (pip, conda, uv), troubleshooting
</Card>

## Get Started in 3 Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Launch SignalPilot" icon="rocket">
    ```bash theme={null}
    uvx signalpilot home
    ```

    Opens Jupyter Lab in your SignalPilot workspace at `http://localhost:8888`

    <Tip>
      `uvx signalpilot home` is shorthand for `uvx signalpilot lab --home`
    </Tip>

    <Warning>
      When creating notebooks, always use the **default Python 3 kernel**. SignalPilot uses this kernel and may not work with other kernels due to missing system variables.
    </Warning>

    <Accordion title="Not installed yet?" icon="download">
      Run the installer first:

      ```bash theme={null}
      uvx signalpilot
      ```

      Takes \~2 minutes to set up everything
    </Accordion>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Connect your data (optional)" icon="plug">
    **Start immediately with local files:**

    * Type `@` in chat to mention any CSV, Excel, or data file from the `data/` folder
    * Home workspace: `~/SignalPilotHome/data/`
    * Project folder: `./data/` in current working project directory

    **Add more folders:** Use the **File Scanner** tool in the left sidebar to index additional directories.

    **Connect databases:** PostgreSQL, Snowflake, BigQuery for warehouse access.

    <CardGroup cols={2}>
      <Card title="Database Setup" icon="database" href="/docs/integrations/databases/postgresql">
        Connect PostgreSQL, Snowflake, BigQuery
      </Card>

      <Card title="Context & @Mentions" icon="at" href="/docs/reference/context/context">
        Reference local files, dataframes, and databases
      </Card>
    </CardGroup>
  </Step>

  <Step title="Ask your first question" icon="message">
    > "Show me the top 10 customers by revenue this month"

    SignalPilot generates a plan → you approve → it executes

    <Card title="5-Minute Quickstart" icon="graduation-cap" href="/docs/getting-started/quickstart">
      Complete walkthrough with real example
    </Card>
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## Learn More

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="How It Works" icon="gears" href="/docs/introduction/how-it-works">
    **4 foundational systems explained**

    MCP context layer, long-running loop, memory & hooks, skills & rules
  </Card>

  <Card title="Why SignalPilot?" icon="balance-scale" href="/docs/introduction/why-signalpilot">
    **vs ChatGPT vs IDE Copilots**

    Full comparison + real-world investigation example
  </Card>

  <Card title="Security & Privacy" icon="shield-halved" href="/docs/introduction/security-and-privacy">
    **Read-only, local-first, zero retention**

    SOC 2 in progress, GDPR compliant, audit trail
  </Card>

  <Card title="All Integrations" icon="puzzle-piece" href="/docs/integrations">
    **Connect your data stack**

    PostgreSQL, Snowflake, dbt, Slack, Jira, and more
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## Resources

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Quickstart Tutorial" icon="rocket" href="/docs/getting-started/quickstart">
    5-minute investigation walkthrough
  </Card>

  <Card title="CLI Reference" icon="terminal" href="/docs/reference/cli-commands">
    Commands and troubleshooting
  </Card>

  <Card title="Configuration" icon="sliders" href="/docs/reference/configuration">
    Customize behavior and rules
  </Card>

  <Card title="Discord Community" icon="discord" href="https://discord.gg/signalpilot">
    Get help and share use cases
  </Card>

  <Card title="GitHub" icon="github" href="https://github.com/signalpilot">
    Report issues and contribute
  </Card>

  <Card title="Documentation" icon="book" href="/docs/getting-started/key-concepts">
    Full concepts and guides
  </Card>
</CardGroup>