Quickstart

Workstate helps you capture and restore your development environment. This guide covers the essential workflow: Setup, Initialize, Verify, and Save.

1. Configure AWS

Before anything else, you need to tell Workstate where to store your snapshots:

workstate configure

You will be prompted for your AWS Access Key, Secret Key, Region, and S3 Bucket name.

2. Initialize your Project

Go to your project’s root directory and initialize it:

workstate init

This creates a .workstateinclude file with minimalist defaults. Unlike a blacklist, only files listed here will be captured.

3. Verify what’s captured

Since we use a whitelist approach, it’s a good idea to check what Workstate “sees”:

workstate status

This command lists all files that will be included in the next snapshot.

4. Save your State

Capture your current environment and upload it to S3:

workstate save "my-feature-setup"

5. List and Restore

To see your stored states and bring one back:

workstate list
workstate download

Next Steps

• Learn more about What is Captured (Whitelist vs Blacklist).
• Explore Command Reference for advanced flags like --include and --encrypt.