Quickstart

This guide takes you from nothing to a map of your gRPC services on one computer. You need Docker with Compose 2.23.1 or newer, git, and a repository with gRPC services in a supported language.

1. Install ProtoMap Server

bash

git clone https://github.com/hounddogai/protomap.git
cd protomap
./self-hosted/scripts/install.sh

Choose Trial when the installer asks. It runs PostgreSQL for you, installs the CLI, and logs the CLI in.

2. Create Your Organization

1. Open the address the installer prints, such as http://localhost:3300.
2. Enter the one-time setup key the installer prints.
3. Create your organization and its owner account.
4. Connect an AI provider, such as Anthropic or OpenAI, with your own API key, so you can chat with the assistant. You can skip this and do it later.

3. Scan a Repository

Open a new terminal, so the CLI is on your PATH, and scan a repository:

bash

protomap scan /path/to/repository

To try ProtoMap on a public example, scan Google’s microservices demo, an online shop of eleven services in several languages:

bash

git clone https://github.com/GoogleCloudPlatform/microservices-demo.git
protomap scan microservices-demo

The CLI prints what it found, and whether the scan joined the shared graph or stayed private to you. See Scanning.

4. Explore

Back in the platform:

• Browse the services in the workspace. Double-click a service to see its methods, or select it to see its callers and callees.
• Ask the assistant a question, such as Which services call CartService/GetCart? or What is the blast radius of changing user_id?

5. Connect a Coding Agent

From the repository’s folder, add the CLI to your coding agent as an MCP server. For Claude Code:

bash

claude mcp add protomap -- protomap mcp serve

See Coding Agents for other agents.

Next Steps

• Install the CLI on your team’s computers and scan in CI.
• Invite your team.
• Configure the server for production: your own PostgreSQL, HTTPS, and email.