# Quickstart

This gets one step running on your machine with fob-worker. You don't need an account for any of it. The example step flags invoices above an approval limit.

You'll need **Node.js 18 or later** and **git**.

## 1. Install the CLIs

```bash
npm install -g @finopsbricks/fob-worker @finopsbricks/fob-orc
```

## 2. Create a worker repo from the template

```bash
git clone https://github.com/finopsbricks/worker-template.git worker-acme
cd worker-acme
rm -rf .git && git init
```

Replace the template's placeholders with your organisation's short name (here `acme`). On macOS:

```bash
grep -rl '{{' . --include='*.js' --include='*.json' --include='*.md' | xargs sed -i '' \
  -e 's/{{ORG_NAME}}/acme/g' -e 's/{{LOCATION}}/acme/g' \
  -e 's/{{WORKER_NAME}}/worker-acme/g' -e 's/{{WORKER_DESCRIPTION}}/Worker for acme/g'
```

On Linux, use `sed -i` instead of `sed -i ''`. Then install:

```bash
cp .env.example .env
npm install
```

## 3. Write a step

A step is a file under `src/steps/` that exports `defineStep()`. Create `src/steps/IN1__check_invoices/IN1_01_check.js`:

```js
import { defineStep } from '@fob/lib-worker';
import { z } from 'zod';

export default defineStep({
  slug: 'IN1_01_check',
  name: 'Check invoices',
  description: 'Flags invoices above the approval limit',
  inputSchema: z.object({
    approval_limit: z.number().default(5000),
    invoices: z.array(z.object({ number: z.string(), amount: z.number() })).default([]),
  }),
  outputSchema: z.object({ checked: z.number(), above_limit: z.array(z.string()) }),
  execute: async (config) => {
    const above_limit = config.invoices
      .filter((invoice) => invoice.amount > config.approval_limit)
      .map((invoice) => invoice.number);
    return { checked: config.invoices.length, above_limit };
  },
});
```

## 4. Run it on your machine

Save a test config as a scenario, in `.orchestrator/scenarios/IN1_01_check/two-invoices.json`:

```json
{
  "invoices": [
    { "number": "INV-1001", "amount": 1250 },
    { "number": "INV-1002", "amount": 7400 }
  ]
}
```

Then run the step with it:

```bash
fob-worker steps run IN1_01_check --scenario two-invoices
```

```text
Output:
------------------------------------------------------------
{
  "checked": 2,
  "above_limit": [
    "INV-1002"
  ]
}

   Output saved: temp/IN1_01_check.json
Step completed successfully
```

Edit the step and run it again. That's the loop.

## 5. Run it on the Orchestrator

To run the station on a schedule and get a work record for every run, you need an account: [sign up](https://console.finopsbricks.com/signup), create an organisation in the [Orchestrator](https://orchestrator.finopsbricks.com/orgs), and create an API key for the worker. Then describe the line and station as JSON files, push them with fob-orc, start the worker and trigger a run:

```bash
fob-orc lines push --all
fob-orc stations push --all
fob-worker procs start
fob-orc stations run IN1
```

The full walkthrough, with the `.env` values and station files, is in [Get started](https://finopsbricks.com/docs/workers/get-started) (parts 5 and 6).

## Next

- [Concepts](/docs/concepts): how stations hand work to each other through bins.
- [Use with AI agents](/docs/ai-agents): let a coding agent take over the edit-and-run loop.