Quick Start (wrap)

Use wrap when you want capa’s skills and tools applied for a session, but you don’t want provider config files written into the real project tree.

You need a capabilities.yaml (or .json) in the project first: create one with capa init or reuse an existing file.

Confirm the capabilities file

From the project root, make sure capabilities.yaml (or .json) is present and lists the providers/skills you care about.
Wrap a provider

Launch Cursor (GUI) or Claude Code:
Terminal window
```
capa wrap cursor
capa wrap claude
```
Other wrappable tokens include claude-code, codex, gemini-cli, opencode, qwen-code, kiro-cli, iflow-cli, and kimi-cli. For Cursor’s CLI agent, use the agent alias:
Terminal window
```
capa wrap agent
```
Work in the shadow workspace

capa prepares a workspace under ~/.capa/workspaces, installs managed provider files there, and launches the provider against that layout. Your real repo stays free of those provider config writes.

If capa hasn’t seen this project’s executable surface before (or your stdio MCP servers, hooks, formatters, or plugins changed), it lists what the install will execute and asks you to confirm. Your MCP servers are enabled automatically.
Stop the session

Exit with Ctrl+C in the wrap terminal, or stop everything capa owns (server and wrap sessions):
Terminal window
```
capa stop
```

When to prefer wrap

You want a clean git status while trying skills or MCP wiring
Multiple agents should share one capabilities file without committing each provider’s layout
You’re evaluating capa before adopting in-repo managed install

Compare modes in the introduction
Dig into wrap workspaces
Fall back to the managed quick start when you’re ready to commit provider configs