docs: elevate bmad-help as primary on-ramp across all documentation

BMad-Help is one of V6's flagship features but was undersold in docs.
This update positions it properly as the intelligent guide that:

- Inspects project state and detects what's completed
- Understands natural language queries
- Varies options based on installed modules
- Auto-invokes after every workflow
- Recommends first required tasks

Changes:
- Add dedicated "Meet BMad-Help" section to getting-started
- Expand commands.md with full BMad-Help subsection and examples
- Reposition get-answers-about-bmad.md to start with BMad-Help
- Enhance install-bmad.md and established-projects.md with query examples
- Add index.md tip box promoting /bmad-help as quickest way to dive in
This commit is contained in:
Brian Madison 2026-02-18 00:22:12 -06:00
parent 9247146397
commit 1782e97731
6 changed files with 159 additions and 27 deletions

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@ -59,9 +59,21 @@ For complex projects, consider using the `document-project` workflow. It offers
## Step 3: Get Help ## Step 3: Get Help
Get help to know what to do next based on your unique needs ### BMad-Help: Your Starting Point
Run `bmad-help` to get guidance when you are not sure what to do next. **Run `/bmad-help` anytime you're unsure what to do next.** This intelligent guide:
- Inspects your project to see what's already been done
- Shows options based on your installed modules
- Understands natural language queries
```
/bmad-help I have an existing Rails app, where should I start?
/bmad-help What's the difference between quick-flow and full method?
/bmad-help Show me what workflows are available
```
BMad-Help also **automatically runs at the end of every workflow**, providing clear guidance on exactly what to do next.
### Choosing Your Approach ### Choosing Your Approach

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@ -5,17 +5,48 @@ sidebar:
order: 4 order: 4
--- ---
If you have successfully installed BMad and the BMad Method (+ other modules as needed) - the first step in getting answers is `/bmad-help`. This will answer upwards of 80% of all questions and is available to you in the IDE as you are working. ## Start Here: BMad-Help
## When to Use This **The fastest way to get answers about BMad is `/bmad-help`.** This intelligent guide will answer upwards of 80% of all questions and is available to you directly in your IDE as you work.
- You have a question about how BMad works or what to do next with BMad BMad-Help is more than a lookup tool — it:
- You want to understand a specific agent or workflow - **Inspects your project** to see what's already been completed
- You need quick answers without waiting for Discord - **Understands natural language** — ask questions in plain English
- **Varies based on your installed modules** — shows relevant options
- **Auto-runs after workflows** — tells you exactly what to do next
- **Recommends the first required task** — no guessing where to start
:::note[Prerequisites] ### How to Use BMad-Help
An AI tool (Claude Code, Cursor, ChatGPT, Claude.ai, etc.) and either BMad installed in your project or access to the GitHub repo.
::: Run it with just the slash command:
```
/bmad-help
```
Or combine it with a natural language query:
```
/bmad-help I have a SaaS idea and know all the features. Where do I start?
/bmad-help What are my options for UX design?
/bmad-help I'm stuck on the PRD workflow
/bmad-help Show me what's been done so far
```
BMad-Help responds with:
- What's recommended for your situation
- What the first required task is
- What the rest of the process looks like
---
## When to Use This Guide
Use this section when:
- You want to understand BMad's architecture or internals
- You need answers outside of what BMad-Help provides
- You're researching BMad before installing
- You want to explore the source code directly
## Steps ## Steps

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@ -79,7 +79,18 @@ your-project/
## Verify Installation ## Verify Installation
Run the `help` workflow (`/bmad-help` on most platforms) to verify everything works and see what to do next. Run `/bmad-help` to verify everything works and see what to do next.
**BMad-Help is your intelligent guide** that will:
- Confirm your installation is working
- Show what's available based on your installed modules
- Recommend your first step
You can also ask it questions:
```
/bmad-help I just installed, what should I do first?
/bmad-help What are my options for a SaaS project?
```
## Troubleshooting ## Troubleshooting

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@ -12,7 +12,11 @@ If you're comfortable working with AI coding assistants like Claude, Cursor, or
The fastest way to understand BMad is to try it. The fastest way to understand BMad is to try it.
- **[Get Started with BMad](./tutorials/getting-started.md)** — Install and understand how BMad works - **[Get Started with BMad](./tutorials/getting-started.md)** — Install and understand how BMad works
- **[Workflow Map](./reference/workflow-map.md)** — Visual overview of BMM phases, workflows, and context management. - **[Workflow Map](./reference/workflow-map.md)** — Visual overview of BMM phases, workflows, and context management
:::tip[Just Want to Dive In?]
Install BMad and run `/bmad-help` — it will guide you through everything based on your project and installed modules.
:::
## How to Use These Docs ## How to Use These Docs

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@ -103,9 +103,29 @@ See [Workflow Map](./workflow-map.md) for the complete workflow reference organi
Tasks and tools are standalone operations that do not require an agent or workflow context. Tasks and tools are standalone operations that do not require an agent or workflow context.
#### BMad-Help: Your Intelligent Guide
**`/bmad-help`** is your primary interface for discovering what to do next. It's not just a lookup tool — it's an intelligent assistant that:
- **Inspects your project** to see what's already been done
- **Understands natural language queries** — ask questions in plain English
- **Varies by installed modules** — shows options based on what you have
- **Auto-invokes after workflows** — every workflow ends with clear next steps
- **Recommends the first required task** — no guessing where to start
**Examples:**
```
/bmad-help
/bmad-help I have a SaaS idea and know all the features. Where do I start?
/bmad-help What are my options for UX design?
/bmad-help I'm stuck on the PRD workflow
```
#### Other Tasks and Tools
| Example command | Purpose | | Example command | Purpose |
| --- | --- | | --- | --- |
| `/bmad-help` | Context-aware guidance and next-step recommendations |
| `/bmad-shard-doc` | Split a large markdown file into smaller sections | | `/bmad-shard-doc` | Split a large markdown file into smaller sections |
| `/bmad-index-docs` | Index project documentation | | `/bmad-index-docs` | Index project documentation |
| `/bmad-editorial-review-prose` | Review document prose quality | | `/bmad-editorial-review-prose` | Review document prose quality |

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@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ Build software faster using AI-powered workflows with specialized agents that gu
## What You'll Learn ## What You'll Learn
- Install and initialize BMad Method for a new project - Install and initialize BMad Method for a new project
- Use **BMad-Help** — your intelligent guide that knows what to do next
- Choose the right planning track for your project size - Choose the right planning track for your project size
- Progress through phases from requirements to working code - Progress through phases from requirements to working code
- Use agents and workflows effectively - Use agents and workflows effectively
@ -19,11 +20,46 @@ Build software faster using AI-powered workflows with specialized agents that gu
- **A project idea** — Even a simple one works for learning - **A project idea** — Even a simple one works for learning
::: :::
:::tip[Quick Path] :::tip[The Easiest Path]
**Install** → `npx bmad-method install` **Install** → `npx bmad-method install`
**Plan** → PM creates PRD, Architect creates architecture **Ask** → `/bmad-help what should I do first?`
**Build** → SM manages sprints, DEV implements stories **Build** → Let BMad-Help guide you workflow by workflow
**Fresh chats** for each workflow to avoid context issues. :::
## Meet BMad-Help: Your Intelligent Guide
**BMad-Help is the fastest way to get started with BMad.** You don't need to memorize workflows or phases — just ask, and BMad-Help will:
- **Inspect your project** to see what's already been done
- **Show your options** based on which modules you have installed
- **Recommend what's next** — including the first required task
- **Answer questions** like "I have a SaaS idea, where do I start?"
### How to Use BMad-Help
Run it in your AI IDE with just the slash command:
```
/bmad-help
```
Or combine it with a question for context-aware guidance:
```
/bmad-help I have an idea for a SaaS product, I already know all the features I want. where do I get started?
```
BMad-Help will respond with:
- What's recommended for your situation
- What the first required task is
- What the rest of the process looks like
### It Powers Workflows Too
BMad-Help doesn't just answer questions — **it automatically runs at the end of every workflow** to tell you exactly what to do next. No guessing, no searching docs — just clear guidance on the next required workflow.
:::tip[Start Here]
After installing BMad, run `/bmad-help` immediately. It will detect what modules you have installed and guide you to the right starting point for your project.
::: :::
## Understanding BMad ## Understanding BMad
@ -65,7 +101,15 @@ The installer creates two folders:
- `_bmad/` — agents, workflows, tasks, and configuration - `_bmad/` — agents, workflows, tasks, and configuration
- `_bmad-output/` — empty for now, but this is where your artifacts will be saved - `_bmad-output/` — empty for now, but this is where your artifacts will be saved
Open your AI IDE in the project folder. Run the `help` workflow (`/bmad-help`) to see what to do next — it detects what you've completed and recommends the next step. :::tip[Your Next Step]
Open your AI IDE in the project folder and run:
```
/bmad-help
```
BMad-Help will detect what you've completed and recommend exactly what to do next. You can also ask it questions like "What are my options?" or "I have a SaaS idea, where should I start?"
:::
:::note[How to Load Agents and Run Workflows] :::note[How to Load Agents and Run Workflows]
Each workflow has a **slash command** you run in your IDE (e.g., `/bmad-bmm-create-prd`). Running a workflow command automatically loads the appropriate agent — you don't need to load agents separately. You can also load an agent directly for general conversation (e.g., `/bmad-agent-bmm-pm` for the PM agent). Each workflow has a **slash command** you run in your IDE (e.g., `/bmad-bmm-create-prd`). Running a workflow command automatically loads the appropriate agent — you don't need to load agents separately. You can also load an agent directly for general conversation (e.g., `/bmad-agent-bmm-pm` for the PM agent).
@ -176,8 +220,8 @@ your-project/
## Quick Reference ## Quick Reference
| Workflow | Command | Agent | Purpose | | Workflow | Command | Agent | Purpose |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | --------- | ------------------------------------ | | ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------ | --------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `help` | `/bmad-help` | Any | Get guidance on what to do next | | **`help`** ⭐ | `/bmad-help` | Any | **Your intelligent guide — ask anything!** |
| `prd` | `/bmad-bmm-create-prd` | PM | Create Product Requirements Document | | `prd` | `/bmad-bmm-create-prd` | PM | Create Product Requirements Document |
| `create-architecture` | `/bmad-bmm-create-architecture` | Architect | Create architecture document | | `create-architecture` | `/bmad-bmm-create-architecture` | Architect | Create architecture document |
| `generate-project-context` | `/bmad-bmm-generate-project-context` | Analyst | Create project context file | | `generate-project-context` | `/bmad-bmm-generate-project-context` | Analyst | Create project context file |
@ -204,16 +248,26 @@ Not strictly. Once you learn the flow, you can run workflows directly using the
## Getting Help ## Getting Help
:::tip[First Stop: BMad-Help]
**Run `/bmad-help` anytime** — it's the fastest way to get unstuck. Ask it anything:
- "What should I do after installing?"
- "I'm stuck on workflow X"
- "What are my options for Y?"
- "Show me what's been done so far"
BMad-Help inspects your project, detects what you've completed, and tells you exactly what to do next.
:::
- **During workflows** — Agents guide you with questions and explanations - **During workflows** — Agents guide you with questions and explanations
- **Community** — [Discord](https://discord.gg/gk8jAdXWmj) (#bmad-method-help, #report-bugs-and-issues) - **Community** — [Discord](https://discord.gg/gk8jAdXWmj) (#bmad-method-help, #report-bugs-and-issues)
- **Stuck?** — Run `help` (`/bmad-help`) to see what to do next
## Key Takeaways ## Key Takeaways
:::tip[Remember These] :::tip[Remember These]
- **Start with `/bmad-help`** — Your intelligent guide that knows your project and options
- **Always use fresh chats** — Start a new chat for each workflow - **Always use fresh chats** — Start a new chat for each workflow
- **Track matters** — Quick Flow uses quick-spec; Method/Enterprise need PRD and architecture - **Track matters** — Quick Flow uses quick-spec; Method/Enterprise need PRD and architecture
- **Use `help` (`/bmad-help`) when stuck** — It detects your progress and suggests next steps - **BMad-Help runs automatically** — Every workflow ends with guidance on what's next
::: :::
Ready to start? Install BMad and let the agents guide you through your first project. Ready to start? Install BMad, run `/bmad-help`, and let your intelligent guide lead the way.