Quick Start

1. Set up zo

cargo install zo-cli
export OPENROUTER_API_KEY='sk-or-v1-...'

See Installation for binaries, Windows setup, and config-file authentication.

2. Send a request

zo 'Explain ownership in Rust with one example'

Simple prompts do not need quotes:

zo How do I extract a tar file

Responses stream with terminal formatting. Redirected output is plain text.

3. Choose context and capabilities

# Select a model or reasoning effort
zo /sonnet 'Review this design'
zo --reasoning-effort low 'Summarize this idea'
 
# Include files or allow one output file
zo '@src/*.rs Explain this module'
zo 'Write the summary to !SUMMARY.md'
zo 'Update @!src/main.rs with clearer errors'
 
# Let the model discover files in the current project
zo --files read 'Trace the configuration flow'
 
# Allow workspace edits; existing-file changes require approval
zo --files write 'Rename the parser type and update its tests'

File markers and workspace tools are confined to the current directory. See Files & Workspace Tools for the permission model.

4. Add live sources

# Analyze output you produce
cargo test 2>&1 | zo 'Explain the failures'
 
# Let OpenRouter search the web
zo --web 'Summarize the latest stable Rust release'
 
# Let the model run approved commands (Unix only)
zo --shell 'Run the tests and summarize failures'

Pipelines keep command execution under your control. Shell mode is separately opt-in and policy-controlled.

5. Continue in chat

zo --chat --files read 'Help me understand this project'
> Focus on the request flow
> @src/client.rs How does this part fit in?
> exit

Use Alt-Enter, Ctrl-O, or Ctrl-J for a newline. File markers work in every turn.

6. Generate an image

zo --image assets/icon.png 'Minimal blue terminal icon'

Image generation is a dedicated single-shot mode and writes the first generated image to the requested workspace path.

Useful controls

zo --verbose --files read 'Inspect this project'  # show compact tool calls
zo --debug /sonnet 'Check this request'           # preview and confirm
zo +list-models                                   # list configured aliases
zo +init-config                                   # create config and policy files

CLI Usage → · Examples → · Configuration →