Skip to main content
Import copies the setup your coding tools already have into your Pinework workspace. It reads Claude Code, Codex, Cursor and OpenCode on your machine. You pick each skill, plugin, MCP server and hook before anything is copied. Skills work for your agents right away. New MCP servers and hooks arrive turned off, so you choose when they start running.

​
Before you start

  • You need a Pinework account and a workspace.
  • For the Dashboard tab, use the Pinework Mac app with this Mac connected as a device. The browser dashboard cannot read your Mac. It shows Config import runs in the Pinework desktop app on your Mac. This browser view is read-only.
  • For the CLI tab, install the pinework CLI and run pinework login. The CLI reads the machine it runs on.

​
Copy your setup into the workspace

1

Open Import

In the Mac app, open Settings, then click Import. The screen asks Bring your setup with you? It lists the folders it reads: ~/.claude, ~/.config/opencode, ~/.codex and ~/.cursor.
2

Read this Mac

Click Look on this Mac. macOS may ask you to allow access. A progress bar shows each folder as Pinework reads it.
3

Pick what to bring

The Pick what to bring screen groups what it found: plugins, skills, MCP servers, hooks, commands and local folders. Untick anything you don’t want. Click Import with the item count, such as Import 12 items.
4

Choose instructions, if asked

If Pinework finds a CLAUDE.md or AGENTS.md, it asks Which instructions should your agents follow? Pick one file and click Use this one. It becomes your workspace instructions and replaces any you had. Click Skip to keep yours.
5

Check where each piece went

The screen says Imported with the count. Each row says where the items landed. Plugins land in Customize, under Plugins. MCP servers and hooks say Off until you turn them on.
To bring in a second Mac, open the Mac app on that Mac and run Import there.
pinework import apply with no --only, --all-new or --all-changed uploads nothing and exits with an error. An --only name that matches nothing fails the whole run, and nothing is applied.

​
Turn on what you imported

New MCP servers and hooks arrive off. Turn on the ones you want.
1

Open Customize

In the sidebar, click Customize. Click the MCP Servers tab or the Hooks tab.
2

Enable each item

On each item your agents should use, click More actions, then Enable. Agents get it on their next run.
3

Sign in where asked

An imported server that needs a sign-in shows Not connected. Click Connect and finish the sign-in. See Add an MCP server for the full flow.

​
How the CLI handles secrets

The CLI finds secrets in your MCP server settings, such as API keys in their KEY=value pairs or URLs. import scan lists them by name with the kind secret.
  • A secret you select with --only secret:<name> is saved to the workspace’s Keychain. The Keychain: line in the output counts it.
  • A secret you don’t select never leaves your machine. In the server’s variables, a vault:<name> reference takes its place. Create a secret with that name before you turn the server on.
  • A secret in a server’s URL is cut from the URL, whether you select it or not.
  • A secret whose name already exists keeps its current value. The output lists it under Secrets kept.
See Secrets for how agents use them.

​
Troubleshooting

Pinework isn't running on this Mac. The Mac app’s device manager is off. Click Start it and look again. macOS blocked <folder>. Allow Pinework in System Settings, under Privacy & Security, then Files and Folders. Then run the import again. Nothing selected. You ran import apply with no selector. Add --only, --all-new or --all-changed. --only matched nothing. The name is wrong. The error lists every name the CLI found, per kind. Copy the name from there, or from pinework import scan.

​
Next

Add an MCP server

Sign in to a server and turn it on for each agent.

Plugins and skills

What each imported piece does in a run.

Rules and instructions

How workspace instructions shape every agent.

Mac app

Connect your Mac so agents can run on it.