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Introducing Pad

The Pad Team

Introducing Pad

We’re excited to open source Pad — a project management tool built from the ground up for developers and AI coding agents.

Why Another Project Management Tool?

Most project management tools are built for managers, not makers. They live in the browser, require accounts, and assume you want to context-switch away from your code to update a ticket.

We wanted something different:

  • Runs locally. Your data stays on your machine in a SQLite database. No accounts, no cloud dependency.
  • CLI-first. Create tasks, update statuses, and check progress without leaving your terminal.
  • Web UI included. When you want a visual overview, a full dashboard runs at localhost:7777 — embedded in the same binary.
  • AI-native. A built-in /pad skill works with Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, Codex, GitHub Copilot, and more — manage your project through natural conversation.

A Single Binary

Pad is a single Go binary. Install it with Homebrew, run pad init, and you’re managing a project. No Docker, no Postgres, no configuration files to wrestle with.

brew install xarmian/tap/pad
cd my-project
pad init
pad item create task "Ship the thing" --priority high

The embedded web UI starts automatically. Open your browser and you’ve got a full dashboard with board views, list views, and a rich item editor — all reading from the same SQLite database the CLI uses.

Built for AI Agents

This is where Pad is different. We didn’t bolt on AI support after the fact — it’s a core design principle.

The /pad skill lets your AI agent interact with your project naturally:

/pad what should I work on next?
/pad I finished the auth refactor, mark it done
/pad let's create a plan for v0.2

But it goes further. Conventions let you encode project rules that agents follow automatically:

pad item create convention "Run tests before completing tasks" 
  --field trigger=on-task-complete 
  --field priority=must

Now when any agent marks a task as done, it runs your test suite first. Playbooks extend this with multi-step workflows. Your AI agents learn your team’s practices and follow them consistently.

Collections, Not Just Tasks

Pad isn’t limited to task tracking. The data model is built around collections — typed containers with JSON schemas:

  • Tasks — work items with status, priority, effort, and parent linking
  • Ideas — capture inspiration before it’s lost
  • Plans — track project milestones and progress across tasks
  • Docs — notes, architecture decisions, reference material

You can create custom collections too. Need a bug tracker with severity fields? A roadmap with quarter-based planning? A collection of design decisions? Define the schema and go.

Wiki links ([[Item Title]]) connect items across collections, building a knowledge graph for your project.

What’s Next

Pad is Apache 2.0 licensed and free for local use. We’re actively working on:

  • Pad Cloud — sync across devices, collaborate with your team
  • More templates — specialized setups for different team workflows
  • Plugin system — extend Pad with custom integrations

We’d love for you to try it out:

  • Get Started — install and create your first project in under a minute
  • GitHub — star the repo, file issues, contribute
  • Join the waitlist — be first to know when Pad Cloud launches

Happy building. 🚀