Quick setup instructions for DeerFlow.
DeerFlow uses a YAML configuration file that should be placed in the project root directory.
-
Navigate to project root:
cd /path/to/deer-flow -
Copy example configuration:
cp config.example.yaml config.yaml
-
Edit configuration:
# Option A: Set environment variables (recommended) export OPENAI_API_KEY="your-key-here" # Option B: Edit config.yaml directly vim config.yaml # or your preferred editor
-
Verify configuration:
cd backend python -c "from deerflow.config import get_app_config; print('✓ Config loaded:', get_app_config().models[0].name)"
- Location:
config.yamlshould be indeer-flow/(project root), notdeer-flow/backend/ - Git:
config.yamlis automatically ignored by git (contains secrets) - Priority: If both
backend/config.yamland../config.yamlexist, backend version takes precedence
The backend searches for config.yaml in this order:
DEER_FLOW_CONFIG_PATHenvironment variable (if set)backend/config.yaml(current directory when running from backend/)deer-flow/config.yaml(parent directory - recommended location)
Recommended: Place config.yaml in project root (deer-flow/config.yaml).
If you plan to use Docker/Container-based sandbox (configured in config.yaml under sandbox.use: deerflow.community.aio_sandbox:AioSandboxProvider), it's highly recommended to pre-pull the container image:
# From project root
make setup-sandboxWhy pre-pull?
- The sandbox image (~500MB+) is pulled on first use, causing a long wait
- Pre-pulling provides clear progress indication
- Avoids confusion when first using the agent
If you skip this step, the image will be automatically pulled on first agent execution, which may take several minutes depending on your network speed.
# Check where the backend is looking
cd deer-flow/backend
python -c "from deerflow.config.app_config import AppConfig; print(AppConfig.resolve_config_path())"If it can't find the config:
- Ensure you've copied
config.example.yamltoconfig.yaml - Verify you're in the correct directory
- Check the file exists:
ls -la ../config.yaml
chmod 600 ../config.yaml # Protect sensitive configuration- Configuration Guide - Detailed configuration options
- Architecture Overview - System architecture