Getting started
Updated 2026-08-29
There's nothing to install to use APEX — it lives in Slack. Cloning the repo is only needed if you want to run or extend the agent locally.
Ask APEX in Slack
- In any channel, DM, group DM, or thread, mention
@APEXwith your question. - APEX reads the thread context, adds an hourglass reaction while it works, and replies in-thread.
- When it's done, the hourglass becomes a checkmark. If confidence is below the triage threshold, the answer is flagged for a human.
Tips for good answers:
- Ask about current state ("is
encounter-processorerroring in prod right now?") — that's where live-source-first shines. - Point at a specific service, workflow, dashboard, or PR when you can.
- APEX creates PRs, tickets, or docs only when you explicitly ask.
APEX only responds to a real @APEX mention — quoting the word "APEX" won't
trigger it, and external users are blocked.
Run or extend APEX locally
Clone abridgeai/apex and open it in an
agentic IDE — the repo rules already point agents to agents/DIRECTIVE.md.
Python dependencies route through the python-virtual Artifact Registry proxy,
so uv needs a short-lived gcloud token. The Makefile targets fetch it for you
(you need membership in one of abridge-eng-gcp-access, appteam-all, or
ml-team):
make uv-sync
pnpm install
scripts/uv_with_auth.sh run pre-commit install
The fr developer CLI
APEX ships an internal fr CLI (also the local entrypoint for Frankie builds).
Run it through the authenticated uv wrapper from the repo root:
# discover commands
scripts/uv_with_auth.sh run fr --help
# check local Apex Console prerequisites, then start the stack
scripts/uv_with_auth.sh run fr dashboard doctor
scripts/uv_with_auth.sh run fr dashboard start
# check Frankie build prerequisites without mutating GitHub or the DB
scripts/uv_with_auth.sh run fr build doctor
Configure PHI-safe behavior
If you extend APEX, keep it inside the HIPAA boundary: aggregate BigQuery output
only, never post raw clinical text or identifiers, and read agents/DIRECTIVE.md
for the complete rules on evidence tiers, environment awareness, Slack
attribution, response length, and safety.