Ready to try BuildTrace?
Free forever for 1 project. Set up in 30 seconds.
Everything you need to set up BuildTrace and start logging commits with AI summaries.
Get up and running in under 60 seconds. Three steps, zero config.
Sign up at BuildTrace and grab your API key from Settings > API Key.
Run npx buildtrace init --key bt_your_key inside any git repo. Works in any terminal, Claude Code, or Cursor.
Make a commit like you normally would. BuildTrace captures it automatically. Your project appears on the dashboard after your first commit.
The BuildTrace CLI installs a git hook that silently logs commits to your dashboard. It never blocks or slows your workflow.
Set up BuildTrace in any git repo. Works in any terminal or IDE.
# Interactive (terminal)
$ npx buildtrace init
# Non-interactive (Claude Code, Cursor, CI)
$ npx buildtrace init --key bt_your_api_key
# With custom project name
$ npx buildtrace init --key bt_your_api_key --name "My App"
# What it does:
.git/hooks/post-commit hook.buildtrace in your repo rootCheck the current BuildTrace configuration for this repo. Displays project name, API key status, and hook installation status.
Remove the BuildTrace git hook and config from this repo. Your dashboard data is not deleted — you can re-init anytime.
Export your commit logs to a BUILDLOG.md file in your repo root. Logs are grouped by date with commit details, AI summaries, and next steps included.
# What it does:
BUILDLOG.md to your repo rootBuildTrace sends commit metadata (message, branch, files changed, line counts) and the diff to generate AI summaries. Your full codebase is never sent.
BuildTrace works inside Claude Code, Cursor, Windsurf, and any AI coding agent that runs shell commands.
Copy the setup command from your Settings page and paste it into the Claude Code prompt. If the agent says it can't run interactive commands, just reply "run it" — the --key flag makes it fully non-interactive.
# Paste this into Claude Code
$ npx buildtrace init --key bt_your_api_key
# If the agent hesitates, reply:
run it
--name "My App"The dashboard is where you view all your projects, read AI summaries, and manage your account.
Your main dashboard shows a grid of all connected projects. Each card displays the project name, last commit timestamp, and total commit count. Click a project to see its full commit timeline.
Inside a project, commits are listed chronologically with the most recent at the top. Each entry shows the commit hash, branch, message, files changed, and lines added/removed. On paid plans, you'll also see the AI-generated summary. Commits with detected decisions show amber diamond indicators.
Available on Builder ($9/mo) and Pro ($19/mo) plans. Claude AI reads your commit diff and generates a plain-English summary of what changed and why. It also suggests next steps so you always know where to pick up.
The "Where Was I?" button on every project page opens Context Recovery — your last session summary, key decisions, and open threads. The Decision Panel shows auto-detected decisions with category filters. Available on Builder and Pro plans.
Access your API key, manage your subscription, configure Slack/Discord webhook notifications, connect Slack slash commands, set up Notion integration (Pro plan), and invite team members to collaborate on projects (Pro plan — up to 3 members per project).
BuildTrace doesn't just track what changed — it tracks why. The Decision Layer automatically detects architectural and technical decisions from your commits and builds a searchable decision log.
Every time you push a commit, BuildTrace's AI analyzes the diff for decision patterns — new dependencies, architecture changes, config updates, removed code, and tradeoffs. Detected decisions are stored with full context.
AI scans every commit diff for decision signals: new dependencies added, libraries swapped, architectural patterns changed, code removed, config modified. No manual tagging required.
Each decision is categorized: Architecture, Dependency, Pattern, Removal, Config, Tradeoff, Refactor, or Other. Filter and search by category in the dashboard.
For each detected decision, the AI infers WHY it was made, what alternatives were likely rejected, and what tradeoffs were accepted.
Decisions are marked as Inferred (AI-detected), Confirmed (user-verified), or Manual (user-created). Confirm or edit any inferred decision from the dashboard.
Log decisions via our API with a title, reasoning, category, and alternatives. See your API docs in the dashboard after signing up.
The "Where Was I?" feature helps you recover context after a break. It shows what you were working on, what decisions you made, and what's still unfinished.
BuildTrace automatically groups your commits into coding sessions. Commits within a 2-hour window are treated as the same session. When a session ends, an AI summary is generated showing what you worked on, key decisions made, and open threads — things left unfinished.
Access context recovery programmatically via our API. Full API reference available in your dashboard.
Connect BuildTrace to Slack and Discord for real-time commit notifications and slash commands. Available on Builder and Pro plans.
Get a Slack message every time you commit. BuildTrace sends a rich notification with the commit message, branch, files changed, and AI summary.
# Setup:
Get a Discord embed every time you commit with the same rich information as the Slack integration.
# Setup:
Automatically sync every commit to a Notion database. Each commit becomes a page with all the details — hash, message, branch, AI summary, files changed, and next steps. Available on the Pro plan ($19/mo).
# Setup:
# What gets synced to Notion:
Once connected, new commits sync automatically. Use the "Sync All" button in Settings to backfill existing commits. Notion sync is non-blocking — if Notion is down, your commits still log normally.
Query BuildTrace directly from Slack. Connect your workspace in Settings > Slack Commands and use these commands in any channel:
/buildtrace statusYour latest 5 commits across all projects
/buildtrace streakCurrent streak, total commits, lines changed, and activity insights
/buildtrace summaryAI-generated recap of what you worked on in the past week
/buildtrace helpShow all available commands
Slash commands require a one-time OAuth connection from your Settings page. Responses are ephemeral (only visible to you).
All plans include commit logging. Upgrade for AI summaries and integrations.
| Feature | Free | Builder $9/mo | Pro $19/mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| Projects | 1 | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Commit history | 30 days | Forever | Forever |
| Commit logging | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| AI summaries | No | Yes | Yes |
| Next step suggestions | No | Yes | Yes |
| Decision detection | No | Yes | Yes |
| Context recovery | No | Yes | Yes |
| Session tracking | No | Yes | Yes |
| Slack/Discord webhooks | No | Yes | Yes |
| Slack slash commands | No | Yes | Yes |
| Notion auto-sync | No | No | Yes |
| Team sharing | No | No | Up to 3 |
| Public changelogs | No | No | Yes |
Run "npx buildtrace status" in your repo to verify the hook is installed and your API key is valid. Make sure you're committing (not just saving files). The hook runs on git commit, not on file save.
Yes. BuildTrace works with any tool that uses git under the hood. If your tool makes git commits, BuildTrace will capture them automatically.
No. The post-commit hook sends data asynchronously in the background. Your commit completes instantly — the API call happens after.
Run "npx buildtrace init --key bt_your_key" again in your repo on the new machine. Use the same API key — the project name auto-detects from your folder. Your existing history is preserved.
Go to Settings > API Key in the dashboard and click "Regenerate". Then run "npx buildtrace init --key bt_new_key" again in each repo to update.
Running "npx buildtrace uninstall" removes the git hook and local config. Your commit history on the dashboard is preserved. You can re-init anytime.
BuildTrace sends the commit diff (not your full codebase) to generate AI summaries. Diffs are processed to generate summaries and are not stored afterward. You can use the Free plan (no AI) if you prefer not to send diffs.
Yes. You can delete individual commit logs from the dashboard. Deleting a project removes all its associated logs.
Set up in 30 seconds. Free forever for 1 project.
$ npx buildtrace init