System requirements

The Agentic Development Toolkit (ADT) is designed for FileMaker developers using agentic coding tools to work on their files — schema, scripts, layouts, and data — and, optionally, to build Web Viewer apps.

Warning  Pre-release, macOS only ADT is pre-release software. Expect rough edges and breaking changes. Production use is not permitted under the Claris Pre-Release Software Testing and Confidentiality Agreement the installer presents.

FileMaker version

ADT requires FileMaker Pro 26.1 or later, installed and runnable on the same machine; earlier versions, including 26.0, are not supported because they don't have Agent Access.

Ask your agent to check your setup after installing — see Install and Connect and Troubleshooting if anything fails.

Development machine

Required for everything:

  • A Mac, Intel or Apple silicon. Windows is not a supported development target.

  • FileMaker Pro 26.1 or later, installed and runnable on the same machine.

  • Agent Access turned on in that copy of FileMaker Pro. Open File → Manage → Agents and tick "Enable Agent Access for this application". The default port is 19080. Once enabled, Agent Access stays on until you turn it off — this is a one-time setting for that copy of FileMaker Pro, not a per-project step.

Only needed once you build a Web Viewer app with adt app add:

  • Node.js 24+ installed locally.

  • pnpm 11+ recommended. npm works, but the CLI warns and asks you to confirm.

  • git, for working with the code your agent generates.

Also required:

  • A supported coding agent. ADT supports Claude Code and clients that implement the Agent Plugin standard. The installer automatically installs the standard agent plugin into Cursor, the Codex CLI, the ChatGPT desktop app, and VS Code. If it detects Claude Desktop or the Claude Code CLI, it also installs the Claude plugin. In every host, ADT works only in code mode: Claude Code in Claude, Codex mode in ChatGPT. See Manual Configuration if the appropriate plugin wasn't installed.

The filemaker CLI talks to your FileMaker file similarly to any FileMaker client using the fmnet:// protocol if the file is already open on a server or shared using FileMaker Pro, or with simply the file path if working on a local, closed file.

Agent Access port

ADT connects to Agent Access on port 19080 by default. If that copy of FileMaker Pro uses a different port, set FM_DEV_SERVER_PORT to the same value before starting your coding agent or running ADT:

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export FM_DEV_SERVER_PORT=19081

To keep the setting across terminal sessions, add the export to your shell profile, such as ~/.zshrc. If your coding agent does not start from that shell, set FM_DEV_SERVER_PORT in the agent host's environment configuration instead. Restart the terminal or agent host after changing it so ADT inherits the value.

The Agent Access port belongs to the machine and that copy of FileMaker Pro. ADT therefore reads it from the environment by design; it is not stored in adt.json and does not travel with a project.

What the installer puts on your machine

  • filemaker — the FileMaker CLI that performs all schema, script, and layout work, on your PATH. Self-contained, doesn't need FileMaker Pro to run. It has filemaker --help and a nested filemaker help <catalog> reference for agents to use.

  • The ADT coding agent integration — the standard agent plugin is installed into Cursor, the Codex CLI, the ChatGPT desktop app, and VS Code. The Claude plugin is installed when Claude Desktop or the Claude Code CLI is detected. Both integrations install ADT's skills and tools and carry the adt binary, which is not on your PATH: your agent runs it, you don't. See Manual Configuration if you need to install or reinstall the appropriate plugin.

Node.js

When building web viewer apps, you need Node.js 24 or later. If you're not already managing Node versions, the native installer from nodejs.org is the simplest option.

Native installer

Download the installer for macOS from nodejs.org/download. Choose Node.js 24 or later.

After installing, verify the version:

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node -v
npm -v

Homebrew

On macOS, Homebrew is convenient if you already use it. Install a versioned formula instead of the unversioned node formula, which may track a release ADT doesn't support.

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brew install node@24
node -v

If node isn't found after installation, run brew info node@24 and follow Homebrew's PATH instructions.

Version manager

Use a version manager if you switch between projects with different Node requirements.

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nvm install --lts
nvm use --lts

fnm and Volta are good alternatives. The important part is pinning your app to Node.js 24 or later.

pnpm

ADT recommends pnpm 11 or later for workspace installs and scripts. npm works too — the CLI warns and asks you to confirm before it proceeds.

After installing, verify your version:

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pnpm -v

Developer background

You don't need to be a web developer to get started. Familiarity with React, TypeScript, a terminal, and git will help, but the workflow is designed so your agent does much of the setup and implementation work through the ADT plugin.

If the names in these docs are new to you, the Terminology defines each tool in a couple of sentences and links to its documentation.

Runtime environments

Once a Web Viewer app is built and deployed to FileMaker by your coding agent, it runs as a Web Viewer inside the file — anywhere FileMaker itself supports Web Viewers, including FileMaker Pro (macOS and Windows) and WebDirect. ADT is pre-release, so treat any platform beyond FileMaker Pro on macOS as unverified until you've tried it against your own file. See Runtime Platforms and Limitations for the per-platform detail.