Tools You Need

Skill level: Complete beginner · Time: 15 minutes, once

You need three free tools. You may already have some of them.

1. A Code Editor

A code editor is a text editor made for files like Kivo’s. It colors the syntax, shows mistakes, and has a built-in terminal.

• VS Code (free, Windows, macOS, Linux) is a good default.
• AI editors such as Cursor or Windsurf work the same way and add an AI assistant. When you open the theme folder, they load Kivo’s AI rules (AGENTS.md and their own rules file). See AI Overview for other tools.

When you open the kivo folder in VS Code, it offers to install the extensions Kivo recommends (Astro, TOML, and Tailwind CSS). Accept: they highlight mistakes as you type. The kivo folder is inside themes/ in the zip you downloaded; see Installation.

2. Node.js

Install the LTS version from nodejs.org. Kivo needs version 22.12.0 or later. See Installation.

3. Git (Recommended)

Git saves versions of your project so you can always go back. You don’t have to use it, but it makes every change safe to try. Install it from git-scm.com, then use it from the Source Control panel in VS Code (VS Code offers to download git if it isn’t installed).

Using The Terminal

The terminal is where you type commands like npm run dev. You only need a handful:

1. In VS Code, open the kivo folder (File → Open Folder).

2. Open the terminal: Terminal → New Terminal. It opens in the project folder, which is what you want.

3. Type a command and press Enter:

   npm ci            # once, after downloading the theme
   npm run dev       # start the local site

4. To stop a running command, click in the terminal and press Ctrl + C.

Your First Checkpoint

Before you change anything, save the untouched theme as your first version:

git init
git add .
git commit -m "Kivo as downloaded"

Or, in VS Code: Source Control → Initialize Repository, type a message, and click Commit. Now you can always compare with, or go back to, the original. Editing Safely shows how.