Squad Squad

Insider Program

Get early access to Squad development builds and shape the future of the project.

What Is the Insider Program?

The Insider Program gives you continuous access to development builds of Squad. Insiders run code from the insider branch — the bleeding edge where new features land first. It’s a lightweight, honor-system program designed for developers who want to:

  • Try new features early — Before they ship in a release
  • Help catch bugs — Report issues before they reach stable versions
  • Shape the roadmap — Your feedback directly influences what we build next
  • Move fast — No waiting for monthly releases; updates flow as commits land

How to Install and Upgrade

Install Insider Build

npx github:bradygaster/squad#insider

Upgrade Existing Repo to Insider

npx github:bradygaster/squad#insider upgrade

This updates Squad-owned files (squad.agent.md, workflows, templates) to the latest insider build. Your .squad/ team state (agents, decisions, casting, history) is always preserved.

What to Expect

You’ll Get

  • Continuous updates — The insider branch is always ahead of main
  • New features — Preview functionality months before stable releases
  • Direct access — Pull latest with a single command
  • Community input — Your feedback shapes prioritization

You Might Hit

  • Rough edges — Features may not be fully polished
  • Occasional bugs — Development builds are less tested than releases
  • Breaking changes — API surface may shift between insider versions
  • Missing documentation — New features may not have guides yet

This is expected. The insider program trades stability for speed.

Version Format

Insider builds use this version scheme:

v0.5.2-insider+abc1234f

Where:

  • v0.5.2 — The semver for the upcoming release
  • insider — Insider build flag
  • abc1234f — Commit hash (first 8 chars)

You’ll see this in your squad.agent.md HTML version comment:

<!-- version: v0.5.2-insider+abc1234f -->

Pin a specific tagged version:

npx github:bradygaster/squad#v0.5.2-insider+<sha>

Reporting Issues

Found a bug? We want to hear about it.

Open a GitHub issue with:

  1. Version — Full version from your squad.agent.md
  2. What happened — Clear description of the bug
  3. Steps to reproduce — Exact steps to trigger it
  4. Environment — CLI or VS Code, Node version, OS

Label it with [INSIDER] so we can track insider-specific issues.

Example:

Title: [INSIDER] Squad crashes on init with Node 20

Version: v0.4.2-insider+abc1234f
Environment: CLI on macOS 14.1, Node 20.11.0

Steps:
1. npx github:bradygaster/squad#insider
2. Follow quick start
3. Error in squad.agent.md...

Opting Out

Want to go back to stable releases?

npx github:bradygaster/squad

This installs the latest stable version. Your .ai-team/ state is safe — it’ll work with any version.

FAQ

Q: Will insider builds break my project?

A: Unlikely, but possible. The insider branch is tested before pushing, but it’s less stable than releases. Make sure you can roll back if needed.

Q: Can I switch between insider and stable builds?

A: Yes. Insider builds are backward compatible with stable installs. Your .ai-team/ directory works with any version.

Q: How often do insider builds update?

A: As often as commits land on the insider branch. Could be daily, could be weekly — depends on the dev cycle. Run the install command again to fetch the latest.

Q: Will my team state be preserved?

A: Yes. .ai-team/ is never overwritten on upgrade. All your agents, decisions, and histories are safe.

Q: What if an insider build has a bad bug?

A: Roll back immediately:

npx github:bradygaster/squad                  # Back to stable
npx github:bradygaster/squad upgrade          # Apply stable version

Then report the issue.

Thank You

Insiders help us ship better software. Your bug reports, feature requests, and feedback make Squad stronger. Thank you for being part of the journey.

Have questions? Start a discussion.