Prerequisites
If your team is new to Scrum, read the Scrum Primer before continuing — it explains the ceremonies, roles, artifacts, and the hard rules Scraut is built around.
Before setting up Scraut, make sure you have the following ready.
Required
GitHub account and repository
Scraut lives inside a GitHub repository. You need:
- A GitHub account
- A new (or existing) repository where Scraut will run
- Permission to add GitHub Secrets and enable GitHub Actions in that repo
Python 3.11+
The automation layer runs on Python.
python --version # should print Python 3.11.x or 3.12.x
Install from python.org or via your package manager:
# macOS
brew install python@3.12
# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt install python3.12 python3.12-pip
An LLM provider API key
Scraut calls an LLM for summarisation, planning, and synthesis tasks. You need at least one of:
| Provider | Env var | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|
| Anthropic (recommended) | ANTHROPIC_API_KEY | console.anthropic.com |
| OpenAI | OPENAI_API_KEY | platform.openai.com |
| Google Gemini | GOOGLE_API_KEY | aistudio.google.com |
| Ollama (local) | (none) | ollama.ai |
You'll add this key as a GitHub Secret — it never touches your code.
Recommended
Slack workspace
Scraut posts standup summaries, sprint ceremony digests, and morning reminders to Slack. Without it, all output goes to .scraut/ files only (still useful, just quieter).
You'll need:
- A Slack incoming webhook URL — create one at your Slack workspace's App settings
- Optionally a Slack bot token for personal DMs (morning standup reminders)
Node.js 18+ (for npx create-scraut)
If you prefer the interactive npm wizard over the Python CLI:
node --version # should print v18.x or higher
Optional
scraut CLI
The Python CLI gives you quick terminal shortcuts (scraut standup, scraut status, etc.). Install it after cloning:
pip install -r apps/automation/requirements.txt
What you do NOT need
- A separate project management tool (Jira, Linear, etc.)
- A dedicated Scrum app
- Any database or server — Scraut is entirely file + API based
Next: Installation →