Before you can start using TaskMaster AI, you’ll need to install Node.js and set up at least one model API Key.

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1. Node.js

TaskMaster AI is built with Node.js and requires it to run. npm (Node Package Manager) comes bundled with Node.js.

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2. Model API Key

Taskmaster utilizes AI across several commands, and those require a separate API key. For the purpose of a Quick Start we recommend setting up an API Key with Anthropic for your main model and Perplexity for your research model (optional but recommended).
Task Master shows API costs per command used. Most users load $5-10 on their keys and don’t have to top it off for a few months.
At least one (1) of the following is required:
  1. Anthropic API key (Claude API) - recommended for Quick Start
  2. OpenAI API key
  3. Google Gemini API key
  4. Perplexity API key (for research model)
  5. xAI API Key (for research or main model)
  6. OpenRouter API Key (for research or main model)
  7. Claude Code (no API key required - requires Claude Code CLI)