To use Kiro, download the installer from the Kiro website, sign in with Google, GitHub, AWS Builder ID or your organisation, open a project folder and start a chat or a spec. The detail people miss: specs create requirements, design and task files that you review before any code is written.
Most AI coding tools are happy to start writing code the moment you type a sentence. Kiro, made by AWS, does something different: it asks you to agree what you're building first. If you've ever had an AI assistant produce a lot of code that missed the point, you'll see why that matters.
This guide explains how to install Kiro, how to sign in, and how its three signature features (specs, steering and hooks) work, all as Kiro's own docs describe them. If you also use general chatbots to help with code, my guide to using ChatGPT prompts to speed up coding work covers that side.
What Kiro is and who makes it
Kiro's homepage says it's built and operated by AWS. Its docs describe it as an AI-powered development environment, with one agent harness behind its IDE, CLI, web and mobile versions and a shared .kiro configuration folder across them. This guide focuses on the IDE, the desktop editor most people start with.
It's aimed at developers and technical teams. But if you run a small business with a developer on call, or you're a freelancer who builds websites and automations, it's worth knowing what it does.
Installing the Kiro IDE and signing in
Kiro's installation page gives a short process.
- Download the installer for your operating system from the Kiro website.
- Open the downloaded file and follow the prompts for your platform.
- On first launch, choose how to sign in: Google, GitHub, AWS Builder ID, or your organisation's identity.
- If you like, import your VS Code settings and extensions. You can also skip this and just pick a theme.
- From the welcome page, open a folder to start a session.
The docs list macOS on Intel and Apple Silicon, Windows 10 or 11 on x64 or ARM64, and several Linux distributions including recent versions of Ubuntu, Debian, Fedora, Arch and Mint. Download only from the official site, because an installer runs code on your machine.
Using Kiro chat and adding context
The chat panel is where you talk to Kiro. According to the docs, you open it with Cmd+L on a Mac or Ctrl+L on Windows and Linux, or by searching for Kiro: Open Chat in the Command Palette. Type your request and press Enter.
To point Kiro at the right material, type the # symbol in the chat box. The docs list context providers such as #codebase for project-wide search, #file for a specific file, #terminal for recent terminal output and #git diff for current changes. You can combine them in one message.
Kiro also offers a switch between autonomous work and supervised approval of every change, which the docs call Autopilot. If you're new to AI-written code, supervised is the comfortable way to begin, because you see each change before it lands.
How Kiro specs turn an idea into a plan
Specs are Kiro's headline feature. The docs say they turn high-level ideas into detailed implementation plans with clear tracking. Each spec produces three files:
| Spec file | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| requirements.md | User stories and acceptance criteria (a bugfix spec uses bugfix.md instead) |
| design.md | Technical architecture, sequence diagrams and implementation notes |
| tasks.md | A step-by-step list of discrete, trackable tasks |
To create one in the IDE, the docs describe this route:
- Click the + button under Specs in the Kiro panel, or choose Spec from the chat pane.
- Choose whether you're building a feature or fixing a bug, and describe it.
- For a feature, pick Requirements-First or Design-First.
- At each phase, click the floating Review button, comment on any passage, and send all your comments to Kiro at once.
- Work through requirements, design and tasks, then run the tasks one at a time or all together.
The review step is the clever bit. You catch a wrong assumption while it's still a sentence in a document, not after it's become hundreds of lines of code.
Kiro steering files for project rules
Steering gives Kiro lasting knowledge about your project through markdown files, so you don't have to repeat your conventions in every chat. The docs say workspace steering lives in .kiro/steering/ in your project, and global steering in ~/.kiro/steering/. If the two conflict, the workspace rules win.
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There are three default foundation files:
- product.md: what the product is for, who uses it and its key features.
- tech.md: frameworks, libraries and technical limits.
- structure.md: file organisation, naming and architecture.
In the IDE, open the Steering section of the Kiro panel and use the option to generate steering docs. Or click + and write a custom file, such as one for your API standards. Whatever you write is plain text you can read, so keep it free of passwords or keys.
Kiro hooks that run automatically
Hooks run a shell command or an agent prompt when something happens in a session. The docs give examples of triggers: after the agent saves a file, before or after it uses a tool, and when a task finishes. A matcher can narrow a hook down, for instance to TypeScript files only.
To make one in the IDE, click + in the Agent Hooks section, choose Ask Kiro to create a hook, and describe it in plain English. Hooks can also be written by hand as JSON files in a .kiro/hooks/ folder. The docs list hooks as available in the IDE and CLI, not on web or mobile. Read any hook that runs a shell command before you switch it on.
Kiro privacy and safety points
Kiro's data protection page says the AWS shared responsibility model applies. It says that individual users' content may be used for service improvement subject to their opt-out, that enterprise users are automatically opted out, and that the opt-out sits under Settings, then the User tab, then Application, then Telemetry and Content. Read that page for the exact wording for your account type.
- Review code before running it, whoever or whatever wrote it.
- Never paste passwords, secrets or API keys into chat, steering files or hooks.
- Start in supervised mode until you trust how Kiro behaves on your project.
- Work in a copy or a branch while you're learning, so a bad change is easy to undo.
Is Kiro right for your project?
If you already write code, Kiro's spec-first approach suits larger features where planning is worthwhile. For quick one-off scripts it may feel like extra ceremony. If you're comparing it with other editors, my guide to Cursor alternatives lists several, and if you'd like help choosing tools for your business, that's work I do as an AI consultant.
Frequently asked questions
Who makes Kiro?
Kiro's homepage says it's built and operated by AWS. Its docs describe it as an AI-powered development environment with an IDE, CLI, web and mobile versions.
How do I sign in to Kiro?
On first launch, Kiro's installation page says you choose a provider: Google, GitHub, AWS Builder ID, or your organisation's identity.
What are Kiro specs?
Specs turn an idea into three files: requirements, design and tasks. You review each phase before Kiro moves on, so mistakes surface early.
What is Kiro steering?
Steering is a set of markdown files that give Kiro lasting knowledge about your project, such as product.md, tech.md and structure.md, so you don't repeat yourself.
Can I import my VS Code settings into Kiro?
Yes. The installation page says you can optionally bring over VS Code settings and extensions on first run, or skip and choose a theme.
