How-To Guides

Welcome to the Pika How-To Guides! These guides provide step-by-step instructions for accomplishing specific tasks with the Pika Framework.

What Are How-To Guides?

How-to guides are task-focused documentation that helps you accomplish specific goals. Unlike tutorials (which teach concepts) or reference documentation (which describes all options), how-to guides assume you know what you want to do and show you how to do it.

Each guide includes:

• Clear objectives - What you'll accomplish
• Prerequisites - What you need before starting
• Step-by-step instructions - How to complete the task
• Testing checklists - Verify it works
• Troubleshooting - Common issues and solutions
• Next steps - Related tasks to explore

Browse by Category

🚀 Deployment

Get your Pika applications deployed and running:

• Deploy to AWS with CDK
• Deploy Using Serverless Framework
• Set Up Local Development Environment

🤖 Agent Development

Build and configure AI agents:

• Define Agents Using Configuration
• Enable Multi-Agent Collaboration
• Implement Tool Use with Inline Tools
• Integrate External APIs
• Use Model Context Protocol (MCP)

🔐 Authentication & Access

Secure your applications:

• Integrate Your Authentication System
• Configure Chat App Access Control
• Set Up User-to-Organization Mapping

🎨 Customization

Make Pika your own:

• Customize the UI
• Build Custom Web Components
• Deploy Custom Web Components
• Override Default Features
• Extend User Data Models

💾 Data & Sessions

Manage user data and sessions:

• Configure User Memory
• Manage User Sessions
• Work with Entities
• Use Custom Message Tags

🧠 Intelligence Features

Enhance AI capabilities:

• Enable Self-Correcting Responses
• Configure Answer Verification
• Use Instruction Assistance
• Implement Instruction Augmentation

🛠️ Admin & Operations

Manage and monitor your deployment:

• Set Up the Admin Site
• Configure Site Administration
• Manage Content
• Use Stack Management
• Monitor with Traces

⚡ Advanced Topics

Deep dive into advanced features:

• Direct Agent Invocation
• Custom Widget Tag Definitions
• Work with Pika UX Module
• Configure Sync System

Getting Started

Not sure where to begin? Here are common starting points:

First Time Setup:

1. Set Up Local Development Environment
2. Integrate Your Authentication System
3. Define Agents Using Configuration

Adding Functionality:

1. Implement Tool Use with Inline Tools
2. Build Custom Web Components
3. Configure User Memory

Production Deployment:

1. Deploy to AWS with CDK
2. Configure Chat App Access Control
3. Set Up the Admin Site

Need Help?

• Can't find what you're looking for? Check the Concepts section for explanations of how Pika works.
• Need complete API details? See the Reference documentation.
• Want to learn step-by-step? Try our Tutorials.

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Task-Focused Documentation

These guides are designed to help you accomplish specific tasks quickly. If you're looking for conceptual understanding, check out the Concepts section instead.