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+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,24 @@
-# cli
+# Loops CLI
+
 The official Loops CLI
+
+> [!NOTE]
+> This is pre-release, alpha software. While we're cooking up our first official release, the easiest way to get started is to build the project yourself.
+
+## Getting Started
+
+### Build
+1. Clone this repo and cd into the directory.
+1. Install Go 1.26.1 (or whatever is listed in `go.mod`)
+1. Run `go build -o ./loops .` to build a `loops` binary in the current directory. You're free to move it (`./loops`) to a location in your `$PATH` if you'd like.
+
+### Auth
+
+The Loops CLI requires a Loops API key to use.
+
+1. Grab an API key from https://app.loops.so/settings?page=api
+1. `loops auth login --name name-for-your-key`
+
+Alternatively, Loops will use the value from the `LOOPS_API_KEY` environment variable if set.
+
+That's it! During development, consider the CLI's `--help` output as the source of truth for features and flags.