Start building with Camunda

Download, extract, and run the getting started bundle for a Camunda 8 Run environment.
Follow the instructions in run your first BPMN process to deploy and run your model.

macOS (Apple Silicon) macOS (Intel) Windows Linux

# macOS / Linux
$ unzip camunda8-getting-started-bundle-*.zip
$ cd camunda8-getting-started-bundle-*
$ ./camunda-start.sh

# Windows
# Extract the .zip and run camunda-start.bat

Camunda 8 Run requires OpenJDK 21–25. Node.js/npm not required for getting started bundle.

Deploy your first process

3 Deploy and run the example process

$ git clone https://github.com/camunda/camunda-8-get-started.git
$ cd camunda-8-get-started/1-rocket-launch/
$ c8ctl deploy .
$ c8ctl run rocket-launch.bpmn --variables='{"fuelLevel":90}'

4 See the process running in Operate

# Open Operate at http://localhost:8080/operate
# Log in with demo / demo
# Find the Rocket Launch process and click your running instance

Your process instance appears once data has synced to Operate. See explore your process in Operate.

How to use the CLI

Manage Camunda from your terminal

Use the CLI for the full Camunda lifecycle. No browser required.

Manage your clusters

Terminal

$ c8ctl cluster start 8.9.0-alpha5
$ c8ctl cluster stop

Deploy and start processes

Terminal

$ c8ctl deploy ./rocket-launch.bpmn plot-destination.dmn
$ c8ctl create pi --id=rocket-launch --variables='{"fuelLevel":90}'
$ c8ctl list pi

Interact with processes

Terminal

$ c8ctl list jobs --type=launch-approval
$ c8ctl activate jobs launch-approval
$ c8ctl complete job 2251799813685252

Monitor and debug

Terminal

$ c8ctl list inc --state=ACTIVE
$ c8ctl get inc 2251799813685251
$ c8ctl resolve inc 2251799813685251

Learn more about using the Camunda CLI to manage Camunda directly from the terminal.

AI agent integration

Train your AI agents on Camunda

Deploy processes, manage clusters, and query instances directly from your AI workflow.

Add Camunda Skills as Claude plugin

Terminal

$ claude plugin marketplace add camunda/skills
$ claude plugin install camunda-skills@camunda-skills

Available skills:
  /camunda-c8ctl                    — install and configure c8ctl
  /camunda-ai-agent                 — build AI agents in BPMN
  /camunda-bpmn                     — create and edit BPMN 2.0 processes
  /camunda-connectors               — configure pre-built connectors
  /camunda-connectors-development   — build custom connectors
  /camunda-development              — choose the integration type
  /camunda-docs                     — search the Camunda 8 docs
  /camunda-feel                     — write and debug FEEL expressions
  /camunda-forms                    — create Camunda Form schemas
  /camunda-job-workers              — implement job workers (Java, Spring, TypeScript)
  /camunda-process-mgmt             — deploy, operate, and debug processes

Connect to Camunda via MCP

Terminal

// mcp.json
{
  "servers": {
    // Locally running C8Run instance
    "camunda": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "http://localhost:8080/mcp/cluster"
    },
    // Knowledge from the Camunda docs website
    "camunda docs": {
      "type": "http",
      "url": "https://camunda-docs.mcp.kapa.ai"
    }
  }
}

Learn more about Camunda Skills, and the Orchestration Cluster MCP and Docs MCP servers.