Option 1: Drag and Drop
Drag a folder from Finder (or your file manager) directly onto the Pandev window. This works from:
- The Welcome Screen — drop onto the "Open Folder" card
- The Dashboard — drop anywhere on the project grid or onto the "Add Project" card
Option 2: Browse for Folder
- Click the "Open Folder" card on the Welcome Screen, or the "Add Project" button on the Dashboard
- A native folder picker dialog opens
- Select the root folder of your project (where
package.jsonor your main config lives)
Option 3: Command Palette
- Press
Cmd+K(Mac) orCtrl+K(Windows/Linux) to open the Command Palette - Type "Add Project"
- Select it and browse for your folder
Project Setup Dialog
After selecting a folder, the Project Setup Dialog appears. Pandev scans your project and detects:
Detected Features
The dialog shows checkmarks for what it found:
- Git repository — Whether the folder is a git repo
- package.json — Whether a package manifest exists
- CLAUDE.md — Whether project instructions for Claude exist
- .env — Whether environment variables are configured
Dev Server Configuration
If Pandev detects a web framework (Next.js, Vite, Nuxt, SvelteKit, Remix, Angular, Astro, etc.), it shows a dev server section:
- Framework — The detected framework name (e.g., "Next.js detected")
- Dev command — Pre-filled based on your
package.jsonscripts (e.g.,npm run dev). You can edit this. - Port — The port your dev server will use. Pandev assigns one automatically, or you can set it manually (1-65535).
The dev command and port are used by the play button on your project card to start the dev server, and by the Browser Preview panel to show your running app.
Confirm
Click "Add Project" to finish. Your project appears in the sidebar and on the dashboard.
Tip: You don't need a dev server to use Pandev. Non-web projects (Python scripts, CLI tools, etc.) work fine — the dev server section simply won't appear.
After Adding
Once added, you can:
- Click the project in the sidebar to start a new chat session
- Right-click the project card on the dashboard for options (Open, Project Settings, Remove)
- Configure project-specific settings by opening Settings and switching the scope to your project