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Get started with Rowboat

This guide will take you from installing Rowboat to making your first query against your knowledge graph.
1

Download Rowboat for your platform

Download the latest release for your operating system:

macOS

Download .dmg for Mac

Windows

Download .exe installer

Linux

Download AppImage or .deb
Latest downloads: rowboatlabs.com/downloadsAll releases: GitHub Releases
After downloading, install Rowboat:
  • macOS: Open the .dmg and drag Rowboat to Applications
  • Windows: Run the installer and follow prompts
  • Linux: Make the AppImage executable (chmod +x) or install the .deb package
2

Launch Rowboat and configure your model

Open Rowboat for the first time. You’ll be prompted to configure your AI model.
  1. Select OpenAI as your provider
  2. Enter your API key from platform.openai.com/api-keys
  3. Choose a model (recommended: gpt-4o or gpt-4o-mini)
Your model config is stored in ~/.rowboat/config/models.json and can be changed anytime.
3

Connect Google services

Rowboat uses Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Drive to build your knowledge graph.

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Create a Google Cloud Project

  1. Go to Google Cloud Console
  2. Create a new project (e.g., “Rowboat Integration”)
  3. Select the project from the dropdown

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Enable required APIs

Enable these three APIs for your project:Click Enable for each one.
  1. Go to OAuth consent screen
  2. Choose External as audience
  3. Enter app name (e.g., “Rowboat”) and your email
  4. Click Save and Continue through remaining steps
You do NOT need to publish the app. Keeping it in Testing mode is fine.

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Add yourself as a test user

  1. Go to Test users
  2. Click Add Users
  3. Add the email address you’ll connect with Rowboat

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Create OAuth Client ID

  1. Go to Credentials
  2. Click Create Credentials → OAuth Client ID
  3. Select Universal Windows Platform (UWP)
  4. Name it anything (e.g., “Rowboat Desktop”)
  5. Store ID can be anything (e.g., “test”)
  6. Click Create

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Copy your Client ID

After creation, copy the Client ID (not the secret) and paste it into Rowboat when prompted.
Detailed walkthrough with screenshots: Google Setup Guide
4

Authorize and start syncing

After entering your Client ID in Rowboat:
  1. Click Authorize - a browser window will open
  2. Sign in to your Google account
  3. Review and accept the permissions:
    • Read Gmail messages
    • Read Calendar events
    • Access Drive files
  4. Return to Rowboat
Rowboat will start syncing emails and calendar events. Initial sync may take a few minutes depending on your mailbox size.
Your raw synced data is stored in:
~/.rowboat/
  gmail_sync/           # Email messages
  google_calendar/      # Calendar events  
  google_drive/         # Drive metadata
5

Let the knowledge graph build

Rowboat runs a background service that processes your emails and meetings to build entity-based notes.
The graph builder runs every 30 seconds and extracts:
  • People you communicate with (roles, organizations, relationships)
  • Projects you’re working on (status, decisions, commitments)
  • Organizations you interact with
  • Topics that matter to your work
Your knowledge graph is created in:
~/.rowboat/knowledge/
  People/
  Projects/
  Organizations/
  Topics/
  Voice Memos/
  Welcome.md
Initial graph building can take 5-10 minutes for a typical mailbox. You’ll see notes appear as they’re created.
Open the knowledge folder in Finder/Explorer or use Obsidian to browse your graph while it builds.
6

Make your first query

Once you have some notes in your knowledge graph, try asking Rowboat:
Prep me for my meeting with Alex
Rowboat uses your knowledge graph to:
  • Pull relevant context from past emails and meetings
  • Reference specific people, projects, and decisions
  • Generate grounded, contextual responses
  • Create real artifacts (briefs, PDFs, documents)
All queries and responses are visible in the chat interface. You can see which notes Rowboat references and inspect the source material.
7

Explore and edit your graph

Your knowledge graph is just Markdown files. You can:
  • Browse in Rowboat: Use the file tree sidebar
  • Open in Obsidian: Point Obsidian to ~/.rowboat/knowledge/
  • Edit in any text editor: VS Code, Sublime, vim, etc.
Example person note structure:
# Alex Chen

**Email:** [email protected]
**Organization:** [[Acme Corp]]
**Role:** Product Manager

## Recent Context

- Working on Q2 roadmap planning (2026-02-15)
- Raised concerns about API performance in standup
- Committed to shipping user dashboard by March 1st

## Open Questions

- Need feedback on mobile app mockups
- Waiting on infrastructure cost estimates
Rowboat updates these notes automatically as new context comes in. Your manual edits are preserved - Rowboat adds to existing sections rather than overwriting.

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Next steps

Installation guide

Platform-specific setup, optional features, and advanced configuration

Voice memos

Record voice notes that automatically update your knowledge graph

Background agents

Set up automated workflows for recurring tasks

MCP tools

Extend Rowboat with external tools and services

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Getting help

If you run into issues:
  • Check GitHub Issues for known problems
  • Ask in Discord for community support
  • Review logs in ~/.rowboat/logs/ for troubleshooting

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