# Trace Docs

> Documentation for Trace - the fastest path from idea to manufactured PCB. AI-native PCB design platform built on KiCad.

## Docs

- [Introduction](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/introduction.md): Trace is an AI-native platform for designing PCBs. The fastest path from idea to manufactured board.
- [Installation](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/installation.md): Download and install Trace on your macOS, Windows, or Linux machine.
- [Quick Start](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/quick-start.md): Create your first PCB project with Trace in under 5 minutes.
- [Changelog](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/changelog.md): Release history for Trace — what's new, what's fixed, and what's coming.
- [How Trace Works](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/how-trace-works.md): Why PCB design is a hard AI problem, how Trace solves it differently, and why existing approaches fall short.
- [AI Modes](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/ai-modes.md): Trace has three AI interaction modes — Ask, Agent, and Plan. Each is designed for a different stage of the design process. Choose the right one, or let Trace choose for you.
- [Intelligent Tools](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/intelligent-tools.md): Trace eliminates context switching. No more jumping between datasheets, distributor websites, footprint libraries, and your EDA tool.
- [Under the Hood](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/under-the-hood.md): What happens when you send a message — the file pipeline, where things run, and how your design stays in sync.
- [.tracerules](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/tracerules.md): Define custom rules that shape how the AI designs your circuits. Like .cursorrules for hardware — persistent context that augments the AI's default behavior.
- [Projects](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/projects.md): Projects are the top-level containers for your PCB designs in Trace.
- [Schematics](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/schematics.md): The schematic editor is where you define the electrical connections of your circuit.
- [PCB Layout](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/pcb-layout.md): The PCB editor is where you arrange components and route traces on your physical board.
- [DRC Rule Editor](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/drc-rule-editor.md): Visual rule builder for defining and managing PCB design rules with constraint panels, custom expressions, and autocomplete.
- [DRC Import](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/drc-import.md): Import manufacturer .kicad_dru constraint files to automatically apply their design rules to your project. Name the manufacturer and the AI enforces their limits.
- [Design Review](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/design-review.md): AI-powered pre-flight manufacturing check that validates your board against DRC, signal integrity, and DFM constraints before ordering.
- [Design Variants](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/design-variants.md): Manage alternate configurations of a single PCB design with variant-aware properties, exports, and Altium import.
- [DFM & the Automated Line](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/concepts/dfm-and-the-automated-line.md): Trace is step 0 of the PCB manufacturing line. Every file Trace exports is shaped for a specific machine downstream — stencil printers, SPI, pick-and-place, reflow, AOI. Here's how the pipeline fits together.
- [Your First PCB](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/first-pcb.md): A step-by-step guide to designing a complete PCB with Trace.
- [Using Prompts](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/ai-prompts.md): Tips for writing effective prompts to get the best results from Trace.
- [Ask Mode](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/ask-mode.md): Ask mode is Trace's read-only AI mode. Get explanations, design analysis, component research, and answers to any electronics question — without modifying your files.
- [Agent Mode](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/agent-mode.md): Agent mode gives the AI direct access to edit your schematic and PCB files. It reads, writes, runs checks, and streams results in real-time — with every change versioned and undoable.
- [Plan Mode](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/plan-mode.md): End-to-end walkthrough of Plan mode — Trace's multi-step AI design workflow with research, structured questions, plan approval, and todo-tracked execution.
- [Attachments & Multimodal Input](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/attachments.md): Drag and drop files into the chat — datasheets, images, BOMs, specs — and the AI extracts what it needs. Trace supports PDFs, images, and text documents as context for your design session.
- [Bring Your Own Key (Desktop)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/byok.md): Use your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or Gemini API key in the Trace desktop app. Requests are billed to your provider and don't count against your Trace quota.
- [Component Library](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/components.md): Trace includes a comprehensive library of components with symbols, footprints, and 3D models.
- [Importing Existing Projects](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/importing-projects.md): Bring your existing KiCad designs into Trace for AI-assisted review, optimization, and iteration.
- [Importing from Other EDA Tools](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/importing-formats.md): Import schematics and PCB layouts from Altium, Allegro, gEDA/Lepton EDA, and PADS into Trace.
- [Exporting Designs](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/exporting.md): Generate manufacturing files and documentation from your Trace projects.
- [One-Click Manufacturing](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/one-click-manufacturing.md): Submit your design to PCB fabs and assembly houses from inside Trace — no distributor hopping, no manual form-filling, no leaving the editor.
- [Version History & Rollback](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/version-history.md): How Trace tracks every AI edit with local and cloud version history, per-message undo, and a restore dialog.
- [Teams](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/teams.md): Shared AI capacity, centralized billing, and collaborative PCB design for engineering teams.
- [Web Dashboard](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/web-dashboard.md): Manage your Trace projects, usage, and team from the web — plus ask questions about your designs without opening the desktop app.
- [Shared Links](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/shared-links.md): Share your Trace conversations with teammates or stakeholders
- [Profile & Account](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/profiles.md): Manage your Trace profile, username, and account settings
- [Sign In with Email Link](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/magic-link.md): Passwordless login using a magic link sent to your email
- [Billing & Plans](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/guides/billing.md): Plan comparison, subscription management, on-demand credits, and account settings for Trace.
- [Trace CLI](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli.md): Trace CLI brings AI-powered EDA to your terminal. Design, review, convert, and manufacture PCBs and schematics — powered by the same engine as the desktop app. Requires the desktop app on macOS/Windows; standalone on Linux.
- [CLI Command Reference](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-commands.md): Every Trace CLI command, subcommand, flag, and exit code — generated from the shipping source.
- [Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-byok.md): Route Trace's AI through your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or Gemini key. You pay your provider directly and it doesn't count against your Trace quota. Available in the CLI today, desktop app support coming soon.
- [MCP Server](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-mcp.md): Expose Trace as a Model Context Protocol server so Cursor, Claude Desktop, or any MCP client can read your designs, run checks, and generate parts.
- [Automation & CI/CD](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-automation.md): Run Trace headless — validate PCBs in CI, generate Gerbers on release, script batch jobs, and consume JSON output.
- [Configuration](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-config.md): Configure the Trace CLI — config.toml, environment variables, backend environments, and where credentials are stored.
- [CLI Roadmap](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-roadmap.md): What's shipped in the Trace CLI today, the documented gaps we're closing, and where it's headed.
- [CLI & SDK Release Notes](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/cli-changelog.md): Release history for the Trace CLI, Python/Node SDKs, converter, and agent plugin.
- [TraceRules Reference](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/tracerules.md): Quick reference for .trace/rules.md — project-specific AI preferences that shape how Trace designs your circuits.
- [Keyboard Shortcuts](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/keyboard-shortcuts.md): Quick reference for keyboard shortcuts in Trace.
- [Symbols Library](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/symbols-platform.md): Browse, search, generate, and contribute schematic symbols at symbols.buildwithtrace.com
- [Footprints Library](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/footprints-platform.md): Browse, search, generate, and contribute PCB footprints at footprints.buildwithtrace.com
- [Platform Status](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/platform-status.md): Check real-time service status and incident history
- [Frequently Asked Questions](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/faq.md): Common questions about Trace — the AI-native PCB design platform. What it does, how it works, how the AI understands circuits, pricing, system requirements, and more.
- [Troubleshooting](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/troubleshooting.md): Common issues and how to resolve them.
- [Known Limitations](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/known-limitations.md): Current limitations of Trace and workarounds. We're working on fixing these.
- [Accessibility](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/accessibility.md): How Trace supports users with disabilities, the accessibility features available, known limitations, and how to report a barrier.
- [Beta Features](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/beta.md): Preview upcoming Trace features currently in early access. Join the beta program to earn points, provide feedback, and help shape Trace.
- [Education Program](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/education.md): Free access to Trace for students and universities. Apply with your school email to get full AI-powered PCB design capabilities for coursework, research, and student projects.
- [Feature Requests](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/resources/feature-requests.md): Community-driven feature requests for Trace. Submit requests, track what's being built, and get early access through the beta program.
- [Contributing](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/contributing/overview.md): How to contribute to Trace — community guidelines, development setup, and pull request process.
- [Code Style Guide](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/contributing/code-style.md): C++ code formatting rules and naming conventions for Trace contributions.
- [Assistant](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/.mintlify/Assistant.md)
- [API DOCS DRIFT](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/API-DOCS-DRIFT.md)
- [Trace Documentation](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/index.md): The fastest path from idea to manufactured PCB. AI-native PCB design built on KiCad.
- [Platform Architecture](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/architecture.md): The thin-client proxy model shared by Trace Symbols and Trace Footprints — Next.js route handlers, the FastAPI backend, the shared Supabase table, and static catalog indexes.
- [Authentication](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/authentication.md): Shared Trace JWT authentication for the Symbols and Footprints platforms — token storage, login, refresh, fetchWithAuth, GitHub OAuth, and plan gating.
- [Data Pipeline](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/data-pipeline.md): The offline Python pipeline that builds the Symbols and Footprints catalogs — idempotent sync, KiCad parsers, CERN import, index shapes, and CI.
- [Deployment & Configuration](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/deployment.md): Environment variables, build output, domains, and security headers for the Trace Symbols and Trace Footprints sites.
- [API Reference (Footprints)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/api-reference.md): Complete endpoint reference for the Trace Footprints site routes and the backend endpoints they proxy to.
- [Browse & Search (Footprints)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/browse-and-search.md): Search footprints, browse by library, and semantic search on the Trace Footprints platform.
- [Clipboard & Download (Footprints)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/clipboard-and-download.md): Reconstructing a .kicad_mod for the clipboard and downloading the raw upstream footprint file.
- [Contribute Footprints](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/contribute.md): Validate and submit a .kicad_mod to the open-source Trace footprint library via a GitHub PR.
- [Data Layer (Footprints)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/data-layer.md): The server-side index reader and the client API wrapper for the Trace Footprints platform.
- [Generate Footprints](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/generate.md): AI PCB-footprint generation on Trace Footprints — request/response, the camelCase transform, plan gating, and a full example.
- [Trace Footprints](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/overview.md): Overview of the Trace Footprints platform — routes, the Footprint/Pad data model, library grouping, and the Trace + CERN sources.
- [Saved & Community (Footprints)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/footprints/saved-and-community.md): Manage a user's saved footprints and the public community gallery — my-footprints CRUD, community feed, comments, and ratings.
- [Component Platforms](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/overview.md): Developer documentation for the Trace Symbols and Trace Footprints platforms — browse, search, generate, contribute, and integrate EDA component libraries.
- [API Reference (Symbols)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/api-reference.md): Complete endpoint reference for the Trace Symbols site routes and the backend endpoints they proxy to.
- [Browse & Search (Symbols)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/browse-and-search.md): Browse libraries, text search, semantic search, suggestions, categories, and thumbnails on the Trace Symbols platform.
- [Clipboard & Download (Symbols)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/clipboard-and-download.md): The two .kicad_sym clipboard formats (canvas vs library), the clipboard builders, and the raw library download endpoint.
- [Contribute Symbols](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/contribute.md): Validate and submit a .kicad_sym to the open-source Trace symbol library via a GitHub PR.
- [Data Layer (Symbols)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/data-layer.md): The server-side index reader and the client API wrapper for the Trace Symbols platform.
- [Generate Symbols](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/generate.md): AI schematic-symbol generation on Trace Symbols — request/response, the camelCase transform, plan gating, and a full example.
- [Trace Symbols](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/overview.md): Overview of the Trace Symbols platform — routes, the Symbol/Pin data model, categories, and how the pieces fit together.
- [Saved & Community (Symbols)](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/platforms/symbols/saved-and-community.md): Manage a user's saved symbols and the public community gallery — my-symbols CRUD, community feed, comments, and ratings.

## OpenAPI Specs

- [openapi](https://docs.buildwithtrace.com/openapi.json)