> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stackshift.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Install the agent

> Bootstrap a new node and understand what the install command is doing on the target host.

<Tip>
  **Live.** This area is documented as current, user-reliable behavior.
</Tip>

## Goal

Install the agent cleanly and know how to verify success on the host itself.

## Prerequisites

* A Linux host
* SSH access
* Dashboard access

## Workflow

<Steps>
  <Step>
    Generate the install command from the dashboard.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Run it on the target host.
  </Step>

  <Step>
    Verify the service status and the node heartbeat in the dashboard.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Install paths that exist today

* Manual install command generation from the dashboard
* SSH-assisted install flow from the node page
* Direct download paths for amd64 and arm64 agent binaries from the control plane

## What the install does

The install command uses a short-lived install token to register the host with the control plane and start the agent as a service. The agent is what runs your containers and the Caddy ingress on that host and reports heartbeats back to StackShift.

## Verifying the install

* Check the agent service is running on the host.
* Confirm the node appears with a fresh heartbeat and a healthy status in the dashboard.
* Only place workloads once the node reports healthy.

## Expected result

<Check>
  The node is attached and the agent is running.
</Check>

## Related guides

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Node overview" href="/nodes/node-overview">
    What a node is, what the agent does, and what node health means in StackShift.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Upgrade the agent" href="/nodes/upgrade-agent">
    Use the maintenance-first path to move an existing node to a newer agent version.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Node health, diagnostics, and deletion" href="/nodes/node-health-diagnostics-and-deletion">
    Read node diagnostics correctly and understand when deletion is safe or blocked.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>