Your client work is spread across notes, files and apps. The useful first job for OpenHuman is simple: bring that context together and give you a short daily brief you can act on.
This playbook takes you from installation to that first useful job, then shows you how to make it repeatable. You get a sample project, copyable prompts, checks for the output and fixes for the common problems.
About a 7-minute read. Setup time depends on downloads, account access and your chosen AI provider. This is a documentation-based walkthrough; the example workflow below has not been independently tested.
Your first win: a brief with upcoming deadlines, blockers and three priorities, each backed by a source. Start with one sample project before connecting your whole business.
Part 1: What you are actually installing
OpenHuman is an open-source desktop AI assistant that combines models, memory and tools. It can retrieve project context, use connected services and run saved workflows. The mascot is the friendly face; the useful part is giving the agent a clear job and the right information.
Get the official GitHub repo and desktop download. The project is in early beta, so interface labels and available integrations can change.
The desktop app is available for Mac, Windows and Linux. You do not need a server or a source-code build for this walkthrough.
Part 2: Pick your setup and understand the costs
Use the managed AI route if you want fewer setup steps. If you already use a model API, you can supply your own credentials. Supported local runtimes are another option, but you install the runtime and models yourself. Configure the route under Connections → LLM; some versions place Connections inside Settings. Model routing reference.
Open source does not mean every request is free. Hosted plans, inference credits, your own model API and any external services can carry costs. Review your account's current prices before committing. Check usage after the first few runs; the local monthly cost target is a display value, not an enforced spending cap. Billing and usage.
Your selected memory engine also matters. The default hosted engine stores memory in CortexDB operated by TinyHumans; your own CortexDB endpoint is an alternative. A local model alone does not make the full setup offline. Where data is stored.
Part 3: Install and make the first connection
1. Download the installer for your operating system from the latest official release. Open it, finish installation and launch OpenHuman.
2. Sign in and follow onboarding. Choose the managed or custom AI route. Before adding project data, send a simple chat message to confirm the model responds.
3. Open Connections. Add one relevant integration through its Apps or OAuth section. Choose the account deliberately and review its access request. You can also begin with a sample text document instead of connecting live work.
4. Open Connections → Memory and confirm an engine is active. Look in the Engine tab if the page says memory is unavailable.
5. Add your project information in the Brain tab and sync it. Connecting an app gives the agent tools; it does not guarantee every app's content has been ingested into memory. Integration behavior.
Real screenshot of the official setup documentation, captured November 1, 2026. Labels may differ in your build.
Part 4: Give it a small project it can understand
Use the sample below first. Paste it into a document named launch-notes.md, or add it as pasted text in Brain. The dates are illustrative: change them to your current week before testing.
PROJECT: Northstar website launch
Reference date: 2026-11-02
Timezone: Europe/Madrid
Confirmed:
- Homepage copy approved by Maya on November 1.
- Client review scheduled for November 5 at 10:00.
- Launch target: November 6.
- Alex owns the mobile layout fixes, due November 4.
- Payment-page testing is blocked until the client supplies sandbox access.
- No owner has been assigned to final image approval.
Latest note:
The client asked whether the FAQ can be added before launch.
No scope, price or deadline for the FAQ has been agreed.This input contains a deadline, a blocker and an unanswered question. A useful assistant should keep those separate. An unscheduled request must not become an agreed deliverable just because it appeared in a note.
After syncing, open the stored document and confirm its contents. Use the Memory page's Ask or Explorer views to inspect what is available. Memory reference.
Part 5: Run your first useful brief
Open a chat and paste this. Replace the project name if you used your own document.
Build a daily project brief for Northstar website launch.
Use the latest available project source. State its timestamp and today's date.
Return:
1. Upcoming confirmed deadlines, with owner and date.
2. Blockers, stating what is missing and who could unblock them.
3. My top three suggested priorities, with a one-line reason each.
4. Open questions that need a human decision.
Cite the source for each factual claim.
Separate confirmed facts from suggestions.
Do not invent owners, commitments or completed work.
If sources disagree, show the conflict.
If the data is missing or stale, say so.
Keep it under 250 words.
Only read and draft; do not send messages or change anything.For the sample, the brief should identify sandbox access as a blocker, preserve Alex's assigned task and flag image approval as missing an owner. The FAQ belongs under open questions, not confirmed scope.
Open at least two citations. Check that the dates, owner names and project match. Then ask one follow-up: “What changed since the last brief?” With only one source version, the correct response is that there is no reliable comparison yet.
Part 6: Turn the brief into a repeatable workflow
Once the manual brief is useful, ask for a proposed automation. Keep the output inside OpenHuman for the first version.
Propose a workflow for my Northstar daily project brief.
Schedule: weekdays at 09:00 Europe/Madrid.
Use only the project sources I explicitly select.
Steps:
- Retrieve the latest available project information and report source freshness.
- Produce deadlines, blockers, three priorities and open questions.
- Include citations and flag missing or conflicting information.
- Return the brief in the run output for me to review.
No email, Slack posting, purchases or edits.
Show the workflow graph and explain every step.
Do not enable it yet. Ask if any source or schedule detail is unclear.Review the proposed graph. Confirm sources, timezone and output destination. The app's Save & enable control activates an approved proposal; a saved draft can remain disabled. Confirm a manual test before enabling recurrence. Keep approval for outbound actions switched on if you later add delivery to another app. Workflow reference.
The Workflows hub, showing the New workflow entry point, from OpenHuman's workflow documentation. Official screenshot; this empty state is not a completed Northstar workflow.
Inspect the first run's steps and output. Check source freshness as well as writing quality. Keep the app running for your initial scheduled test; verify the next run actually occurs before relying on the schedule.
Part 7: Three other jobs worth trying
Prepare for a client meeting. Ask for the latest decisions, unresolved questions and a five-point agenda from the sources you select. Keep suggested talking points separate from client commitments.
Using only my selected project sources, prepare a five-point meeting agenda. Cite confirmed decisions, list unresolved questions and identify information that needs updating. Draft only.Build a research brief. Ask it to research one specific question and return useful links, uncertainty and a recommendation you can assess.
Research three options for [specific business problem]. Use current primary sources. Compare fit, setup effort and published costs, link each source and flag facts you could not verify.Draft a weekly status update. Use project notes to prepare an update you can review before sending.
Draft a weekly update from the selected notes: confirmed progress, next deadlines, blockers and decisions needed. Cite each claim. Do not describe a task as finished without evidence. Do not send it.Part 8: If something breaks
It cannot remember the project: check that the engine is active, the source exists in Brain and sync completed. Ask it to retrieve the document explicitly. A successful connection alone is not evidence of a successful sync.
An app is missing or access fails: inspect the live Connections catalog and reconnect the intended account. Available connectors depend on the backend. If ingestion is unsupported, begin with an authorized file or text export.
The brief is vague: narrow the project and date range. Supply owners and deadlines. Ask for missing information rather than a confident guess.
The workflow never runs: check its enabled state, timezone, source access and run history. Resolve a pending approval or failed step before adding more automation.
Part 9: Make this useful in a real business
For a freelancer, start with one active client project and compare the brief with your own notes for a week. Measure whether it reduces searching and whether it misses anything important.
For an agency, a bounded pilot could deliver one project brief workflow, documented connections, output checks and a handover. Agree the sources and acceptance criteria first; do not sell “an AI that runs everything.” Model usage, maintenance and account permissions belong in the scope.
OpenHuman is GPL-3.0 licensed. Commercial use is possible, but distributing modified software brings license obligations. Check the license and the terms of your model and connector services before packaging a client offering.
Your next move: install the app, add the sample project and run the brief manually. Add scheduling only after the sources and output check out.
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