Install guide

About five minutes. NicheLens is not code-signed yet, so macOS, Windows and some browsers show a warning the first time. Here is how to get past it.

On a Mac

NicheLens runs on Apple Silicon Macs (M1 and later). The installer isn't notarized by Apple yet, so macOS asks you to approve it once. The app is the same either way, and the checksum lets you confirm that your file is the one we published.

1. Open NicheLens-1.0.0-macos.dmg and drag NicheLens into Applications.
2. Open NicheLens from Applications. macOS says "NicheLens" Not Opened: Apple could not verify "NicheLens" is free of malware. Click Done. (Don't click Move to Bin, called Move to Trash on some Macs.)
3. Open System Settings, then Privacy & Security and scroll down to the Security section. It says "NicheLens" was blocked to protect your Mac. Click Open Anyway.
4. A second warning asks Open "NicheLens"? Click Open Anyway (not Move to Bin).
5. Your Mac asks for an administrator's name and password to allow this. Enter them and click OK. NicheLens starts, and from now on you can open it normally.

If you don't see Open Anyway in Privacy & Security, try opening NicheLens from Applications again, then go back to that page. The button appears after an attempt to open the app and stays for a limited time.

If you are not signed in as an administrator, ask the person who manages the Mac for their name and password, or sign in to an administrator account to do step 5.

On Windows

Your browser or Windows may warn you about the installer. That is because NicheLens 1.0 is new and isn't yet signed with a paid publisher certificate, so browsers and Windows don't recognise it yet. The app is the same either way, and the checksum lets you confirm that your file is exactly the one we published.

1. Download it (Microsoft Edge is the easiest)

In Microsoft Edge (it comes with Windows), you will see: "NicheLens-1.0.0-windows.exe isn't commonly downloaded. Make sure you trust NicheLens-1.0.0-windows.exe before you open it." Click See more, then Keep. (You can also open Edge's Downloads page with Ctrl+J and click Keep there.) The download then finishes.

In Google Chrome, you may see "Dangerous download blocked", with only a "Delete from history" button. The file can still be downloaded:

1. Press Ctrl+J (or type chrome://downloads in the address bar) to open Chrome's Downloads page.
2. Find the blocked NicheLens-1.0.0-windows.exe entry and click the three dots on it.
3. Choose Download dangerous file.
4. Chrome asks once more: "This file could harm your device." Click Download dangerous file.

Chrome's wording is very strong. NicheLens is new, so Chrome has no download history for the file yet. If you want to be sure, check the checksum first. If a download is blocked, Chrome may leave a partial file named like Unconfirmed 123456.crdownload in your Downloads folder: you can delete it, and don't run it.

2. Run the installer

1. Double-click NicheLens-1.0.0-windows.exe in your Downloads folder.
2. If Windows says "Windows protected your PC", click More info, then Run anyway. It shows Publisher: Unknown publisher, which is expected until the installer is signed.
3. The installer runs. It installs just for you, so it doesn't ask for an administrator password. When it finishes, NicheLens starts and its icon appears near the clock.

Check that your file is genuine (optional)

Compare your file's checksum (its fingerprint) with this table. If they match, it is exactly the file we published.

On Windows, open PowerShell in your Downloads folder (right-click an empty space and choose Open in Terminal) and run:

Get-FileHash .\NicheLens-1.0.0-windows.exe -Algorithm SHA256

(If your file is named NicheLens-1.0.0-windows (1).exe, use that name instead.) On a Mac, open Terminal in your Downloads folder and run:

shasum -a 256 NicheLens-1.0.0-macos.dmg

If the characters don't match, don't open the file: email hello@getzakton.com and we will help.

Still stuck?

Tell us what your screen says, with a screenshot if you can: hello@getzakton.com.

First run

NicheLens opens in your browser and asks for your YouTube Data API key. Follow the on-screen steps to create one. It is free, and it stays on your computer.

Connect Claude (for Opportunity Checks)

Opportunity Checks are written by your own Claude using Claude Code. That is a separate Anthropic product: the Code tab of the Claude desktop app, or the claude command in a terminal. It does not work in the ordinary Claude chat. Claude Code needs a paid Claude plan (Pro or higher) or API credits. Plans start from $20/month; see claude.com/pricing for current prices. Everything else in NicheLens works without Claude.

1. Quit Claude completely (the Claude app and any Claude Code terminal). Claude rewrites its settings while it runs.
2. In NicheLens, go to Settings, then Connect Claude, check what it will add, and click Connect Claude.
3. Open Claude again and start a new Code session.
4. Open any channel in NicheLens, click Copy under Opportunity Check, and paste the line into Claude Code. The result appears on the channel's page by itself, usually within a few minutes. That also proves the connection works.

Keep NicheLens running (its icon near the clock on Windows, or in the menu bar on a Mac) while you use Claude with it.

Quitting and updating

Closing the NicheLens window does not quit it. To quit, use Quit on the NicheLens icon near the clock (Windows) or in the menu bar (Mac).

NicheLens has no auto-update. To update, quit NicheLens, then install the new version over the old one the same way you installed the first. Your API key and data are kept. The first time a new version starts, NicheLens saves a safety copy of your data.

Need help?

See the Help & FAQ, or email hello@getzakton.com.