In short:
ak-adviseasks you one question at a time until you both picture the same outcome, draws a preview for you to confirm, and only then advises: what to do, what to avoid, the trade-offs, plus a handoff brief. The advice goes on toak-brainstorm, orak-planthenak-cook, or stops so you decide yourself. It does not write code and does not act on its own advice.
Disclosure: I maintain AgentKit and have an affiliate relationship with it: the AgentKit link in this post is an affiliate link; buying through it gets you 30% off.
Summary
Use it when you have a fuzzy idea, a plan that needs a second opinion, an issue that needs an answer, or a big decision where a wrong choice means weeks of rework. You do not need it when you want to fix code right away, or when you need to compare approaches and go straight to a plan: use ak-brainstorm for that.
flowchart LR
A["Idea, plan or URL"] --> B["ak-advise"]
B --> C["Locked brief + preview"]
C --> D["Advice + handoff brief"]
D --> E["ak-brainstorm"]
D --> F["ak-plan then ak-cook"]
D --> G["Stop, you decide"]It builds 4 things, in order:
| Step | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| One-question interview | What can the code and docs not answer, that only you know? | "When it is done, what command do you want to type and what line do you want to see?" |
| Locked brief | Do both sides understand the same job? | The problem restated, numbered requirements, goals, done means ("the pricing page reads from the new API, the hard-coded price file is deleted, e2e tests pass"), non-goals, constraints |
| Preview | What does the end result look like, or how does it run? | A diagram of the checkout flow after the work, marked as the proposed state, with assumptions flagged for you to fix |
| Handoff brief | What do you paste to have another skill carry it through? | A block of text with the goal, done means, non-goals, constraints, and a few narrow conditions under which it may stop and ask |
The decision is yours: it pushes back hard but never overrides a choice you have locked, and any disagreement is recorded as a trade-off. When the advice shapes the architecture, it weighs the cost of a narrow seam now against keeping concrete code, and lists abstractions built only as a hedge under what to avoid.
Sample prompt for a fuzzy idea:
/ak-advise I want the admin area of <app name> to be easier for new staff.
Right now they keep asking how to export reports.| Flag | What it is for | Since ak |
|---|---|---|
--html | A self-contained HTML page of the advice to view or share | 1.0.0 |
--md | A Markdown report readable without the conversation | 1.0.0 |
--wiki | Posts the report to AgentWiki, private by default, with a share link | 1.0.0 |
--github | Comments the advice on an issue or PR, or opens a new issue | 1.0.0 |
--agent | Runs the whole interview in the advisor agent, keeps the main session lean | 1.1.0 |
--ultra | Runs 5 independent advice passes and keeps one winner whole | 2.13.0 |
--yagni | Challenges and proposes cutting what the outcome does not need | 2.8.0 |
--no-antv, --no-diagram-design, --no-editorial-visuals | Turns off illustrations in the HTML page | 2.13.0 |
Below is the detailed version: the run flow, 6 situations with prompts, each flag explained (when to use it, when you do not need it, what you get, which flags it combines with), the change history by ak release, and common pitfalls. The detailed version and the interactive page are for subscribers. Your agent can also search them through the portal's MCP.
Opens when your account has subscriber access
This guide is for subscribers
Once your account has access, the full piece, the interactive visual and the agent call all open.
- Sign in or create a modernEngineer accountReading access belongs to your account email.
- Choose a plan on the pricing page1, 3 or 12 months, paid by VietQR bank transfer. Access opens about a minute after the money arrives.
- Or redeem a Facebook subscriber codePeople supporting the page on Facebook get an activation code by message each month.
Already a subscriber? Sign in to read.
Use this piece in your agent
Get an API keyCopy the text below and paste it into Claude Code, Codex or whichever agent you use. The agent reads the piece and checks it against the repo you have open.
Read "ak-advise: ask until it gets you right, then advise straight" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-advise". If the modernengineer MCP server is not connected, stop and walk me through connecting it from https://modernengineer.dev/en/mcp.
2. Summarize the main steps of the piece and point out which apply to this repo.
3. Propose concrete changes and ask me before editing any file.Connect MCP in Claude Code (once)
claude mcp add --transport http modernengineer \
https://api.modernengineer.dev/mcp \
--header "Authorization: Bearer <API key>"Reading the full piece over MCP needs an API key from a subscriber account or one that bought this guide. Without access, the agent only gets the opening.
- Version
- v1.0.0
- Updated
- 22/10/2026
- Licence
- All rights reserved
- Slug
- ak-advise
