In short:
ak-askreads your real docs and code, then gives a direct, compact answer to a technical or architecture question: which direction to pick, whether a design holds up. When context is missing, it scans the code withak-scout. It only advises and implements nothing; to build, move on to the planning or coding skill you have installed.
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 are torn between two directions, want to assess a design that is already running, or need an analysis-only answer before changing code. You do not need it once you have settled on a direction and want to start building: that is the job of a planning or coding skill.
flowchart LR
A["Technical or architecture question"] --> B["ak-ask"]
B --> C["Analysis + recommendation + next steps"]
C --> D["You decide"]
D --> E["Stops, no code changes"]Four concepts to know:
| Concept | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Advice only | Does it change code or create files? | Ask "should we split out the payment service" and you get advice and the steps to take. The repo stays exactly as it was. |
| Real context | What is the advice based on? | It reads the repo's README and instructions, follows the docs related to the question, then checks them against source, tests and config. If the docs say Redis is used, it checks the code to see whether that is true. |
| Lenses that fit the question | How long is the answer? | A question about module boundaries gets a look at boundaries, with no need to discuss scaling. A small question may need just one paragraph. |
| Scope | Does it trim what you asked? | By default it answers everything you asked and adds nothing you did not ask. With --yagni it challenges and drops whatever is not needed for the outcome you stated. |
The four lenses (system design, technology strategy, scalability and reliability, risk) are optional, not four separate agents; in the risk lens, it says clearly when its recommendation would stop being right.
Sample prompt when torn between two directions:
/ak-ask For <project name>, should we keep the monolith or split payments into its own service?
Constraints: team of 3, no new paid infrastructure.
I need the trade-offs and when to revisit the decision.| Flag | What it is for | Since ak |
|---|---|---|
--yagni | Cut what is not needed for the outcome | 2.8.0 |
Below is the detailed version: the run flow, 4 situations with prompts, each flag explained (use when, not needed when), 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.
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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-ask: architecture advice grounded in your real repo" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-ask". 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-ask
