In short:
ak-bootstraptakes a new project (web, mobile, CLI, API, MCP server, WebMCP or library) from idea to a working, tested version. It settles the contract, then hands it straight toak-cook,ak-code-review,ak-enhance-ux-axwhen there is a web part, and ships it when the contract asks for that. It has no separateak-planstep and does not grant itself permission to deploy or push.
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 start a new project, or rebuild an old product in a new place, and want a working version with tests that has been reviewed. You do not need it when you want to approve a plan before any work starts: this skill has no separate ak-plan step, so to settle each decision yourself, add --ask or use --full.
flowchart LR
A["New project idea"] --> B["ak-bootstrap"]
B --> C["Settled contract"]
C --> D["ak-cook builds and tests"]
D --> E["ak-code-review"]
E --> F["ak-enhance-ux-ax --auto if there is a web part"]
F --> G["Ship and verify for real if the contract says so"]
G --> H["Report and getting-started guide"]It revolves around 4 concepts:
| Concept | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Opening contract | Before creating Git or writing a line of code, what is settled? | Outcome: the restaurant owner takes table bookings online. Constraints: runs on the existing Postgres. Non-goals: payments. Acceptance: the booking e2e test passes. |
| Project surfaces | Where do users or agents touch the project? | A web app with an API and an MCP server is 3 surfaces. The web part gets a UI design step and a UX/AX step. CLI, API and MCP skip the wireframe and design the commands, routes or tool schemas right in the contract. |
| Definition of done | Is done running on your machine, or running where real users use it? | If the brief says "done when it runs on production", it is done only after it ships to production and is checked like a real user would. If the brief does not mention where to ship, the report states it was only checked locally. |
| Permission boundary | When must auto mode stop and wait for you? | A missing secret, a destructive or external action the brief does not allow, or a cost the brief does not mention. If the brief says "create a public repo and deploy", only those two actions are allowed, and deleting the old deployment still needs a separate ask. |
The per-surface checklist is a list of topics to check, not extra work to do: if the brief does not ask for an item, it does not add it. If the brief does not mention where to ship, "done" only means running on your machine.
Sample prompt for a new web app:
/ak-bootstrap Build a table booking web app for the restaurant <restaurant name>.
Outcome: guests pick a date, time and party size and get a confirmation email.
Constraints: Next.js, Postgres, Vietnamese UI.
Not doing: online payments, a mobile app.
Done when: the booking flow e2e test passes and it runs on the local machine.| Flag | What it is for | Since ak |
|---|---|---|
--auto | Runs straight through and decides on its own (default) | 1.0.0 |
--full | Goes step by step and asks when needed | 1.0.0 |
--fast | Less research, starts building early | 1.0.0 |
--parallel | Several agents work at once | 1.0.0 |
--ask | Interviews you until the scope is settled | 2.19.0 |
--ultra | 5-pass code review, more thorough | 2.13.0 |
--yagni | The smallest version that does the job | 2.8.0 |
--skip-journal | Skips the automatic journal entry at the end | 2.9.0 |
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.
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This guide is for subscribers
Once your account has access, the full piece, the interactive visual and the agent call all open.
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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-bootstrap: build a new project up to a working version" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-bootstrap". 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-bootstrap
