In short:
ak-helplooks at the skills actually installed on your machine, summarizes only the ones that match your question, and points to the most specific one once the job is clear. Ask about anakcommand and it reads that command's current help. It does not rely on a copied skill list, and if a skill you mention is not installed, it says so plainly.
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 cannot remember which skills you have, do not know which skill should handle a job, need the syntax of an ak command, or see old docs mention a skill you are not sure still exists. You do not need it when you already know the exact skill to run: call that skill directly.
flowchart LR
A["Not sure what to use"] --> B["ak-help"]
B --> C["Installed skill that fits the job"]
B --> D["How to use an ak command"]
C --> E["You run the skill it points to"]
B --> F["Stop: the skill mentioned is not installed"]Four concepts to know:
| Concept | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Live catalog | Which skills are on this machine right now? | If the runtime provides a list of installed skills, it uses that list. If not, it looks for SKILL.md files in the project and user skill folders, then reads only the top of the files for skills that look relevant. |
| Only what matches | Which skills do you need to see? | Ask "which skill tests the browser" and you get a few testing skills, not the whole list. Once the job is clear, it points to the single most specific skill. |
| Command help | How do I use this ak command? | It reads ak --help or the help of the exact command you asked about on the installed ak release, and its examples stay within the kits you installed. A command question does not need a scan of the skill catalog. |
| Same name | If two skills share a name, which one runs? | The project and the user both have a skill with the same name. It works out which copy the runtime really uses and at which scope before pointing the way, instead of taking the first name match. |
It does not trust a copied skill list, a count taken from docs, or its own memory.
Sample prompt for choosing a skill for a job:
/ak-help I need to <what you want to do, e.g. write e2e tests for the login page>
in the <project name> project. Which skill should I use?This skill has no flags.
Below is the detailed version: the run flow, 5 situations with prompts, 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-help: find the installed skill or ak command for the job" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-help". 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-help
