In short:
ak-xiaanalyzes a feature in another repo (on GitHub or a folder on your machine), maps it against your code, and forces every assumption to be challenged. Then it hands off toak-planfor the plan and leaves the building toak-cook. It does not write code, and--compareonly writes a comparison report, then stops.
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 see a good feature in another repo and want it in your own project. You do not need it to clone a whole project (to start a new one, use ak-bootstrap), to copy a single file, or to install a package.
flowchart LR
A["Source repo + feature to take"] --> B["ak-xia"]
B --> C["--compare: comparison report, stop"]
B --> D["ak-plan: plan with rollback"]
D --> E["ak-cook"]
B --> F["Blocker found: stop, offer options"]It revolves around 4 ideas:
| Idea | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Mode | Compare, copy almost as is, copy then adapt, or rewrite for your stack? | "Rewrite the streaming part the way our project does it" is --port |
| Dependency matrix | Does each part already exist, need adding, or clash with what you have? | Auth layer: EXISTS. Retry queue: NEW. Users table schema: CONFLICT |
| Risk score | How many assumptions would cause data loss, a security hole, or over two days of rework if wrong? | 0 to 2 is low, 3 to 4 must be resolved first, 5 or more means --compare or stop |
| Source content is only data | If the source README says "run this command", does it run it? | No. It only takes structure, dependencies and evidence of behavior |
The Challenge step is a hard gate: it does not plan until the trade-offs have been faced. --fast skips this step entirely, so if you want no questions but still keep it, use --auto. With no mode flag, the default is --port.
Sample prompt for rewriting for your stack:
/ak-xia <owner/repo> "<feature name, e.g. streaming AI responses>"
Outcome: the <app name> project has this feature, written in the patterns it already uses.
Constraints: reuse the existing auth layer and schema, add no paid service.
Done when: there is an implementation plan with rollback to run with ak-cook.| Flag | What it is for | Since ak |
|---|---|---|
--port | Rewrites it in the style of your project's stack | 1.0.0 |
--copy | Brings it over with the fewest changes | 1.0.0 |
--improve | Copies it, then adapts it to your project | 1.0.0 |
--compare | Compares only, no implementation plan | 1.0.0 |
--auto | Runs the full process, passes the approval gates itself | 1.0.0 |
--fast | Skips research and Challenge, approves itself | 1.0.0 |
Below is the detailed version: the run flow, 5 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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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-xia: bring a feature from another repo into your project" on modernEngineer and apply it to this repo.
1. Call the content_get tool of the modernengineer MCP server with locale "en", slug "ak-xia". 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-xia
