AX Code Documentation

Status: Active Scope: public, current-state Last reviewed: 2026-07-25 Owner: AX Code maintainers

The root README is the shortest path to install and launch AX Code. Use this hub when you need to configure a workflow, understand a runtime boundary, or integrate AX Code with another system.

Choose by task

I want to…	Start here
Understand AX Code before installing it	Start Here
Choose an install or runtime channel	Installation and Runtime Channels
Connect a hosted, CLI, custom, or local provider	Supported Providers and Models
Try AX Code with a free-tier model API	Free-Tier API Quickstart
Run an agent with safe filesystem and network boundaries	Sandbox Mode
Run unattended or in CI	Autonomous Mode
Run recurring prompts or schedule durable tasks	Loop Mode and Scheduled Tasks
Choose local, cloud, hybrid, council, or arena execution	Execution Modes
Connect external tools and data	MCP Integrations
Embed AX Code in an application	@ax-code/sdk
Generate a client for another language	HTTP and OpenAPI Compatibility
Build a desktop or native host	Native SDK Transport

Getting started

• Start Here — product mental model and the shortest paths by use case.
• Installation and Runtime Channels — supported platforms, packages, updates, and contributor launchers.

Runtime guides

• Sandbox Mode — isolation modes, protected paths, network controls, and precedence.
• Autonomous Mode — unattended execution, approvals, headless use, and safeguards.
• Loop Mode and Scheduled Tasks — recurring prompts, durable schedules, and long-run limits.
• Execution Modes — agent, hybrid, council, and arena behavior.
• Auto-Route — specialist routing and optional complexity routing.
• Model Effort — thinking levels and provider-specific behavior.
• Lifecycle Hooks — hook events and bundled policy packs.

Providers

• Supported Providers and Models — provider IDs, credentials, and model discovery.
• Free-Tier API Quickstart — compatible no-cost paths, constraints, and safe evaluation.
• Custom and Gateway Providers — OpenAI- and Anthropic-compatible endpoints.
• AX Engine Model Selection — local model ranking and memory guidance.

Integrations

• MCP Integrations — trust, permissions, resources, and server security.
• ACP — the Agent Client Protocol happy path for IDE hosts.
• AX Wiki — source-backed repository knowledge and CI workflow.
• VS Code Integration — editor commands, settings, and workflows.

SDK and service boundaries

• @ax-code/sdk — first-party TypeScript and JavaScript embedding.
• Native SDK Transport — gRPC-shaped desktop/native boundary and fallback behavior.
• HTTP and OpenAPI Compatibility — server mode and generated clients for other languages.
• OpenAPI snapshot — authoritative HTTP route and schema contract.

Architecture and reliability

• Semantic Layer — graph and LSP provenance, audit, and replay boundaries.
• Local Engine Architecture — why AX Code uses an AX Engine sidecar.
• Runtime Stability — cancellation, crash, stream, timeout, and TUI reliability contracts.

Reference

• Skill and Plugin Catalog — bundled skills, project skills, plugins, and evals.
• Isolation Policy Packs — machine-readable policy examples.
• Release Verification — canonical minisign public key and verification command.
• Security Policy — threat model, credential storage, and supported versions.

Documentation boundaries

docs/ contains public guidance for behavior that exists in the current runtime. Planning material and temporary analysis do not belong here:

Content	Location
Architecture decisions	.internal/adr/
Product requirements	.internal/prd/
Internal plans, test/QA output, audits, and reports	.internal/reports/
Shipped behavior and public integration guidance	docs/

Every public Markdown page should declare its status, scope, last-reviewed date, and owner near the top. Prefer links to generated contracts or implementation sources over copied route lists and other high-drift snapshots.

Maintenance checklist

Before a release or a substantial documentation change:

1. Verify commands, defaults, flags, provider IDs, and runtime labels against their implementation.
2. Update the narrowest authoritative guide instead of repeating the same behavior in several front-door pages.
3. Run pnpm run test:scripts to catch broken local links, orphaned pages, and missing page metadata.
4. Keep proposals and historical decision records under .internal/, not in the public navigation.