A practical Archify tutorial
Your first Archify
diagram.
Start with a small system, give your coding agent a clear request, and check the diagram before sharing it. No repository is needed for your first example.
Based on the Archify v3.0.1 documentation, reviewed October 2, 2026. Installation follows the upstream distribution and may install a newer version. Check its release notes when commands or capabilities differ.
01. Install the Archify skill
Start with a supported coding agent and the local tools required by its environment. The upstream documentation covers Cursor, Claude Code, Codex CLI, and OpenCode. Run the published installer in your terminal:
npx skills add tt-a1i/archify -gFollow the installer’s agent selection. The -g option installs the skill at the user level. If your agent is already open, refresh its skills or restart the session as needed. This command installs a third-party skill; review the upstream source and installer prompts before proceeding.
02. Describe one request path
You do not need a repository to start. Give the agent a small, explicit system rather than asking it to invent your entire application. Try this prompt:
Use Archify to map a small web application.
Show Browser -> API -> PostgreSQL as the main path.
Add Redis Cache as a dependency of the API.
Label the cache as optional and list assumptions separately.
Keep this as an architecture diagram, not a runtime trace.This prompt is an example, not a tested description of your system. Replace component names and connections with facts you know. If the agent reads a repository, request supporting files for inferred relationships and review them.
03. Inspect the picture, then refine it
Open the generated HTML file in your browser. Check that the important components appear, that arrows point in the intended direction, and that names match the source material. A renderer can validate diagram structure without proving your business assumptions.
Make one focused change at a time. For example: “Add an authentication service called by the API, and explain where authorization occurs.” Then compare the result with your intended design. Keep the source alongside the artifact so the next change starts from the same model.
- Remove relationships that were guessed without evidence.
- Separate an optional dependency from the main request path.
- Explain a failure case in notes before adding more arrows.
- Save a reviewed version before making a larger revision.
When the result is not what you expected
The agent does not recognize Archify
Confirm the installer targeted the agent you are using. Refresh that agent’s skill discovery, start a new session, and explicitly ask it to use Archify. Consult the upstream instructions for its current installation path.
The diagram has too many components
Choose a single question, such as “How does a browser request reach the database?” Ask for a small set of core components and move supporting detail into descriptions.
The diagram looks right, but the architecture is wrong
Check the input and repository evidence. A valid diagram is not an architecture audit. Correct the connections or assumptions, regenerate, and have someone who knows the system review it.
I want to copy an example instead
Use the architecture diagram examples. Each has a readable connection template that you can edit before asking an agent or an available Archifyi workspace to render it.