Archify
Archify explicado: diagramas de arquitectura deterministas para agentes
Descubre cómo Archify convierte JSON tipado en HTML/SVG verificable y cómo ejecutar su skill de agente.
Qué aprenderás
- Explain the JSON-IR-to-render pipeline
- Create a bounded, source-traceable architecture map
- Preserve revisions and validation evidence for review
Antes de empezar
- Basic Git and command-line usage
- Comfort reading a project README
You can explain the project, run its documented first step, and decide what to verify before adopting it.
Conclusiones clave
- Archify compiles typed JSON IR into deterministic, exportable diagrams.
- Validation and source tracing make the visual output reviewable rather than purely decorative.
- Pin the release and preserve the input revision when using generated maps in engineering work.
The short answer
Archify es un sistema Node.js de renderizado y validación para Cursor, Claude Code, Codex CLI y OpenCode. Su README separa las responsabilidades: el agente produce una representación JSON tipada y Archify la compila de forma determinista a HTML y SVG.
That boundary matters for engineering teams. Archify is designed for architecture, workflow, sequence, data-flow, and lifecycle diagrams, with search, route tracing, guided stories, and Before/Delta/After comparison between validated snapshots. The project page reports stable version v2.16.0 for the captured snapshot, so article examples should pin the version they actually test.
How the workflow is grounded
The agent-facing workflow starts with a description or codebase context and produces an explicit JSON IR. Validation then becomes a gate before rendering. Interactions such as opening revision-verified source, tracing upstream and downstream reach, and comparing roles are useful because they expose the authored facts behind a visual edge instead of hiding them in a screenshot.
The README advertises five diagram types, four presets, dark and light themes, finite motion, and self-contained output. It also lists PNG, SVG, WebM, and 1200×630 share-card exports. These are output contracts to verify in a local run, not a reason to assume every input is semantically complete; a polished render can still describe an incomplete model if the source facts were missing.
Run the smallest useful experiment
The documented global installation path is `npx skills add tt-a1i/archify -g`. You can use the skill from a supported agent without cloning a target repository, then ask for a small architecture map with named nodes and explicit relationships. Keep the input bounded: a checkout, a service boundary, or one request flow is easier to validate than an entire organization.
For repeatable work, record the Archify release, agent host, input commit, selected diagram type, and export format. Compare the rendered output with the JSON IR and inspect one or two source links. If a node or route cannot be traced back to authored input, mark it as an unresolved fact instead of filling the gap with a plausible arrow.
When Archify is a good fit
Use Archify when a team needs architecture communication that remains inspectable during review: onboarding, design proposals, incident follow-up, or a before/after comparison of a refactor. The deterministic compiler is especially useful when diagrams are generated repeatedly in CI or attached to a change review.
It is less suitable as a substitute for a system inventory. A diagram is only as complete as the codebase context and authored JSON supplied to it, and a share card is not an audit trail. Keep the input revision, validation output, and rendered artifact together so a future reader can reproduce the map rather than trusting the image alone.
Cómo elegir
| Criterio | Opción A | Opción B |
|---|---|---|
| Best when | You need predictable behavior and easy auditing | You need adaptive optimization and have reliable telemetry |
| Main risk | May leave performance on the table | Can become difficult to explain or debug |
Pasos de implementación
- 1
Install the skill with `npx skills add tt-a1i/archify -g`.
- 2
Give the agent one bounded codebase flow with named components and relationships.
- 3
Inspect validation results and trace representative nodes back to source.
- 4
Export the format you need and archive the input revision beside the artifact.
Ejemplo para copiar
npx skills add tt-a1i/archify -g
# In a supported agent, request a bounded map:
# "Map the request flow from API gateway to worker and database; cite each edge."Preguntas frecuentes
Does Archify require a repository?
The README says no repository is required for a described system, but repository context and revision metadata improve verifiability when you are mapping real code.
Is the diagram itself proof that the architecture is correct?
No. Treat validation, source traces, and the preserved input revision as the evidence; the rendered diagram is the readable projection.
Fuentes
- Archify README (captured 2026-08-31)Fuente verificada 2026-08-31
- Archify repositoryFuente verificada 2026-08-31