How to Install Archify for Cursor, Codex, Claude-Code, and Raven: Complete Guide

Install Archify with a single npx command for Cursor, Codex, Claude-Code, or OpenCode, or manually extract the ZIP for Raven—no npm install needed.

Archify is a Skill distributed as a self-contained ZIP package that adds architecture diagram generation to AI agents. According to the tt-a1i/archify source code, the install process varies slightly by agent: Cursor, Codex, Claude-Code, and OpenCode support automated one-command installation, while Raven requires manual extraction.

Global One-Command Installation

The fastest way to install Archify uses the skills add CLI with the --global flag. This registers the skill system-wide and copies the install command to your clipboard.

npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent cursor --global --copy --yes

Supported --agent values: cursor, codex, claude-code, opencode

The command pulls the latest archify.zip from the repository root, registers it in the selected agent's skill store, and places the generated installation snippet on your clipboard [source].

Project-Local Installation

To keep Archify isolated to a single project, omit the --global flag:

cd my-project
npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent cursor --copy --yes

This creates a local skill registration without modifying global agent configuration. Useful for teams maintaining different Archify versions across repositories.

Manual Installation for Raven

Raven does not support the skills add command flow. Install Archify manually:

1. Download archify.zip from the repository (located at repository root)
2. Extract to Raven's skills directory:

mkdir -p ~/.raven/workspace/skills
unzip -q archify.zip -d ~/.raven/workspace/skills

# Result: ~/.raven/workspace/skills/archify

The manual step is required because Raven cannot execute the skills CLI [source].

What the Installation Actually Does

Packaging

The scripts/build-zip.sh script bundles Archify into archify.zip containing:

• Full archify/ source tree (renderers, validators, schema)
• package.json and lockfile
• Minimal runtime requiring Node ≥ 18 [source]

Runtime Registration

The skills add CLI registers the ZIP as a Skill in the agent's skill store. This makes Archify's renderers, validators, and schema available at runtime without additional package installation.

Agent-Aware Command Generation

The front-end in scripts/start-template.html dynamically builds the exact install command for your selected agent, ensuring the correct --agent flag is populated [source].

Because the skill is self-contained, no npm install step runs after ZIP placement.

Installation Command Reference

Goal	Command
Global Cursor install	npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent cursor --global --copy --yes
Global Codex install	npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent codex --global --copy --yes
Global Claude-Code install	npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent claude-code --global --copy --yes
Global OpenCode install	npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent opencode --global --copy --yes
Project-local install	Same commands without --global
Raven manual install	curl + unzip to ~/.raven/workspace/skills

Verify Your Installation

List installed skills to confirm registration:

# Example for Cursor

npx skills list --agent cursor

# Expected output includes: archify

Using Archify After Installation

Once installed, reference Archify in any prompt:

Generate an architecture diagram for a microservice that ingests Kafka events, processes them with Flink, and persists to S3.

The agent invokes Archify's installed renderers to produce the diagram.

Key Source Files

File	Purpose
README.md	User-facing installation documentation [link]
scripts/build-zip.sh	Creates archify.zip for all distribution methods [link]
archify/	Core skill implementation: renderers, validators, runtime [link]
package.json	Node version requirement and skill metadata [link]
scripts/start-template.html	Generates agent-specific install commands on the website [link]
archify/test/	Validates ZIP freshness and installation flow [link]

Summary

• Fastest install: npx -y skills add tt-a1i/archify --skill archify --agent cursor --global --copy --yes
• Supported agents: Cursor, Codex, Claude-Code, OpenCode (automated); Raven (manual ZIP)
• Requirements: Node ≥ 18 for runtime; no separate npm install needed
• Packaging: scripts/build-zip.sh produces self-contained archify.zip
• Verification: npx skills list --agent <name> confirms successful registration

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Archify require Node.js to be installed?

Yes. The skill runtime requires Node ≥ 18, declared in package.json. The npx install commands handle this automatically if Node is present; the ZIP bundle itself contains no native dependencies beyond Node [source].

Can I install Archify for multiple agents on the same machine?

Yes. Run the global install command once per agent with different --agent values. Each maintains separate skill stores—installing for Cursor does not affect your Codex or Claude-Code configuration.

Why does Raven need manual installation while other agents don't?

Raven does not implement the skills add CLI protocol used by Cursor, Codex, Claude-Code, and OpenCode. The repository provides archify.zip at the root for direct download, and you extract it to ~/.raven/workspace/skills yourself [source].

How do I update Archify after installation?

Re-run the same install command. The skills add CLI pulls the latest archify.zip from the repository and replaces the previous registration. For Raven, repeat the manual download and extraction steps.

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "instagit": {
      "command": "npx",
      "args": ["-y", "instagit@latest"]
    }
  }
}