Agent-Native Docs Lookup

Rule

Before implementing or explaining non-trivial Agent-Native behavior, read the version-matched docs installed with @agent-native/core. When examples, imports, or implementation details matter, inspect the packaged source corpus too.

Why

Generated apps and workspaces may be on a different framework version than the public docs or model memory. The installed package is the source that matches the app in front of you. It also includes a source-only corpus of first-party templates so agents can replicate current best-practice patterns without needing the framework monorepo checkout.

How

From a generated app directory:

pnpm action framework-search --pattern "defineAction"
pnpm action framework-search --pattern "templates/*/actions/*.ts" --mode glob --scope source
pnpm action framework-search --pattern "Agent(?:Panel|Sidebar)" --mode regex --scope source

Use framework-search first when a question may cross the docs and source boundary. It searches the version-matched framework docs, runtime-visible skills, readable Core or Toolkit package source, and first-party template corpus in one bounded read-only call. Use scope: docs or scope: source to narrow it, then use the existing focused readers for the page or file you need.

The same tool is available in the headless pnpm agent loop and every built-in app agent. Its default substring mode is safest for ordinary questions; use glob for wildcard paths, sql-like for % and _ wildcards, and regex for precise structural matches. Results are bounded, so refine the pattern or path instead of treating a truncated result as exhaustive.

From a generated app directory, the lower-level readers remain available:

pnpm action docs-search --query "<feature>"
pnpm action docs-search --slug <slug>
pnpm action docs-search --list
pnpm action source-search --query "<pattern>"
pnpm action source-search --path templates/plan/AGENTS.md
pnpm action source-search --path templates/chat/actions/hello.ts
pnpm action source-search --list

If source-search reports that template source is unavailable, install the matching corpus package with pnpm add -D @agent-native/core-corpus@<installed-core-version>.

The headless pnpm agent loop and built-in app agent also expose read-only framework-search, docs-search, and source-search tools. Use the unified tool for discovery, then the focused tools for full page or file reads.

If the action runner is unavailable, search the package directly:

rg -n "actions|automations|a2a|sharing" node_modules/@agent-native/core/docs
rg -n "defineAction|useActionQuery" node_modules/@agent-native/core-corpus/corpus

Then read node_modules/@agent-native/core/docs/AGENTS.md or the matching file under node_modules/@agent-native/core/docs/content/. For template examples, read files under node_modules/@agent-native/core-corpus/corpus/templates/. The corpus carries templates only; for Core's own implementation read node_modules/@agent-native/core/dist/ (compiled sources plus .d.ts).

Toolkit ships readable TypeScript under node_modules/@agent-native/toolkit/src/. Read customizing-agent-native before taking ownership of a shared component: inspect package source as a read-only reference, then configure, compose, or eject the smallest supported unit into app-owned source. Preserve public actions, application state, auth, and agent-chat runtime contracts. Never edit node_modules or deep-import its private source. Manual copying is only the fallback described by an unknown third-party package's add-style blueprint.

Reuse Proven Patterns (rg + cp)

Version-matched installed source outranks web docs or memory: it is the exact code shipping with this app. node_modules/@agent-native/core-corpus/corpus/templates/ holds source for every first-party template, not just the one this app started from, so a pattern from the mail template is fair game for a tasks app. Grep across it, then copy a whole file as a starting point instead of writing the pattern from scratch:

# Find how other templates solved a similar problem
rg -n "drag.*drop|reorder" node_modules/@agent-native/core-corpus/corpus/templates

# Grab a proven action file as a starting point, then adapt names/schema
cp node_modules/@agent-native/core-corpus/corpus/templates/mail/actions/archive-email.ts \
   actions/archive-item.ts

# Read the framework's own implementation behind an API
rg -n "defineAction" node_modules/@agent-native/core/dist/action.js

Copying template-level app code (actions, components, skill files) is the expected reuse path — templates exist to be forked. This is different from copying core/toolkit runtime internals: for those, follow customizing-agent-native's configure/compose/eject ladder instead of hand-duplicating framework logic.

Useful Slugs

Need	Slugs
Actions and typed client calls	actions, client
SQL, auth, access, sharing	database, authentication, security, sharing
UI state visible to the agent	context-awareness
Headless and chat-first apps	pure-agent-apps, agent-surfaces, using-your-agent
Automations and schedules	automations, recurring-jobs
Cross-app and external agents	a2a-protocol, external-agents, mcp-protocol, mcp-apps
Skills and instructions	skills-guide, writing-agent-instructions

Don't

• Do not rely on memory for framework APIs when package docs are present.
• Do not add custom REST wrappers for app data before reading actions.
• Do not add inline LLM calls before reading using-your-agent and agent-surfaces.
• Do not copy framework runtime internals when a public API or narrow UI copy will do; read customizing-agent-native for the supported override ladder.

Authoring visual docs blocks

Treat the shared Diagram block as a renderer, not as a reason to style every docs UI as a sketch. Use the hand-drawn font and Rough.js only for actual diagrams or wireframes that communicate structure, flow, or a design draft. For polished UI-like content - cards, logo walls, tables, controls, or product shells — set renderMode="design" (and usually frame="hide" when the block is the content itself). Design mode preserves normal docs typography and disables the Rough.js overlay. Keep data-rough only on elements intentionally sketched inside a real diagram.