Aixio documentation · Updated October 27, 2026

Aixio Designer guide

Generate a visual mockup, recover editable layers and build websites, app screens, posters or slides from Aixio MCP in your existing project.

Aixio Designer gives a coding agent a visual reference and structured layers to build from. The hosted MCP pipeline generates a mockup, separates it with Aixio’s Image to Layer model, then returns an aixio.design/v1 specification with layer geometry, assets and text styling. The host agent implements it using your project’s own tools.

Designer differs from asking the Studio agent to edit a workspace. Use ask_agent for Studio work; use design and design_status when the host will build the returned design.

Connect and install the agent skill

Follow the MCP quickstart. Discover design, design_status, prepare_upload and balance. Then download SKILL.md into an aixio-designer folder in your host’s supported skill location. For Codex, use ~/.codex/skills/aixio-designer/SKILL.md; reload skills or restart the host if needed. For other hosts, follow their skill installation mechanism. Installing instructions does not connect MCP or authorize paid work.

1. Agree on the brief and paid scope

Specify purpose, exact copy, sections, palette, typography, reference roles and the existing framework. Supported targets are website, ios, macos, android, game, poster, slide and other. Check balance and obtain authorization for both paid jobs: mockup generation and layer extraction. The current hosted pipeline selects its image model; do not promise a specific model or a fixed total price.

design_status can start the second paid job. It is not a free connection test. A new visual revision is another paid design; ordinary implementation repairs should reuse the existing result.

2. Upload references when needed

For up to ten PNG, JPEG or WebP references, call prepare_upload with the live schema, then PUT the actual file bytes to upload_url with the matching Content-Type and no Authorization header. Check upload success before passing source_url in reference_urls. Preparing an upload alone does not transfer the file. If the host cannot upload, report that limitation before submitting.

3. Submit once

The following is a tool-call argument example, not a REST endpoint. Use a unique request ID for each authorized design; keep the same ID and identical inputs if retrying a lost submission response.

{
  "request_id": "website-example-20261027-01",
  "target": "website",
  "brief": "Design a landing page for North Studio, an independent ceramics studio. Include a hero with the exact headline “Made slowly. Kept forever.”, a featured collection, studio story and contact section. Use generous spacing and a warm ivory palette. Keep copy legible. Build will use the existing React project.",
  "style": "Quiet editorial typography, charcoal type, warm ivory, terracotta accents.",
  "aspect_ratio": "2:3"
}

For references, add reference_urls in the same order as numbered descriptions in the brief. Save the returned design_id, request ID, target and exact inputs.

4. Follow mockup → layers → done

Call design_status with the returned ID and the same target:

{
  "design_id": "<returned design_id>",
  "target": "website",
  "include_reference_image": true
}

Follow next_action and poll_after_seconds. Request the inline reference image once when the mockup is available, then use ordinary polls. If reference_image_included is false, download and view the mockup using the host’s image tools. A URL is not visual inspection. Save layers_job_id for resumption.

Continue with the same design ID after a timeout or disconnect. Never call design again merely because polling stopped. Stop on failed/cancelled jobs or admission errors, preserve the error and any completed mockup, and do not automatically start a new paid attempt.

5. Build from the actual result

Require phase=done, status=succeeded and design.spec=aixio.design/v1. Read design.how_to_build and inspect actual layers and fallback information. A completed receipt can still contain flattened or partial results.

• Save the specification, mockup, layer images and available fonts locally. Signed links expire; refresh the same status to renew them.
• Reconstruct at the exact canvas width and height first. Preserve layer frames, z-order, rotation, opacity, crops and text metrics.
• Use live text and the supplied assets. Check OCR against the requested copy. Do not duplicate text already baked into the background.
• For websites, build semantic sections with grid/flex and adapt the verified composition to smaller screens. Use native controls and accessible interactions.
• Compare a rendered screenshot with the actual mockup before claiming fidelity. Repair fonts, metadata handling and layout with existing assets first.

Report missing text or assets, explicit fallbacks and any unavailable visual preview. Do not claim a single screenshot is an editable implementation. Return the project/artifact path, identifiers, actual reported charges and remaining limitations. Publication is a separate action.

Prompt to give your coding agent

Use Aixio Designer through the connected MCP tools and the aixio-designer skill. First check balance and confirm the brief and paid scope for one mockup plus one layer extraction. Use my existing framework. Build from the returned layers with live text, compare the result with the mockup, and report any fidelity limitations. Do not publish without my approval.