# Axon

> The open framework for building and deploying AI agents. Write tools, define behaviour, ship to cloud in one command.

Axon is the Nuxt of agents — a complete framework that handles the cognitive loop, tool execution, memory, and cloud deployment so you don't have to. Users write what the agent knows, what it does, and what it is. Axon handles everything else.

## Docs

- [What is Axon](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/introduction/what-is-axon): Framework overview and philosophy
- [An agent is a folder](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/introduction/agent-is-a-folder): Project structure and conventions
- [Building agents](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/introduction/building-agents): How to write and run your first agent
- [Getting started: Installation](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/getting-started/installation): Install the CLI and create a project
- [Getting started: Providers](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/getting-started/providers): Connect an LLM provider
- [Getting started: First agent](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/getting-started/first-agent): Run your first agent end-to-end
- [Deploy to Axon Cloud](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/deploy/axon-cloud): One-command cloud deployment
- [Self-host](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/deploy/self-host): Run Axon on your own infrastructure

## Agent structure

- [Agent folder](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/agent/folder): Directory layout reference
- [axon.config.ts](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/agent/axon): Config file reference
- [Tools](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/agent/src/tools): Write tools the agent can call
- [Scripts](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/agent/src/scripts): Write scripts that run the agent
- [Prompts](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/agent/src/prompts): Prompt files and template rendering
- [Policy and capsule](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/capsule-and-policy): Security sandboxing
- [Modules](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/modules): Package and share agent capabilities

## API reference

- [axon global](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api): The axon runtime handle available in scripts
- [axon.request()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/request): Send a prompt and await the result
- [axon.stream()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/stream): Send a prompt and stream entries
- [axon.thread()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/thread): Scoped thread handle
- [axon.tools](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/tools): Call installed tool functions
- [axon.prompt()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/prompt): Load and render a prompt file
- [axon.scripts](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/scripts): Invoke another script
- [axon.ui](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/ui): Request input from the TUI
- [process.run()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/proc/run): Run a shell command and await result
- [process.spawn()](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/proc/spawn): Spawn a detached process
- [process.env](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/api/proc/env): Environment variables

## CLI reference

- [axon init](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/cli/init): Create a new agent project
- [axon dev](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/cli/dev): Start the local dev runtime
- [axon run](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/cli/run): Run a script
- [axon deploy](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/cli/deploy): Deploy to Axon Cloud
- [axon build](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/cli/build): Build for self-hosting

## Concepts

- [Sessions](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/sessions): How agent conversations are tracked
- [Threads](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/threads): Named conversation channels
- [State model](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/state-model): What the agent knows at any point
- [Cognos](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/cognos): The private cognitive engine powering Axon
- [AIR format](https://axon.arclabs.it/docs/v2/concepts/air-format): Agent Interchange Record — the event wire format

## Blog

- [Introducing Axon](https://axon.arclabs.it/blog/2026-06-18-introducing-axon): Launch post — why we built Axon
- [The Cognos Engine Bridge](https://axon.arclabs.it/blog/2026-06-10-cognos-engine-bridge): How local inference connects to the cognitive loop