# AI Future ReadyAgent-readable AI reference

view: Mode[] []
---
title: "Guides"
type: index
id: "guides"
description: "Practical guides, model-selection playbooks, agent recipes, and methodology notes for humans and AI agents."
last_updated: "2026-04-24"
---

# Guides

Practical guides, model-selection playbooks, agent recipes, and methodology notes. Each guide is structured with YAML metadata and available via the [raw markdown index](/content/guides/_index.md) for agent consumption.

## Agent and Model Selection

| Guide | Level | Description |
|-------|-------|-------------|
| [Agent Usage Guide](agent-usage.md) | Agent | Concrete fetch patterns for discovery, raw markdown, schema, per-item JSON, recommendations, changes, and hashes |
| [Choose a Coding Model](choose-a-coding-model.md) | Decision Playbook | Choose models for software engineering, code review, refactoring, and coding-agent workflows |
| [Choose a Research Model](choose-a-research-model.md) | Decision Playbook | Choose models for research, synthesis, long-document analysis, and evidence review |
| [Choose a Local Model](choose-a-local-model.md) | Decision Playbook | Choose open-weight or local models for private, offline, or self-hosted workflows |
| [Choose a Cheap Model](choose-a-cheap-model.md) | Decision Playbook | Minimize cost without losing acceptable quality or reliability |
| [Choose a Private Model](choose-a-private-model.md) | Decision Playbook | Choose deployment patterns for privacy, compliance, and sensitive data |
| [Best-For Task Matrix](best-for-task-matrix.md) | Matrix | Map common AI tasks to best, cheap, local, and cautionary options |
| [Agent Tooling Compatibility](agent-tooling-compatibility.md) | Matrix | Compare coding agents, dev frameworks, orchestration tools, and no-code agents |
| [Data Methodology](data-methodology.md) | Methodology | How sources, verification, scores, pricing freshness, sponsorship, and agent-safe interpretation work |
| [Benchmark Methodology](benchmark-methodology.md) | Methodology | Interpret model scores, confidence, verification, and task fit |
| [AI Failure Modes](failure-modes.md) | Risk Guide | Negative guidance for models, local deployment, cheap models, and agent autonomy |

## Recipes

| Guide | Level | Description |
|-------|-------|-------------|
| [Build a Coding Agent Stack](build-a-coding-agent-stack.md) | Recipe | Build a coding-agent workflow with repo access, tests, review, and rollback |
| [Build an Agent-Readable Docs Site](build-an-agent-readable-docs-site.md) | Recipe | Make documentation readable by AI agents with markdown, discovery, schema, feeds, and hashes |
| [Choose a Model for Customer Support](choose-model-for-customer-support.md) | Recipe | Choose models and guardrails for support automation, routing, drafting, retrieval, and escalation |
| [Build an AI Research Assistant](build-an-ai-research-assistant.md) | Recipe | Build a research assistant that preserves sources, uncertainty, and evidence |
| [Use Local Models for Private Documents](local-models-for-private-documents.md) | Recipe | Use local/private models with sensitive documents, retrieval, access control, and logging |

## Foundations

| Guide | Level | Description |
|-------|-------|-------------|
| [What Is AI? A Complete Beginner's Guide](getting-started.md) | Beginner | What AI is, how it works, and how to start using it today |
| [Prompt Engineering Guide](prompting.md) | Beginner to Advanced | How to write prompts that get you exactly what you need from AI |

Guides

Practical guides, model-selection playbooks, agent recipes, and methodology notes. Each guide is structured with YAML metadata and available via the raw markdown index for agent consumption.

Agent and Model Selection

Guide Level Description
Agent Usage Guide Agent Concrete fetch patterns for discovery, raw markdown, schema, per-item JSON, recommendations, changes, and hashes
Choose a Coding Model Decision Playbook Choose models for software engineering, code review, refactoring, and coding-agent workflows
Choose a Research Model Decision Playbook Choose models for research, synthesis, long-document analysis, and evidence review
Choose a Local Model Decision Playbook Choose open-weight or local models for private, offline, or self-hosted workflows
Choose a Cheap Model Decision Playbook Minimize cost without losing acceptable quality or reliability
Choose a Private Model Decision Playbook Choose deployment patterns for privacy, compliance, and sensitive data
Best-For Task Matrix Matrix Map common AI tasks to best, cheap, local, and cautionary options
Agent Tooling Compatibility Matrix Compare coding agents, dev frameworks, orchestration tools, and no-code agents
Data Methodology Methodology How sources, verification, scores, pricing freshness, sponsorship, and agent-safe interpretation work
Benchmark Methodology Methodology Interpret model scores, confidence, verification, and task fit
AI Failure Modes Risk Guide Negative guidance for models, local deployment, cheap models, and agent autonomy

Recipes

Guide Level Description
Build a Coding Agent Stack Recipe Build a coding-agent workflow with repo access, tests, review, and rollback
Build an Agent-Readable Docs Site Recipe Make documentation readable by AI agents with markdown, discovery, schema, feeds, and hashes
Choose a Model for Customer Support Recipe Choose models and guardrails for support automation, routing, drafting, retrieval, and escalation
Build an AI Research Assistant Recipe Build a research assistant that preserves sources, uncertainty, and evidence
Use Local Models for Private Documents Recipe Use local/private models with sensitive documents, retrieval, access control, and logging

Foundations

Guide Level Description
What Is AI? A Complete Beginner's Guide Beginner What AI is, how it works, and how to start using it today
Prompt Engineering Guide Beginner to Advanced How to write prompts that get you exactly what you need from AI