Claude Kit Is Now AgentKit: How to Migrate ck → ak Safely (2026)

I used Claude Kit (ck) daily for months and migrated my own setup to ak the week the rename landed. This is the walkthrough I wish the docs had given me - with the backup and rollback steps they gloss over.

Which AgentKit? (not OpenAI AgentKit)

Before you type anything, one disambiguation, because the name collides. The "AgentKit" in this guide is the rebrand of Claude Kit - the skills-and-agents toolkit for Claude Code, at agentkit.best, CLI ak. It is not OpenAI AgentKit, the Agent Builder / ChatKit / Connector Registry product OpenAI launched on 2025-10-06. Two unrelated products, same word. If you came here to migrate an OpenAI agent workflow, this is the wrong page. If you own a ck install and want to move to ak, read on.

Claude Kit renamed to AgentKit - what actually changed?

Straight version: the product Claude Kit became AgentKit, and the CLI ck became ak. It's a rename plus an upgrade, not a new product you have to buy again. The kit you already paid for still works after you migrate.

The biggest under-the-hood change is distribution. The old ck shipped as an npm package (claudekit-cli), which is now deprecated. ak ships as a native binary for macOS, Linux, and Windows - no Node or Bun required. The config home moved from ~/.claude/ (with .ck.json / .ckignore) to ~/.agentkit, and the skill namespace changed from ck: to ak: (so /ck:cook is now /ak:cook). Scope also expanded: ck targeted Claude Code; ak now covers Claude Code and Codex, with Cursor / Grok / Gemini CLI listed as coming.

If you're new to the whole thing and want the full picture of what the toolkit does before migrating, I broke it down in my complete AgentKit review.

Before you upgrade: back up (2 minutes)

This is the step the official docs skip, and it's the one that saves you. The migrator snapshots the files it writes so it can undo them - but files it overwrites are not recoverable. A two-minute manual backup of your Claude config makes the whole thing risk-free.

Copy your existing config, skills, agents, and hooks somewhere safe, and record your current versions in case you need to compare later:

# macOS / Linux
cp -r ~/.claude ~/.claude.backup-$(date +%Y%m%d)
ck versions > ~/ck-versions-before-migration.txt

# Windows (PowerShell)
Copy-Item "$HOME\.claude" "$HOME\.claude.backup" -Recurse
ck versions | Out-File "$HOME\ck-versions-before-migration.txt"

Why this matters: if a migrated file replaces one you had customized, ak migrate rollback will not bring the original back. Your manual copy of ~/.claude/ is the only guaranteed restore point. Don't skip it.

How to migrate ck → ak safely (step by step)

This is the core of the process. Six steps, all copy-pasteable. The golden rule: preview first, apply second. The preview writes nothing.

1. Install ak (the native binary). The installer detects your OS and architecture, downloads the stable build, verifies its SHA-256, and installs to ~/.local/bin:

# macOS / Linux
curl -fsSL https://agentkit.best/install.sh | sh

# Windows (PowerShell)
irm https://agentkit.best/install.ps1 | iex

2. Re-authenticate. ak replaces the old GitHub PAT flow with email OTP or an API key. Run ak once and follow the login prompt - this is a genuine change from ck, so don't be surprised when your old PAT isn't asked for.

3. Preview the migration (read-only). This is the safe default - it shows exactly what would change and writes nothing:

ak migrate --from=ck

Read the plan. Confirm it found your skills and agents. If it looks right, apply it.

4. Apply the migration. Same command, with the flags that actually write changes:

ak migrate --from=ck --dry-run=false --yes --no-interactive

5. Verify. Confirm everything survived before you delete anything:

ak doctor
ak skills
ak agents

6. Clean up the old ck. A stale ck left on your PATH will keep running the legacy scripts, which is a subtle way to think you migrated when you didn't. Find every copy and remove the npm one:

which -a ck
npm uninstall -g claudekit-cli

# optional: alias ck -> ak if your muscle memory needs it
ln -sf ~/.local/bin/ak ~/.local/bin/ck

One note that isn't obvious from the docs: ak migrate is a one-time safety net, not your normal update flow. Once you're on ak, you update with ak update like any other tool.

ck → ak command mapping

Almost everything is a straight ck → ak swap - same verbs, new binary. Keep this handy while your fingers relearn:

If something breaks: how to roll back

If the migration writes something you didn't want, you have two layers of undo.

Layer 1 - the migrator's own rollback: ak migrate rollback removes the files the migration newly wrote (it snapshots them before writing). This is fast and clean for a bad apply.

The honest caveat, and the reason the backup step above is non-negotiable: rollback does not restore files that were overwritten. The snapshot only covers new writes. If the migration replaced a customized skill or config file, that original is gone unless you copied it yourself.

Layer 2 - your manual backup: if you're still stuck after a rollback, restore ~/.claude/ from the copy you made:

# macOS / Linux
rm -rf ~/.claude && mv ~/.claude.backup-YYYYMMDD ~/.claude

Between the migrator's snapshot and your own copy, there's no scenario where you lose your setup for good - provided you did step zero.

Breaking changes & gotchas

Most of the migration is smooth, but four things surprise people. None are dealbreakers; all are worth knowing before you hit apply.

• Auth changed. GitHub PAT is out; email OTP / API key is in. Your old token won't be reused - expect a fresh login on first ak run.
• Generated hooks aren't migrated by default. Hooks that ck generated (session, subagent, usage-context) are not carried over automatically, and old registrations get cleaned up. If you relied on custom generated hooks, re-add them after migrating.
• The PATH trap. If an old ck stays on your PATH, it keeps executing the legacy ClaudeKit scripts even after ak is installed. Run which -a ck and uninstall the npm package (npm uninstall -g claudekit-cli) so you're not silently running the old tool.
• Namespace shift. Every ck: prefix becomes ak: - slash commands, skill references, docs. Update any scripts, aliases, or notes that hardcoded ck:.

For reference, the legacy install docs are still live at docs.claudekit.cc (verified 2026-08-09), and the canonical migration steps live at agentkit.best/docs. Note that docs.claudekit.cc/.../cli/migrate is about migrating ck to other providers (Cursor/Codex), not the ck→ak rename - an easy wrong turn.

Already renamed - should you upgrade your plan?

Good news first: the rename itself is free for current kit owners, and the kits ship with lifetime updates - so migrating costs you nothing. The only real decision is whether to widen what you own now that the toolkit spans engineering and marketing.

If you only had the Engineer Kit, this is a natural moment to look at the Bundle. AgentKit lists the Engineer Kit at $99, the Marketing Kit at $99, and the Bundle (both kits) at $149 - the site doesn't note a recurring fee on the kits. There's also a Desktop App (a control center for activating licenses, managing skills, and building your statusline) at $19/year, or Desktop + both kits at $99/year for the first 100 buyers.

Not sure it's worth it? I ran the math in is AgentKit pricing worth it, and I go deep on what you actually get in the Engineer Kit review.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Are Claude Kit and AgentKit the same thing?

Yes. AgentKit is the renamed, upgraded version of Claude Kit. The product was rebranded and the CLI changed from ck to ak. It's a rename plus a native-binary upgrade, not a different product.

Will I lose my skills and config when I upgrade?

No, if you back up first. ak migrate --from=ck carries over your skills, agents, and config. Copy ~/.claude/ before migrating so you have a guaranteed restore point, since overwritten files can't be rolled back.

Do I have to buy AgentKit again?

No. The rename is free for current kit owners, and kits include lifetime updates. You only pay if you choose to add another kit, the Bundle, or the Desktop App.

Does the old ck command still work?

The legacy ck (npm claudekit-cli) is deprecated. It may still run old scripts if it's on your PATH, which is why you should uninstall it after migrating. Going forward, use ak.

Is this the same as OpenAI AgentKit?

No. OpenAI AgentKit (Agent Builder / ChatKit, launched 2025-10-06) is an unrelated product that shares the name. This guide is only about the Claude Kit → AgentKit rename for Claude Code.

Do I need to be online or re-login to migrate?

Yes. ak uses email OTP or an API key instead of the old GitHub PAT, so you'll authenticate on first run, and the installer downloads the native binary - both need a connection.

Conclusion & next steps

The whole migration comes down to three moves: back up ~/.claude/, run ak migrate --from=ck as a preview then apply it, and verify with ak doctor before cleaning up the old ck. Do those in order and the ck to ak upgrade is genuinely low-risk. Don't have Claude Code yet? Start with my Claude Code guide for beginners. Want the full tour of the toolkit before you commit more? Read what AgentKit is.

Prices and commands verified against agentkit.best/docs and docs.claudekit.cc on 2026-08-09; a fast-moving product, so double-check before you buy or run copy-paste commands.