AI is buzzing in the MODX community. During the second MODX x AI hackathon, we teamed up with MODX legends Mark Hamstra (modmore), John Peca and Ryan Thrash (MODX LLC), culd., Census, SEDA.digital, Finetuned, AJR and more to build smart AI solutions right into MODX. From an intelligent media manager to AI-assisted MODX updates—this hackathon was all about making MODX smarter with AI.
What did we build?
From Claude and OpenAI to Bolt and from vector stores to CLI tools—here’s what went down during MODX x AI hackathon #2:
Smarter media manager
Why bother searching by filename when AI can recognize what’s in an image? During the hackathon, we integrated AI into the media manager to make managing existing images a whole lot easier. No image generation here—just smart categorization to help you find what you already have. Now, when you upload an image, AI automatically generates tags, alt texts, and captions.
AI-powered MODX update assistant
The idea: feed your MODX version, package list, and codebase into an AI agent—and get a crystal-clear update plan in return. Including deprecated code, potential risks, and personalized recommendations.
We built a tool that does just that, and hooked it up to Julian’s new MODX 3 CLI. The goal? Prep and run updates straight from your command line.
The MODX expert
Why dig through Slack, docs, and forums when you can just ask: “How do I fix XSS in MODX?”
We worked on an AI chatbot backed by a custom vector database. Trained on MODX docs and community knowledge, this bot delivers targeted answers—for both developers and content editors.
From design to MODX template
Upload a screenshot or Figma file, and an LLM spits out clean HTML/CSS—right inside your MODX manager. That’s the idea, at least. The results? Surprisingly solid code, especially when using Bolt (although it really wanted to build a React app). Next step: a tool in MODX where you upload your design and get a working template in return.
ModAI & AIkit
During the hackathon, we started merging ModAI and AIKit into one powerful, modular AI layer inside MODX. Mark Hamstra showed how he already integrated ModAI into Redactor—letting you generate or rewrite content with AI inside your rich text blocks.
Next step: a dropdown with ready-to-use prompts (just like TinyMCE), so editors can use AI with a single click—no technical skills needed.
AI in SEO Suite
Roel had already built an SEO Suite extension that generates meta tags using AI. Now he’s gone a step further—adding AI-generated redirect suggestions. Each suggestion comes with a quality score (0–100), you can tweak them if needed, and when everything’s ready—you can apply them all in one click.
What's next?
The MODX x AI hackathon proves the community is full of ideas—and ready to build them. From smart content generation to automated updates, the first proof of concepts are live.
Got an AI feature you’d love to see in MODX? Let us know. Who knows, we might build it during the next hackathon.
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