MODX x AI hackathon #2: next-level AI in MODX!

MODX x AI hackathon

Updated on: June 12, 2025


AI is alive in the MODX community. During the second MODX x AI hackathon, we collaborated with MODX legends Mark Hamstra (modmore), John Peca, and Ryan Thrash (MODX LLC), culd., Census, SEDA.digital, Finetuned, AJR, and more to create smart AI solutions directly within MODX. From an intelligent media manager to MODX updates with an AI assistant, this hackathon was all about one thing: making MODX a bit smarter with AI.

What did we build?

From Claude and OpenAI to Bolt and from vector stores to CLIs, here’s what we worked on during the MODX x AI hackathon #2:

Smarter media manager

Why search by file names when AI knows what’s in an image? During the hackathon, AI was integrated into the media manager to make managing existing images a lot easier. No image generation, but making existing content findable with smart categorization. And that’s built: when you upload images in the media manager, tags, alt texts, and captions are automatically generated with AI.

AI-powered MODX update assistant

The idea: throw your MODX version, package list, and codebase into an AI agent and get an exact briefing back on what steps to take for a safe update. Including deprecated code, potential risks, and recommendations.

We built a tool to analyze this and linked it to Julian's new MODX 3 CLI. The ultimate goal: prepare and execute updates directly from the command line.

The MODX expert

Why dig through Slack, docs, and forums when you can just ask: “How do I fix XSS in MODX?”

During the hackathon, we worked on an AI chatbot based on a custom vector database. The bot is trained on MODX documentation and community knowledge, providing targeted answers for developers and content managers.

From design to MODX template

Upload a screenshot or Figma file, and an LLM generates a neat HTML/CSS template, directly in your MODX manager. At least, that’s the idea. Result: surprisingly good code, especially with Bolt (though it was a bit too eager to create a React app). The next step is to build a tool directly in MODX where you can upload a design and get a working template created from it.

ModAI & AIkit

During the hackathon, we worked on merging ModAI and AIKit into one powerful, modular AI layer within MODX. Mark Hamstra demonstrated how ModAI is now directly integrated into Redactor, allowing you to leverage AI for generating or rewriting content within this rich text content block.

The next step: a dropdown with ready-made prompts (like you know from TinyMCE), so editors can use AI with one click, no technical knowledge needed.

AI in SEO Suite

Earlier, Roel built an extension for SEO Suite where the AI generates meta tags based on content. Now, he has further enhanced this MODX Extra with AI-generated redirect recommendations. Each redirect suggestion gets a quality score (0-100), you can adjust redirects as needed, and once everything looks good, you can implement it all with one click!

What happened next

The MODX AI Hackathon was just the beginning. Several participants continued working on their projects with great enthusiasm. Here’s a look at what’s been built, tested, and launched since the event.

ModAI & AIKit

Mark Hamstra, John Peca, and Ryan Thrash have been working behind the scenes on a new version of modAI that fully integrates AIKit’s functionality. This merge has been released in version v0.12.0-pl. Want to try it out? Head over to extras.modx.com/package/modai

Here’s what’s new:

  • Redactor 3.3 is out, now with built-in modAI integration
  • The previous modAI release (v0.11.0-pl) already included:
    • support for agents
    • integration with vector databases
    • smarter AI insertions for content creation

Check out Mark’s full vision in his blog post: Building a foundation for AI in MODX.

    MODX CLI

    After Snowup and the hackathon, Julian Weaver (Finetuned) went even deeper into the MODX command line interface. The result? A modular, extensible CLI that’s ready for AI integration.

    • MODX CLI Internal API: A powerful internal API that lets developers register custom commands, modify existing ones, and hook into the CLI’s lifecycle. Full documentation and example on Github.
    • Run Sequence Command: The first custom command built using the new API. It lets you chain multiple CLI commands in sequence. A highly requested feature, even during the hackathon.
    • MODX CLI MCP Server (early-stage): Julian is developing a remote interface between Claude (AI) and the MODX CLI via SSH.
      This allows Claude to execute CLI commands, interpret results, and offer real-time assistance to MODX developers. Still early-stage, but full of potential.

    AI in the Media Manager

    Following the initial AI integration in the Media Manager, the team at SEDA.digital has added new features that make managing images even smarter:

    • Prompt refinements: The main prompt for automatic image recognition has been optimized for more accurate and consistent results.
    • Category suggestions: An additional prompt has been added to automatically suggest image categories.
    • Language detection: The AI now automatically uses the language of the logged-in MODX user for all output.
    • Smart tag/description handling: When generating new tags, descriptions, and alt texts, the AI first checks if these already exist. If so, it asks whether you want to keep or replace them.
    • Edit mode support: The AI features are now also available when editing existing files in the Media Manager, not just during image upload.

    What’s next?

    The MODX x AI hackathon shows that the community is full of ideas, and they are turning those ideas into reality. From smart content generation to automatic updates, the first proof of concepts are ready.

    Do you have an AI feature you’re missing in MODX? Let us know. Who knows, we might build it during the next hackathon!

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