Folder Rule

Akan folders are designed around business ownership. When you add a new feature, first ask a simple question: is this a page customers visit, business data the app owns, shared UI, or server-only integration code?

Find ownership: If only one product uses it, put it in that app. If several products share it, move it to a library.

Keep pages separate: Screens such as /orders or /admin/users go under page/. Reusable components and logic go elsewhere.

Model the business: Business nouns such as user, order, product, and invoice usually become folders under lib/.

Commerce app example

Workspace Rule

At the workspace root, choose the folder by how widely the code is used. A single product goes to apps/. Shared product code goes to libs/. Framework code goes to pkgs/.

Workspace

apps/: A business product that can run by itself. Examples: customer web, admin portal, brand site, or mobile-backed service.

libs/: Reusable product code shared by several apps. Examples: user account, billing, file upload, social features, security, admin features, etc.

pkgs/: Code with special purpose, used or published as npm packages. Examples: payment gateway, robot control code, blockchain integration code, etc.

Generated folders such as .akan/ and dist/ are build outputs. They help Akan run fast, but you normally do not edit them by hand.

Use pkgs/ only when the code should feel like a separate installable package. Ordinary one-app business logic belongs in apps/, and shared product logic usually belongs in libs/ first.

App/Library Folder Rule

An app is where a product becomes visible to users. A library is where reusable business capabilities live. They look similar because both can have domain modules, UI, assets, and server helpers.

apps/myapp/

libs/shared/

Client

Runs in the browser or client app. Keep secrets out of this type.

Server

Runs on the server. Good for private API calls, scripts, and protected logic.

Shared

Can be used from both server and client. Keep it pure and environment-safe.

page/

client

Put pages here when a user can visit them by URL. Examples: home, sign in, product detail, admin dashboard.

lib/

shared

Put business concepts here. Examples: user, product, order, invoice, payment, notification.

ui/

client

Put reusable visual components here. Examples: Header, ProductCard, DatePicker, EmptyState.

common/

shared

Put shared code that both server and client can access. Examples: formatters, validators, constants, and pure utilities.

webkit/

client

Put browser/client helpers here. Examples: hooks for notifications, device APIs, local storage, or web-only behavior.

env/

shared

Environment adapters and environment-specific files generated or used by Akan.

public/

client

Put static files here. Examples: logos, icons, fonts, downloadable PDFs, sample images.

srvkit/

server

Put server-only helpers here. Examples: payment API clients, cloud SDK wrappers, private scripts.

private/

server

Put implementation-only code here when it should not become part of the public app or library API.

script/

server

Put development scripts here when you run them while the Akan server is running.

When you are unsure, ask what the file does: screen goes to page/, reusable visual piece goes to ui/, saved business data goes to lib/<model>/, and private server integration goes to srvkit/ or lib/_<service>/.

Module Folder Rule

Inside lib/, folder names describe the kind of business concept you are building. Use a normal folder for data your business owns, an underscore folder for a capability or integration, and __scalar for reusable value shapes.

lib/

lib/<model>/: Use this for nouns your business owns and saves. Examples: user, product, order, reservation, invoice.

lib/_<service>/: Use this for actions, workflows, or integrations. Examples: _payment, _mailer, _search, _analytics.

lib/__scalar/<type>/: Use this for reusable value shapes shared by models. Examples: money, address, phoneNumber, dateRange.

A simple rule of thumb: if you can say 'this is a thing we store', use lib/<model>/. If you can say 'this is something we do', use lib/_<service>/.

For external integrations, keep raw vendor clients in srvkit/ and business-facing workflows in lib/_<service>/. For example, paymentGateway.ts calls the vendor API, while lib/_payment creates a payment for an order.

Growth Path

Folder choice can change as the business grows. Start close to the product, then move code outward only when sharing or packaging becomes real.

Code movement

apps/: Start here when the feature belongs to one product. This keeps early business code easy to find.

libs/: Move here when two or more apps need the same business model, UI, or service flow.

pkgs/: Move here only when the code should stand alone with its own package boundary.

Folder Rule

Workspace Rule

App/Library Folder Rule