Hacky v0.1 · Apache-2.0 code · CC BY 4.0 docs

One file.
Any AI.
Bounded effect.

Hacky carries a temporary, inspectable chat effect in a small JSON file. Export it, attach it, and let it end on schedule.

Create a Hacky Read the format
$ hacky render leo.hacky.json ✓ fixed activation loaded ✓ 8 replies remaining Attach leo.hacky.pdf to an AI chat. The effect expires. The file remains yours.
The flow

Make it. Attach it. Let it end.

Hacky is designed for short, deliberate experiments with character, tone, or task behavior. No account or hosted runtime is required.

01

Describe an effect

Use the generator or write the four-key JSON directly. The fixed activation makes the lifecycle explicit.

02

Carry one file

Use canonical JSON for tooling or the one-page PDF carrier for ordinary attachment surfaces.

03

Return cleanly

Every file lasts 1–99 replies. Expiry and an explicit stop are part of the contract.

Try the examples

Small files, distinct voices.

Open a preview, inspect its canonical JSON, or download the matching PDF from the public examples repository.

Leo

Quiet, loyal, concise. Japanese activation.

8 replies ·

Vera

Dry, precise, analytical. English activation.

12 replies ·

Rin

Poetic and reflective. Japanese activation.

6 replies ·

Max

Energetic and inventive. English activation.

4 replies ·
View all examples
The contract

Exactly four keys.

Hacky v0.1 keeps the public file surface intentionally narrow. Writers emit compact, BOMless UTF-8 with fixed key order and exactly one terminal line feed.

The instructions contain the fixed English activation or its fixed Japanese meaning-equivalent, followed by one effect. The host AI's rules and later explicit user instructions remain higher priority.

Read the normative specification →

{
  "hacky": "0.1",
  "name": "Example",
  "turns": 4,
  "instructions": "[HACKY ACTIVATION v0.1]...\n\n[HACKY EFFECT]\nWrite one useful reply."
}
// .hacky.json and .hacky.pdf carry the same canonical JSON text
Use the writers

Bring Hacky to your stack.

The open source core validates, renders, and extracts the same contract across JavaScript and Python. HackyKit remains an export-only SDK for app integrations.

JavaScript source

Canonical writer and validator.

git clone https://github.com/openhacky/hacky.git

Python source

Install the reviewed source tree.

python3 -m pip install ./hacky/packages/python

Swift Package

Export-only HackyKit.

https://github.com/openhacky/hacky-kit.git
HackyKit export-only Apps can build and validate files without importing or retaining chat state.
Inspect before attach JSON is readable, finite, and untrusted. A file grants no external permission or persistent setting.