How to Choose md2wechat Modes Without Mixing Everything Together

Most first-run confusion with md2wechat is not about the command list itself.

It starts when people mix these into one bucket:

• API mode
• AI mode
• plain conversion
• advanced layout
• CLI, skill, and raw API

Once those are blended together, the workflow gets messy very quickly.

The shortest judgment

If you only need stable WeChat HTML from Markdown, start with API mode.

If you want the opening, structure, and closing to feel more deliberate, add advanced layout inside API mode.

If you already know the result must go through another model step, then move to AI mode.

That order removes a lot of unnecessary confusion.

API mode is the finished-output path

This is the better starting point for most people.

The reasons are practical:

• the result is direct
• validation is easier
• agents are less likely to drift into the wrong flow

If the goal is “produce something usable first,” API mode is the better fit.

AI mode is a handoff path

Many people read AI mode as “the more advanced final-render path.”

That is usually the wrong mental model.

A better model is: this path prepares a structured result for the next model step.

So if you do not have a clear second stage, AI mode should probably not be your first route.

Plain conversion and advanced layout solve different problems

Plain conversion solves whether the content can turn into a usable WeChat result.

Advanced layout solves whether the content is worth reading, whether it feels tiring, and whether anything remains afterward.

That is why plain conversion is usually enough for short notices and light updates.

But if you are working on:

• release posts
• tutorials
• long-form argument pieces
• service pages

advanced layout is usually worth the extra structure.

CLI, skill, and raw API are just different entry points

These also get confused too early.

They are not three different products. They are three different ways in.

CLI is best for local validation.
Skill is best when you already work inside an agent runtime.
Raw API is best when you already know you need your own backend or automation layer.

Do not over-focus on the entry point before you know what kind of result you need.

The order I recommend

If you want a cleaner path, use this order:

1. decide whether you need a finished result or a handoff result
2. decide whether the content really needs advanced layout
3. only then choose CLI, skill, or raw API

Once that order is stable, many later problems get smaller.

Closing thought

The earlier you separate the modes, the smoother the rest of the workflow becomes.

You do not need every capability on day one.
You need the shortest path that gets a real result first.

Continue with:

• Mode Selection
• Advanced Layout Use Cases
• Discovery-First Workflow
• CLI, Skill, or Raw API: How to Choose the Right md2wechat Entry Point
• Why md2wechat Works Better as a Discovery-First Agent Workflow