> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.actionx.top/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How ActionX Works

> The full ActionX workflow from user request to intent detection, retrieval, ranking, serving, tracking, and settlement.

This page focuses on one thing: how a single ActionX request moves from a user prompt to delivery, clicks, revenue, and settlement.

```mermaid theme={null}
%%{init: {'flowchart': {'defaultRenderer': 'elk'}}}%%
flowchart LR
    req["Request<br/>SDK / Backend API / MCP"] --> intent["Intent and context"]
    intent --> retrieve["Retrieve candidates"]
    retrieve --> rank["Rank and select"]
    rank --> serve["Return result"]
    serve --> track["Track events"]
    track --> finance["Finance and observability<br/>data-center and finance-center"]
```

## Key steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="The request enters the system">
    The request can come from a frontend SDK, a backend API call, or an MCP tool invocation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Identify intent and context">
    `ads-server` combines the query, response, and context to identify purchase intent, entities, and the right serving moment.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Retrieve candidates">
    The system pulls candidate products, programs, or links from `product-feed`, `partner-stack-feed`, and other sources.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Rank and finalize the result">
    The engine deduplicates and ranks candidates using relevance, policy, and context, then determines the final result to return.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Serve and track">
    Impressions, clicks, and feedback enter tracking and `data-center`, creating a measurable event trail.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Settle revenue">
    Billable clicks and accounting data flow into `finance-center`, which powers statements, balances, and withdrawals.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## What to focus on in the diagram

* Left side: SDK, API, and MCP all feed into the same decisioning path.
* Middle: Intent detection, retrieval, and ranking are the platform's three core decision layers.
* Right side: Serving is not the endpoint; tracking, analytics, and finance complete the monetization loop.

## Continue reading

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Card title="System architecture" href="/overview/system-architecture">
    See how each service supports this end-to-end path.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Platform capabilities" href="/overview/core-modules">
    See how the platform is structured across access, decisioning, observability, and settlement.
  </Card>
</Columns>