Docs / The agent
Code, Plan and Ask
The three chat modes, what each one can touch, and how Plan hands off to Code.
The chat has three modes, chosen from the dropdown in the composer. They differ in what the agent is allowed to touch.
| Mode | Reads files | Edits files | Runs commands | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Code | Yes | Yes | Yes, subject to approvals | Making changes end to end |
| Plan | Yes | No | Read-only exploration | Agreeing on an approach first |
| Ask | No tools | No | No | Quick questions and explanations |
Code is the default.
Code
The full agent. It reads and searches the project, patches files, runs your build and tests, queries diagnostics, and can use the browser tools if Rescriptum Tab is linked. Every round of edits is verified and the turn cannot finish while the build or checks are failing. See Verification and rollback.
For bigger jobs the agent can hand pieces to subagents. See Subagents and Copilot.
Plan
Plan is read-only by construction, not by politeness. In this mode the write budget for the turn is zero and mutating tools are blocked by the tool registry, so the agent cannot edit even if it wants to. It explores the codebase, then writes a step-by-step plan in the chat as markdown: what to change, where, what could go wrong, and how to check each step.
When the plan is ready, an approve card appears. Approving switches the chat to Code and sends Execute approved plan with the plan attached. You can also edit the plan text first, or reply with changes and let the agent revise.
Plan mode does not write a plan.md file by itself. The plan lives in the conversation. Ask the agent to save it to a file if you want one in the repository.
Ask
Ask is a lightweight question-and-answer path that runs without the agent engine and without tools. It cannot read your files on its own, so paste the code you want discussed, or switch to Plan when the answer depends on the codebase. It is the fastest and cheapest mode for general questions.
Automatic suggestions
The IDE watches what you send:
- In Plan, a message like "go ahead and implement it" switches to Code.
- In Ask, a message that asks for edits or commands suggests Code.
You can always switch back from the dropdown.
Which mode, when
- Not sure where a bug lives: Plan to investigate, then Code to fix.
- Large refactor: Plan, read the plan, correct it, approve it.
- "What does this error mean?": Ask.
- Small, clear change: go straight to Code.