The four modes
| Mode | What it does | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| Ask | Pure conversation about your codebase. No tools, no edits — just answers. | You want a quick explanation without the agent touching anything. |
| Edit | Read-only investigation with the full tool set — reads, searches, structural lookups — but no file writes. | You want the agent to dig in and report back before changing code. |
| Plan | Lays out an approach and can write Markdown only (like a PLAN.md); no code edits. | You want an agreed plan before execution. Research is budgeted so it doesn’t spiral. |
| Agent | Full execution — reads, edits, runs commands, the whole tool set. | You’re ready to ship a change end to end. |
Approvals: what needs your OK
Modes control what class of action the agent takes; approvals control whether a given action runs automatically. Reads are automatic. Actions that change things ask first, grouped into a few classes:- Edits — creating, deleting, rewriting, or editing files, renaming symbols, generating images.
- Terminal — running commands, the test runner, the sandbox, and any git write (commit, push, checkout…).
- Browser & notes — navigating/typing/clicking in the browser, and saving persistent notes.
Modes vs. the V3 / IDE layout
Don’t confuse the agent’s modes with the V3 / IDE pill in the title bar — that switches the layout (full-screen chat vs. classic editor), not the agent’s behavior.“Design” isn’t a mode — it’s an agent skill you invoke to build on-brand UI.