Chat takes center stage. Agent Focus Mode flips the traditional layout: conversations occupy the main panel, sessions line up on the left, and specs and diffs appear in an auxiliary panel on the right. You're directing agents, not editing code directly.
This is designed for developers who work agentically, defining intent through conversation rather than writing code line by line. Start a session, describe what you want, attach a spec when you need structure, and let the agent execute. Both Autopilot and Supervised modes are available.
Agent Focus Mode uses a multi-panel layout optimized for agentic workflows:
| Panel | Position | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions | Left | Launch, navigate, and monitor agent sessions |
| Chat | Center | Your primary interaction surface (wider than the sidebar) |
| Auxiliary | Right | Specs, code diffs, artifacts (hidden until needed) |
You can toggle between Agent Focus Mode and the traditional Editor View at any time using the Agent Focus button in the top-right corner of the IDE. Click it to move the current session into Agent Focus Mode. Click it again to return to Editor View for code-focused work. Both views can run simultaneously. Work started in one continues in the other. Sessions carry over between them.
When you create a new session in Agent Focus Mode, you can optionally pick a workflow to start with:
| Workflow | What it does |
|---|---|
| Spec | Structured feature development |
| Plan | Breaks ideas down into an implementation plan without making changes |
| Bug Fix | Structured bug-fix workflow: investigate, diagnose, and resolve bugs |
| Quick Spec | Fast spec workflow: clarify, then auto-generate requirements, design, and tasks |
Picking a workflow sets the agent mode for that session. You can also skip the picker and start a freeform chat session by typing directly.
Launch multiple agent sessions, each working independently on different tasks or workspaces. Sessions are grouped by workspace in the left panel, with status indicators showing:
Click any session to switch the center and right panels to that conversation. Clear finished sessions from the list when you no longer need them.
In Agent Focus Mode, specs emerge naturally from conversation. Instead of filling out forms or sequencing through phases manually:
| Aspect | Editor View | Agent Focus Mode |
|---|---|---|
| Primary surface | Code editor | Chat |
| File editing | Direct | Through the agent |
| Sessions | One foreground | Multiple parallel |
| Specs | Sequential phases | Conversational, then formalized |
Some capabilities still require the IDE view. Agent Focus keeps clear paths back for:
Switch back to the IDE view anytime using the IDE button in the top-right corner.
Files changed by the agent appear as inline code diffs in the chat. Click a diff to open the full file view in the auxiliary panel. For direct code editing, switch to Editor View. Agent Focus Mode is about directing the agent, not hand-editing files.
Agent Focus Mode