Agent modes

Every task in DataMind Oda runs as an agent set up by a preset: the model it starts on, the tools and skills it may use, and the instructions it follows. Pick one when you start a task, and manage the whole list in Settings > Agent presets.

The modes that come with Oda

Five modes come with DataMind Oda. This is what each one is for, in the words of its description:

Mode	What it is for
Standard mode	Work with code, files, and information. Suitable for most tasks, with search, editing, terminal commands, and other tools available as needed.
Relentless	Works for hours until it is done, blocked, or needs a real decision. Best in Full access.
PTC mode	Includes all Standard mode capabilities. Better suited to tasks that call tools in batches and then filter, organize, deduplicate, count, or summarize the results.
Minimal mode	The agent works using only a terminal tool. Useful for testing and comparing its basic performance.
Creator mode	Customize DataMind through conversation. Let the agent write plugins that add features or UI, or combine tools and prompts to create your own mode.

Standard mode is the default: a task starts in it when nothing else is picked.

A mode decides how Oda works, not what a task may do without asking; the access level is separate (Workspaces, files and permissions). A chat keeps the mode it started with: once its first turn has started, the mode is fixed (Choose a mode for a new task).

Open the mode list in Settings

Open Settings and choose Agent presets. The section explains: Choose the agent’s tools and how it works. Use Standard mode for everyday tasks, or Creator mode to add capabilities to DataMind.
The modes are listed as cards under Built-in and Custom. Each card carries the mode's name, its id, a one-line description, and the model it starts on when it names one.

On the cards:

The mode set as the default for new tasks shows New task default instead of its group tag.
A mode whose name is not known yet is listed by its id.
A group with no modes in it is left out, except Custom, which keeps its entries for creating one.
A card whose model is no longer offered shows not available; tasks on that mode start on the default model instead.

Set the default mode for new tasks

Open Settings > Agent presets.
If the switch Choose a mode for new tasks is off, turn it on. The row carries a Beta tag, and its description reads: When enabled, each new task can choose a mode and the default is set here. When disabled, new tasks use the application default preset. Existing tasks are unaffected.
Click the card you want for new tasks. Its control reads Set as new task default, and the card is then tagged New task default.

The default is set here, beside the list, rather than in General settings.
While the switch is off, the section shows Application default: Standard mode and new tasks use it. Your saved default is kept, and it returns when you turn the switch on again.
The change reaches the next blank task; a chat that has already started keeps its mode.

Read a mode's guide

Open Settings > Agent presets and find the mode's card.
Open the card's menu, labelled Actions for {name}, and choose Mode details or How to use.
The reader opens on two tabs: Mode details and How to use. The second one lists example tasks, each with an Example task tag and a Copy button that reads Copied once used.
Press Escape to close the reader. It closes only the reader, and focus returns to the button that opened it.

Reading a guide changes nothing: it never moves your default or changes a chat.
The reader covers only the five modes that come with Oda; a preset you create yourself does not get a guide (Create and edit agent presets).

When a mode cannot start

Failed to load on a card means the mode cannot start a task. It stays in the list, and pointing at the badge, or focusing it with the keyboard, shows the reason.
While it cannot start, the mode is left out of the picker for new tasks. A copy you made yourself keeps Edit and Delete, so you can fix it or remove it (Create and edit agent presets).

Questions, answered

What is a mode, and how is it different from a preset?

They are the same thing: a preset is the setup a task runs as, and Oda shows it to you as a mode when you pick one. Settings calls the page Agent presets, and the mode picker offers the same list.

Where can I see all the modes and what each one does?

Open Settings > Agent presets: every mode is a card with a one-line description, and each of the five has a page in this section, linked in the table above. The five also have a short guide behind their card menu (Mode details, How to use).

What can I do from a mode card's menu?

The menu, labelled Actions for {name}, holds the guides for the five modes that come with Oda (Mode details and How to use) and the actions that manage presets: Duplicate starts a copy you can edit, while Edit and Delete appear only for presets you can change yourself. A mode that comes with Oda stays read-only; duplicate it to edit your own copy (Create and edit agent presets).

How do I make a mode the default for new tasks?

Open Settings > Agent presets, turn on Choose a mode for new tasks if it is off, then click the card you want; the card is tagged New task default and new tasks start in it. To pick a mode for one task only, use the mode chip on the new-chat screen (Choose a mode for a new task).

What happens when I turn off "Choose a mode for new tasks"?

New tasks use the application default, shown as Application default: Standard mode, and a new chat has no mode picker. Tasks that have already started are unaffected, and your saved default comes back when you switch it on again.

Can I pick a mode that says "Failed to load"?

No. It cannot start a task, so it is left out of the picker. It stays on the page, with the reason on its badge, so you can fix or delete your own copy.

Do my own modes get the built-in guides?

No. Mode details and How to use exist only for the five modes that come with Oda. Your own presets are still listed and can be picked for tasks; they show the description you wrote for them.

The list of modes is empty. Is something broken?

Not necessarily: a setup can offer no modes at all, and the app treats an empty list as a valid state, not an error. If the list cannot be read at all, the section reports the problem instead of showing an empty list.