Choose a mode for a new task

A mode is the setup a new task runs as: the tools and skills Oda may use, the model it starts on, and the instructions it follows. Pick it on the new-chat screen with the mode chip; once the chat starts, it keeps that mode for its whole life. Agent modes covers the full roster.

Pick a mode for a new task

1. Start a new chat and leave it blank. The mode chip beside the workspace picker shows the mode the task will start in: your latest pick, otherwise the mode the blank chat already has, otherwise the default for new tasks.
2. Click the chip to open the list of modes. It opens on the mode the chat will use, and each row shows a mode's name with a one-line description.
3. Pick a mode. The menu closes, and the pick applies to the next blank chat that becomes active; it is used once.

• Hover the chip to read its hint: Choose the agent preset for your new task.
• You can pick again any time before the chat starts; the chip shows the newest pick.
• The list offers the modes that can start a task, including presets you create yourself. A preset that failed to load is not offered, because it cannot start a task (Create and edit agent presets).
• The chip appears once the list of modes is ready, and only while mode selection for new tasks is on.

After the chat starts

• A chat keeps the mode it started with. Once its first turn has run, the mode is fixed, and the chat header shows a small read-only tag naming the mode.
• Point at the tag to read the mode's description, or The agent preset chosen when this task started when it has none. If the app has no name for the preset yet, the tag shows the preset's id.
• Changing the default for new tasks under Settings > Agent presets reaches a blank chat that has not started, never a chat that is already running (Agent modes).
• To work in another mode, start a new chat and pick it there.

When a switch is refused

• A refused switch shows a notice: Could not switch to <name>: <reason>, held for about eight seconds. The reason names the cause; a chat that has already started refuses with This session has already started.
• While a switch is being applied, the chip is briefly disabled.
• Nothing in the chat changes, and the most recent refusal stays on the chip's hover text.

In the VS Code extension

• The chip and the header tag step aside, and the mode moves into the message box.
• The access control shows the mode in front of the access label, for example Standard · Read only.
• Its menu adds a Mode section that lists the modes with a check on the current one.
• A blank chat can switch; a chat that has started shows one disabled row with the note Fixed once the chat has started.
• A switch refused in this layout shows no notice.

Questions, answered

Why did the mode I picked not apply to the chat I started?

A pick applies to the next blank chat that becomes active, and it is used once. If that chat had already started, it keeps its own mode and the switch is refused with a notice; pick the mode again when you start your next chat.

Can I change my pick before the chat starts?

Yes. Pick again at any time while the chat is still blank: the chip shows the newest pick, and that is the mode the chat starts in. Once the chat's first turn has run, the mode is fixed.

What does the tag in the chat header mean?

It names the mode the chat runs. The tag is read-only by design: after the chat starts, the mode cannot change, so the header only shows it. Point at it to read the mode's description, or The agent preset chosen when this task started when it has none. If the app has no name for the preset yet, the tag shows the preset's id.

Why is the mode chip missing on a new chat?

Mode selection for new tasks is off, so there is no chip to pick from: new tasks run on the application default, shown as Application default: Standard mode, and a pick you had made is cleared. Turn Choose a mode for new tasks on under Settings > Agent presets to bring the chip back, with your saved default (Agent modes). The chip also never shows in the VS Code extension, and it stays away until the list of modes has loaded.

Why can't I switch mode in a chat that has already started?

Because the chat is fixed to the mode it began with; the choice closes when the chat's first turn runs. In the VS Code extension a started chat shows one disabled row with the note Fixed once the chat has started. Start a new chat to work in another mode.

What happens when a mode switch is refused?

A notice reads Could not switch to <name>: <reason> and stays for about eight seconds; for a chat that has already started, the reason can be This session has already started. Nothing in the chat changes, and the most recent refusal stays on the chip's hover text.

Where do I choose the mode in the VS Code extension?

In the message box menu, under Mode. The access control shows the mode in front of the access label, for example Standard · Read only, and the Mode section lists the modes with a check on the current one. A blank chat can switch; a started chat shows one disabled row with Fixed once the chat has started.

Which modes can I pick?

The five that come with Oda: Standard mode, Relentless, PTC mode, Minimal mode and Creator mode, plus any preset you create yourself. Agent modes covers each mode with its guide, including Standard mode, the default for new tasks; Create and edit agent presets covers making your own. A preset that cannot start is not offered in the menu.

Do scheduled runs use the mode I pick here?

No. Each scheduled task chooses its own mode and model on the task itself, so a run follows the task's settings rather than the new-task pick (Schedule recurring tasks).