Agent Modes: Ask, Plan & Agent

PlayCode's AI Agent has three modes that give you control over how much autonomy the AI has. Switch between modes anytime to match your workflow.

The Three Modes

🔍 Ask Mode

Read-only. The AI can explore your code and answer questions, but won't make any changes. Perfect when you want explanations, code reviews, or debugging advice without risking modifications.

Use when:

• You want to understand how something works
• You need debugging help without automatic fixes
• You want code review or suggestions
• You're learning and want explanations

📋 Plan Mode

Planning first. The AI asks clarifying questions, then creates a detailed implementation plan in plan.md. You review and optionally edit the plan before executing it.

Use when:

• You're starting a complex feature
• You want to review the approach before coding starts
• You're not sure about the best implementation
• You want to iterate on the plan with AI feedback

🤖 Agent Mode

Full autonomy. The AI can read, write, and edit files. It takes action immediately based on your request. This is the default mode for most coding tasks.

Use when:

• You know exactly what you want
• You're doing quick fixes or simple features
• You trust the AI to make good decisions
• You're executing a plan that was already reviewed

How to Switch Modes

1. Open the AI chat panel in any project
2. Look for the mode selector in the toolbar (shows ASK / PLAN / AGENT)
3. Click on the mode you want

Your selected mode is saved and persists across sessions. You can switch modes at any time during a conversation.

Plan Mode Workflow

Here's how Plan Mode works step by step:

1. Ask Your Request

Describe what you want to build. The AI will explore your codebase to understand the context.

2. Answer Questions

The AI presents clarifying questions in a wizard format. Questions may offer single-select or multi-select options. You can:

• Click an option to select it (auto-advances to next question)
• Select multiple options when allowed (marked "Select all that apply")
• Write a custom answer if the options don't fit
• Skip questions you don't want to answer
• Navigate back to previous questions

After answering all questions, click Submit Answers.

3. Review the Plan

The AI creates plan.md in your project root. Click View Plan to open it in the editor. You can:

• Read through the proposed approach
• Edit any steps you want to change
• Add notes or constraints
• Discuss changes with the AI before executing

4. Execute the Plan

When you're satisfied with the plan, click Execute. The AI switches to Agent Mode and follows your (potentially edited) plan step by step.

Tip: You can edit plan.md before executing. The AI reads the latest version from the file, not the original.

Examples

Ask Mode Example

You: "How does authentication work in this project?"

AI: Explores your code, finds auth-related files, and explains the authentication flow without making any changes.

Plan Mode Example

You: "Add dark mode support"

AI asks:

• "Should dark mode be the default or toggled by user?"
• "Where should the toggle be placed?"
• "Should it respect system preferences?"

After you answer, AI creates a plan covering CSS variables, toggle component, localStorage persistence, etc.

Agent Mode Example

You: "Fix the bug where login button doesn't work"

AI: Immediately investigates, finds the issue, and applies a fix.

Tips

• Start with Ask Mode when exploring unfamiliar code, get the lay of the land first
• Use Plan Mode for big features: The upfront planning saves time and reduces rework
• Stay in Agent Mode for quick tasks: Don't overthink small fixes
• Edit plans before executing: The AI respects your changes
• Multi-select wisely: Choosing too many options can make plans complex