Chat
Chats without a project and coding threads inside one — streamed answers, attachments, @ files, plan-then-approve edits, checkpoints and a built-in code review.
Chat is for work that doesn’t need a terminal: explain an error, sketch an approach, draft a release note — or let an agent change code in a focused conversation with a plan, an approval and an undo. Open it with Ctrl+Alt+3. Answers stream in as they are written, and keep streaming while you switch to another mode.
Chats and project threads
There are two kinds of conversation:
| Kind | Has a project | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | No | Questions, drafts, analysis, planning — anything outside a codebase |
| Project thread | Yes | Questions about your code, reviews, and changes to files |
A project thread can also run in its own worktree: choose Thread with its own worktree, give it a name such as login-fix, and PaneScale creates a branch and worktree for it. The thread header then shows the branch, and the agent changes files there instead of in your working copy. See Lanes.
Every conversation is stored in PaneScale’s local database. The first message gives it a title; rename it any time.
The chat list
In Chat mode, the left sidebar shows your conversations instead of the workspaces:
- Chats, grouped by Today, Yesterday, Last 7 days, Last 30 days and Older,
- Project threads, grouped by project — click a project name to collapse it.
A dot marks the open conversation; answering replaces the time while an agent is still writing. A branch icon marks threads with their own worktree. From seven conversations on, a search box filters by title and branch.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| New chat | + in the list header, or Ctrl+N |
| New project thread | The code icon in the list header, then New project thread or Thread with its own worktree |
| Rename | Double-click, or F2 on a focused entry — Enter saves, Esc cancels |
| Delete | × on hover, or Del on a focused entry |
| Move through the list | ↑ / ↓ |
A conversation that is still answering can’t be deleted — stop it first. PaneScale reopens the conversation you had open last.
The composer
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Engine | Claude Code or Codex. Switch at any time without losing the conversation |
| Effort | Low, Medium, High or Max thinking |
| Plan / Guided / Edit | In project threads: how much the agent may change — see Access |
| Attach | Add files or images |
| Microphone | Dictate with local Voice |
| Enhance | Rewrites your draft into a clearer prompt with goal, scope and expected result. Check it before you send |
| ≈ tokens | Estimated size of the prompt including history (characters ÷ 3) |
| Send | Enter sends, Shift+Enter adds a line. While an answer runs, the button stops it |
Drafts are saved per conversation, so you can leave a half-written prompt and come back to it.
Attachments
Add up to 12 files or images per message: click Attach, paste an image from the clipboard, or drag files from Explorer onto the composer. Attachments appear as chips above the input; × removes one.
@ files
In a project thread, type @ followed by part of a file name to pick a file from the project. The file list is prepared as soon as you click into the composer, so suggestions appear instantly.
Edit and retry
- Press ↑ in an empty composer to edit your last message, or use the pencil on any of your messages. The bar above the input tells you how many later messages will be replaced. Esc cancels.
- If a run fails, the answer says so and offers Try again. If you stopped it, Continue picks it up.
Access in project threads
| Access | The agent may | Before changes |
|---|---|---|
| Plan | Read only | — |
| Guided | Plan first, then change files after you approve | A checkpoint is taken when you click Approve & implement |
| Edit | Change files right away | A checkpoint is taken before the turn |
With Guided, the answer is a plan with Approve & implement, Change plan and Reject underneath. Turns that changed files show Changes to review the diff and Rewind step to restore the files exactly. See Undo & checkpoints.
After an editing turn, a short status line tells you how many files are now changed in the project, with Review changes.
Code review
Project threads in a Git repository show Review in the header, with the number of changed files. It opens an interactive review of all uncommitted changes in the project, file by file. From there, Pull request… offers two ways on: publish through the Overnight Autopilot, or copy gh pr create --draft --fill to run in a terminal pane.
Limits
Chat runs Claude Code or Codex in non-interactive mode with the same account the CLI is signed in to. Each turn may run up to ten minutes and produce up to 1 MB of output; if it runs over, the whole process tree is stopped. Token Guardian budgets apply.
When an answer finishes while you are in another mode or conversation, a notification with Open takes you back.
Routines use Chat
Routines run their prompt in a fresh thread each time, and tasks record each run as a thread — so every run has its own record you can open later from the chat list.