> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.runaether.dev/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Workspace Screen

> The web workspace: chat, composer, file tree, diffs, terminal, and preview

The workspace screen is where you watch and steer a [task](/guides/tasks) in the web app. It has the agent chat in the center, a tabbed stage for files, diffs, and previews, and a side panel with the file tree, changes, and terminal.

If the task's [workspace](/guides/workspaces) is stopped, the screen shows a **Start environment** gate first — start it to bring the file tree, terminal, and live agent back.

## Chat Stream

The center column streams the agent's turn in real time: its text and reasoning, each tool it runs (file edits, shell commands, browser actions), and the results. Tool calls render as expandable rows so you can inspect inputs and outputs. Load older turns from the top of the list.

When a turn ends, the task parks in `awaiting_input` and the chat waits for you.

## Composer

The composer sits at the bottom of the chat. Type a follow-up and submit to continue the conversation. While the agent is running, a **Stop** control interrupts it.

The composer's settings menu (the slider icon) configures the agent for the task:

| Setting        | Options                                               |
| -------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| **Agent**      | Codex, Claude Code, OpenCode, Cursor                  |
| **Model**      | Models available for the selected agent               |
| **Mode**       | Chat (implement directly) or Plan (plan before edits) |
| **Thinking**   | Reasoning effort — Codex and Claude Code only         |
| **Automation** | Auto-fix CI, auto-fix PR comments, auto-rebase        |

Changes apply to the current task. The menu marks whether the task is running on **Project defaults** or a **Task override**, with a **Reset** to return to the project defaults.

### Plan and Chat Mode

In **Chat** mode the agent implements directly. In **Plan** mode it proposes a plan and parks the task so you approve or revise it before any edits. A proposed plan (and any agent questions) takes over the composer as an inline form — answer it there to continue. See [tasks](/guides/tasks#plan-vs-chat-mode).

## Queued Messages

Send a message while the agent is still working and it is held as a **queued message**, delivered after the current turn finishes. Queued messages stack as pills above the composer. Remove one before it is delivered with its trash icon.

## Checkpoints

Because the agent commits as it works, you can **restore the conversation to an earlier checkpoint**. Restoring rolls the workspace back to that point and truncates the conversation after it.

<Warning>
  Restoring to a checkpoint rewinds the workspace and discards the conversation after that point. It cannot be undone.
</Warning>

## Stage Tabs

The center stage is tabbed. Alongside the chat, you can open:

* **File** — a code editor for a file, with inline diff hunks for changed files
* **Diff** — the full diff for a changed file
* **Preview** — a running app served from the workspace (see [Preview](#preview))

## Side Panel

A panel on the right holds two tabs over a shared body, with the terminal pinned below:

* **Files** — the workspace file tree. Select a file to open it in the stage; create files and folders from the tab bar.
* **Changes** — a summary of the files the agent has modified this task.
* **Terminal** — a terminal drawer connected to the workspace. Toggle it from the bar at the bottom of the panel.

## Preview

When the agent (or you) starts a dev server, its port is detected and surfaced in the **ports** chip in the tab bar. Open the port to load the app in a **Preview** tab, served through Aether's proxy with HMR working end to end. See [Preview URLs](/guides/preview-urls).

## Pushing to GitHub

The tab bar's GitHub control opens the export flow to push the workspace's branch and open or update a pull request on the linked repository. See [GitHub integration](/guides/github-integration).