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

# Agent Mode vs Chat Mode vs Plan Mode

> Three ways to interact with Runable. Pick the right one for what you need.

Runable gives you three ways to interact with the AI: Agent Mode, Chat Mode, and Plan Mode. Each one is designed for a different type of task.

## Agent Mode

Agent Mode is the default. The agent builds things: writes code, generates media, deploys websites, creates documents, and executes multi-step tasks.

When you send a message in Agent Mode, the agent gets a full sandbox environment where it can run commands, write files, install packages, search the web, and generate images, videos, and audio. You see everything happening live in the chat.

**Use Agent Mode when you need something built or created.**

<Prompt description={`Agent Mode: build a website for your business`} actions={["copy"]}>
  Build a website for my pet grooming business, Paws & Claws, in Denver CO. I need a services page listing our grooming packages (Basic Bath $35, Full Groom $65, Puppy First Groom $45, Nail Trim $15), an online booking form that asks for pet name, breed, service, and preferred date, a gallery section for before/after photos, and a footer with our address and phone number. Use soft blues and whites. Friendly, approachable tone.
</Prompt>

### What Agent Mode can do

* Write and run code in an isolated sandbox
* Generate images, videos, and audio
* Build and deploy websites with live URLs
* Create presentations, reports, spreadsheets, and carousels
* Search the web for current information
* Read and process files you upload
* Use skills for specialized workflows
* Install packages and start servers

### Model tiers

Agent Mode lets you pick a model tier for each conversation:

| Tier                                        | Best for                                              |
| ------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- |
| <Badge size="sm">Lite</Badge>               | Quick edits, simple questions, fast tasks             |
| <Badge color="blue" size="sm">Pro</Badge>   | Most tasks. Good balance of quality and speed.        |
| <Badge color="purple" size="sm">Max</Badge> | Complex reasoning, multi-step projects, deep analysis |

Higher tiers use more credits per message but produce better results for complex work.

## Chat Mode

Chat Mode is text-only conversation. The agent answers questions and analyzes files, but it cannot execute code, generate media, search the web, or build anything.

Switch to Chat Mode by clicking the **Chat** button in the input bar.

**Use Chat Mode when you need answers, not artifacts.**

<Prompt description={`Chat Mode: get advice on your marketing strategy`} actions={["copy"]}>
  I run a small bakery in Brooklyn. We have about 200 Instagram followers and spend \$500/month on Meta ads. Our best-selling items are croissants and sourdough bread. What would be a realistic social media growth strategy for the next 3 months that does not require hiring a social media manager?
</Prompt>

### What Chat Mode can do

* Answer questions using the model's knowledge
* Analyze attached images (PNG, JPG) and PDFs
* Have back-and-forth conversations
* Choose from all available AI models (not just tiers)

### What Chat Mode cannot do

* Cannot execute code or run commands
* Cannot generate images, videos, or audio
* Cannot search the web
* No sandbox is created
* No rollback or branching

## Plan Mode

Plan Mode is Agent Mode with a planning step first. Before building anything, the agent researches your request, asks clarifying questions, and writes a detailed plan for your approval. Only after you approve does it start executing.

Turn on Plan Mode by clicking the **Plan** button in the input bar before sending your message.

**Use Plan Mode when your project has multiple moving parts and getting it wrong would waste time.**

<Prompt description={`Plan Mode: complex website with auth, payments, and database`} actions={["copy"]}>
  Build a client portal for my accounting firm, Oakridge Accounting. Clients should be able to log in with email, view their tax documents organized by year, upload receipts and expense records, see their invoice history, and pay outstanding invoices with Stripe. Include an admin dashboard where I can upload documents for specific clients, create invoices, and see payment status. Use a clean, professional design with navy and white.
</Prompt>

### What the agent does in Plan Mode

<Steps>
  <Step title="Researches your request">
    The agent searches the web for relevant patterns, reads files you uploaded, checks its memory for your preferences, and reviews documentation.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Asks clarifying questions">
    It comes back with questions about things you did not specify. For the client portal example: should login use email/password or magic links ? Do you need role-based access ? Should invoices support partial payments?
  </Step>

  <Step title="Writes a plan">
    After your answers, the agent creates a `plan.md` file with a full breakdown: what it will build, in what order, using which tools, and how it will verify everything works.
  </Step>

  <Step title="You review and approve">
    You read the plan in the side panel. Adjust anything you want. When it looks right, send a message approving it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Agent executes">
    Only now does the agent start building. It follows the plan step by step.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### What Plan Mode cannot do

* The agent cannot edit files in Plan Mode (except the `plan.md` itself)
* The agent cannot run destructive commands while planning
* The agent cannot install packages or generate media until you approve the plan

## Which mode to pick

| Situation                                                               | Mode       |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- |
| Build a website, presentation, video, image, or any artifact            | Agent Mode |
| Ask a question, brainstorm, get advice, analyze a document              | Chat Mode  |
| Complex project with auth, payments, database, or multiple integrations | Plan Mode  |
| Quick edit to something the agent already built                         | Agent Mode |
| Research a topic without building anything                              | Chat Mode  |
| Project you tried before and it went in the wrong direction             | Plan Mode  |

<Info>
  You cannot switch between Agent Mode and Chat Mode in the middle of a conversation. The mode is set when the chat is created. Start a new chat to use a different mode.
</Info>

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card icon="code-branch" href="/branching-and-rollback" title="Branching and Rollback">
    Go back to any previous version or try multiple directions in parallel.
  </Card>

  <Card icon="upload" href="/file-uploads" title="File Uploads">
    Upload images, documents, code, and other files for the agent to use.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>