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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://ade-app.dev/docs/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

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What the Agent Can Do

The chat agent has access to a broad tool palette. The exact tools available depend on the lane’s permission config and the session’s settings.

File operations

Read, write, and search files within the lane’s worktree. The agent sees your full directory structure and can reference any file by path.

Terminal commands

Run shell commands in the lane’s terminal session — build scripts, test runners, linters, package managers, or any CLI tool installed in your environment.

Git operations

Create and switch branches, stage and commit changes, view diffs, check status, and push to remote. The agent stays within the lane’s worktree.

Pull requests

Create PRs with auto-generated descriptions, update PR bodies, request reviewers, and apply labels — if GitHub integration is configured.

Linear integration

Create and update Linear issues, link issues to branches, and attach artifacts to issues.

Mission spawning

Escalate the current task into a new Mission, carrying over conversation context as the planner’s seed.

Repo inspection

Inspect repository docs, source files, file maps, open PRs, recent activity, and human work digests.

Image attachments

Attach images (JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP) to any message. Images are sent as inline base64 content blocks so the agent can see screenshots, diagrams, or UI mockups natively.

ADE actions

Agents call ADE’s typed actions — lane, git, PR, process, chat, test, proof, and memory tools — through the ADE RPC surface. Toggle tool groups for the session from the chat header.

PR issue resolution

Specialized workflow tools for fixing PR issues: read failing check output, read review comments, apply fixes, and verify the fix resolves the issue. In convergence sessions, the agent receives the full issue inventory with source attribution and severity. Available when a lane has an open PR.
Provider-native tools (built into the model’s API, like Claude’s native file tool) are tracked separately from ADE-owned tools (served through the ADE RPC surface). The chat header tools badge shows the count of ADE actions available to the session; provider-native tools are always available based on the model.

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Creating a PR from Chat

The most common workflow is: make changes in chat → have the agent create a PR.
1

Make your changes

Work with the agent to implement the feature, fix the bug, or refactor the code. Changes are committed to the lane’s branch as you go.
2

Ask the agent to create a PR

Say “create a PR” or “open a pull request.” The agent will:
  • Read the current branch name and recent commits
  • Inspect relevant repo docs and source files for architectural context
  • Generate a PR title and description based on the changes
  • Pre-fill reviewer suggestions if you have GitHub team integration enabled
  • Apply relevant labels based on the branch name and changed files
3

Review and confirm

The agent surfaces the PR form as an interactive block in the chat. Edit the title, description, or reviewer list, then click Create PR. The PR is opened in GitHub and a link is attached as an artifact in the chat session.
If your project has a PR description template, keep it in the repository. The agent can inspect it when generating PR descriptions.

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Spawning a Mission from Chat

When a task is too large for a single chat session, escalate to a Mission without losing context.
1

Recognize the scope

Escalate when the task needs changes across more than 3–4 unrelated files, parallel workers, a validation phase, or a formal audit trail.
2

Say 'start a mission'

Type “start a mission for this” or “this should be a mission.” ADE opens the Mission creation dialog, pre-filled with:
  • A title derived from the current conversation
  • A description assembled from your messages in the session
  • The current lane pre-selected
3

Review and launch

Adjust the mission config as needed (add lanes, set budget cap, configure permissions), then click Start Mission. The mission opens in the Mission detail view. The chat session remains in History for reference.

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Agent Questions and Multi-Select

When an agent needs input — permission to proceed, a choice between options, or a freeform answer — a question modal appears. Questions with predefined options support multi-select: toggle multiple values and preview each option’s description rendered as Markdown. The modal also supports freeform text input alongside option selection.

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Long-Running Tool Calls

Tool calls that take more than a few seconds are displayed as expandable blocks in the chat message list:
  • A spinner and elapsed timer indicate the call is in progress
  • Click the block to expand it and see partial output as it streams
  • Click the block again to collapse it once it completes
If a tool call is taking unexpectedly long (e.g., a test run has hung), press Escape to interrupt it. The agent receives an interruption signal and will report the partial results before asking for guidance.
If a tool call fails, the agent automatically explains the error and offers alternatives — you do not need to re-phrase your request. You can either accept the agent’s proposed workaround or provide explicit instructions.