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Using AlbertCode

The short version of everything. Each section links to its full guide.

Three interfaces, one agent

Interface Start it Good for Guide
Terminal albertcode Working where you already are; scripts and CI Terminal
Browser albertcode --ui Plans and diffs side by side; several sessions at once Browser interface
VS Code The AlbertCode panel Staying in the editor; right-click a folder → Open Here VS Code

All three talk to the same local service, so a task started in one can be followed in another. See How AlbertCode works.

Modes

Mode What happens Use it when
Governed (default) You approve a plan, it works in an isolated copy, runs your tests and reviews the result, then you approve the diff Changes you care about
Direct It works in your real files and asks before each write (or, with auto, doesn't ask). Needs Git Pairing on something you're watching
Ask only It answers questions and changes nothing; a change is offered for your go Understanding a codebase

Switch with /mode, or start one request in a given mode with /plan or /do. See Chatting with Albert.

Approvals

In governed mode there are two:

  1. The plan. The goal, the files it expects to change, the steps, the test plan, the risk and how to roll back. Approve it, ask for changes, or reject it.
  2. The result. The diff, the test and check results, and the reviews. Accept it, ask for changes, or discard it. Acceptance is refused if a file it changes was edited since the task started.

Accepted changes are ordinary edits in your working tree: review them with git diff, commit them, and undo them with Git.

Everyday commands

Command
/connect, /model Connect a provider, choose a model; albertcode models test checks it (Models)
/plan <request>, /do <request> Start a governed or a direct change
/mode [governed|direct|auto|ask] How plain requests are handled
/new A fresh conversation
/attach <paths> Give it files or screenshots
/tasks, /ledger Recent tasks; the evidence ledger (Tasks and evidence)
/commands, /agents, /plugins, /tools Your extensions (Extending)
/mcp, /connectors MCP servers (MCP servers)
/contract The repository's boundary (The contract)
/help Every command

The terminal reference lists all of them, with examples. In the browser, Ctrl/⌘ K opens the command palette.

The pages of the browser interface

Page What it is for
Architecture What the repository is made of, read from its files
Requirements What the app must do, as a checklist with evidence
Preview and browser tests Run the app beside the chat, edit it by clicking, and test it in a browser
Tasks and the evidence ledger Every task, and the record of what each did
Files and Terminal The repository's files, and a real shell, beside the chat

Scripting

Every step is also a subcommand, so AlbertCode fits a script or CI job:

TASK=$(albertcode create "Add tests for the billing module" --workspace ./repo | jq -r .id)
albertcode show    "$TASK"     # the task, as JSON
albertcode approve "$TASK"     # approve the plan
albertcode diff    "$TASK"     # the change
albertcode accept  "$TASK"     # apply it

albertcode reject discards a task, and albertcode --help lists every subcommand. See Terminal.

Attachments

Paste or drop screenshots, logs and documents into the browser or VS Code, or use /attach in the terminal. Images reach the model as images, if the model accepts them. If it doesn't, AlbertCode tells you. See Attachments.

Checking your setup

albertcode doctor

This shows which build tools AlbertCode can see, and where it found them.