Projects and threads
Open project folders, start and manage threads, attach files, mention paths and skills, and use the side panel's artifacts, files, and browser views.
Projects
A project is a folder on your computer. Open one with Add project, which has a path field, a folder browser, and a list of recent folders. You can also open a folder from your terminal with sprocket path/to/folder.
Clone or create a GitHub repository
This is only in dev and canary builds. It isn’t in a stable release yet. See release channels.
Add project can also start a project from a repository:
- Clone repo takes
owner/repoor any git URL and clones it into a new folder, named after the repository, inside the folder you browse to. - New GitHub repo takes a name and Public or Private. It creates the repository on your github.com account, then clones it the same way.
Both use the GitHub credential from Settings → Version Control. Creating a repository needs a token that can create repositories.
Sprocket identifies a project by its git origin remote. Every clone and worktree of the same repository shares one project and one thread list, even on different machines. A repository without an origin remote, or a folder outside git, is identified by its folder name, so two such folders with the same name share a project.
Switch projects from the project menu. Remove takes a project off the list without touching its files.
Threads
A thread is one conversation with the agent. The sidebar lists a project’s threads in two groups:
- Unsettled for threads you’re still working on.
- Settled Threads for finished ones.
Open a thread’s menu to settle or unsettle it, rename it, regenerate its title, move it to another project, or copy its ID. You can’t settle or move a thread while it or its subagents are running. Sprocket names new threads for you unless you turn this off in Settings. It can also settle threads when their pull requests merge.
Threads can’t be deleted.
Send messages
Press Enter to send and Shift+Enter for a new line. The composer accepts new messages once the current run ends. While a run is going, you can still answer the agent’s questions.
Add context to a message:
| To add | Do this |
|---|---|
| Files | Click Attach files, drag them in, or paste them. Images show a preview. |
| A file or folder path | Type @ and pick from the workspace. |
| A skill | Type $ or / followed by the skill name. See Skills. |
Stop and continue
Stop generation ends the current run. Each running command also has its own Stop command button.
If a run fails or the server restarts, Continue working resumes the thread. Sprocket also resumes interrupted runs by itself after a restart or crash, unless you turn this off in Settings.
Subagents
The agent can start subagents to work on parts of a task in parallel. Each subagent is its own thread and appears under its parent in the sidebar. See Subagents.
Side panel
The side panel has tabs that you can split right or down. It has three views:
- Artifacts shows files the agent linked to the project, rendered. See Artifacts.
- Files is a file tree where you can search, create, rename, delete, and edit files. The editor asks before it discards unsaved changes.
- Browser shows the browser the agent controls.
Artifacts
An artifact is a project file the agent bound for you to view. Edits to the file show up in the artifact. Sprocket renders each artifact based on its file name:
| File name ends with | Renders as |
|---|---|
.html or .htm | A web page |
.jsx | A React component |
.render.json | A json-render spec using the app’s components |
.wiring.json | A wiring diagram |
| Anything else | Markdown |
Rich replies
Agent replies render GitHub-flavored Markdown plus:
- Inline HTML and React visuals.
- Mermaid diagrams.
- Math with KaTeX.
- KiCad project cards with 2D and 3D board views. See Hardware.
- Artifact cards.
- Code blocks with syntax highlighting and a copy button.
Usage per thread
The AI usage button in a thread shows what the thread and its subagents cost at direct API prices.