Agent Modes

Every conversation in Obvious runs through an agent mode — a configuration that shapes how your agent approaches work. You choose the mode before or during a conversation, and Obvious handles the rest: routing your request with the right settings for the job.

The mode picker

The mode selector sits at the bottom-right of the chat input, showing your current mode. Click it to see your available modes.

Agent

Agent is the general-purpose mode. It researches, writes, codes, and analyzes across any surface in your workspace, working in parallel where the task allows. For everyday work — creating documents, editing sheets, running queries, building workflows, research — start here.

Autobuild

Autobuild is built for shipping code. It writes specs, plans PRs, monitors CI, and drives changes to merge. Use it when the task is a code change that needs to go from idea to a merged pull request.

Autobuild is rolling out gradually across workspaces. If you don't see it in your mode picker, it isn't enabled for your workspace yet.

Draft

Draft researches a topic deeply, then writes up what it found as a grounded blueprint — a structured document, not working code. Use it when you want a well-researched plan or spec worked out before anything gets built: exploring an approach, weighing options, or producing a decision document backed by real investigation.

Custom agents in the picker

If you or your workspace have built custom agents — saved configurations with their own instructions, tools, and behavior — they show up in the same picker, listed directly by name below the three built-in modes: agents you own under Your agents, agents someone has shared with you under Shared with you. If none exist yet, this part of the picker doesn't appear at all.

Choosing a mode

For most work, Agent is the right starting point — it handles the full range of everyday tasks without you needing to think about which specialized mode fits best. Reach for Autobuild specifically when the deliverable is a code change headed to a pull request. Reach for Draft when what you want first is deep research distilled into a written blueprint, before any building happens. If you or your workspace has a custom agent built for the exact repeatable job in front of you, select it directly from the picker instead.

You can switch modes at any point. The mode applies to your next message — it doesn't change what's already been sent.