AI Chat
AI Chat Overview
The AI panel is the primary interface for working with UltraCoder. It opens as a side panel in the IDE and persists across your sessions with full task history.
Opening the panel
The panel opens automatically when UltraCoder launches. To reopen it or focus the input:
- Press ⌘L (macOS) or Ctrl+L (Linux) from anywhere in the IDE
- Open the Command Palette (⌘⇧P) → UltraCoder: Focus Chat Input
- Click the UltraCoder icon in the Activity Bar (right side)
- Use View → Open In New Tab to detach the panel into a full editor tab
Sending a message
Type your request in the chat input and press Enter to send. UltraCoder responds in real time, proposing actions as it works through the task.
Tasks
Each conversation is a task. Tasks are isolated — UltraCoder starts fresh context for each one, but you can reference the current file and selections automatically.
- New task — click the + button or press the new task shortcut to start fresh
- History — click the clock icon to browse and reopen past tasks
- Task continuity — within a task UltraCoder remembers everything said earlier in the conversation
Model selector
The current model is shown at the bottom of the chat panel. Click it to switch providers or models for the current task. The default model is usf-mini (UltraSafe managed — no API key required).
✦ Tip:You can switch models mid-task. The new model takes effect on the next message, not retroactively.
Approving actions
Before UltraCoder makes any change — editing a file, running a command, or reading a sensitive path — it asks for approval. You can:
- Approve — allow this specific action
- Reject — block this action and let UltraCoder try a different approach
- Auto-approve — configure in Settings to skip approval for specific tool types
Panel views
The AI panel has several views accessible from the top toolbar:
- Chat — the main conversation view
- History — all past tasks
- Settings — providers, models, and extension config
- MCP Servers — connected Model Context Protocol servers
- Custom Modes — create and manage custom modes
- Codemaps — visual structure maps of your codebase
- Marketplace — browse integrations and extensions