Custom Modes

Create your own modes with a custom role, instructions, icon, and tool selection. Custom modes appear alongside the built-in modes and can be activated with a slash command.

Creating a custom mode

1. 1

   Open the Modes panel

   Click the Modes icon in the AI panel toolbar, or run UltraCoder: Custom Modes from the Command Palette.
2. 2

   Click 'New Mode'

   Give your mode a name and a slug (used as the slash command, e.g. review → /review).
3. 3

   Write the role definition

   Describe what this mode does in a few sentences. This becomes UltraCoder's system prompt for this mode. Be specific about the role, the expected output format, and any constraints.
4. 4

   Set 'When to use'

   A short description that appears in the mode selector to help you remember when to activate this mode.
5. 5

   Choose tool groups

   Select which tools the mode can use. Options are:

   • Read — read files and search the codebase
   • Edit — write and modify files (optionally restrict to a file pattern, e.g. *.md)
   • Command — run terminal commands
   • Browser — web browsing and screenshot tools
   • MCP — tools from connected MCP servers
6. 6

   Save and use

   Click Save. The mode is immediately available in the mode selector and via its slash command.

Editing and deleting modes

Open the Modes panel, hover over a custom mode, and click the edit or delete icon. Built-in modes (Code, Architect, Ask, Debug, Orchestrator) cannot be deleted but can be edited if you want to change their default instructions.

Exporting and sharing modes

Custom modes are stored in the extension's settings. You can export all extension settings (including modes) via Settings → Import/Export Settings and share the exported file with teammates.