How Workshop builds
Workshop defaults to Build Mode — you describe what you want, and it starts building. For most tasks, this is all you need. Describe the goal, provide context, and iterate on the results. When a project needs more upfront thinking, Plan Mode is available as a scoping tool. It acts like an experienced technical product manager — asking questions, pushing back on scope, and producing a structured plan before any code gets written. Neither mode is “the right way.” Build Mode is the default because most interactions are iterative. Plan Mode is there when you need it.Model selector
Workshop is multi-model and multi-provider — you choose which model powers your main agent. Open the model selector in the top-left of the conversation to switch at any time. For most projects, we recommend a strong orchestrator model like Claude Sonnet 4.6, GLM-5.1, or GPT-5.4. These models are especially good at breaking down complex tasks, using tools effectively, and delegating work to sub-agents when needed. If you need maximum performance on a complex project, top-tier models like Claude Opus will produce excellent results — just note they consume more credits. A strong orchestrator will also delegate simpler subtasks to faster, cheaper models automatically, so you’re not paying top-tier rates for everything. Smaller models like Gemini 3.1 Flash or Claude Haiku 4.5 are a good choice for quick, focused tasks that aren’t part of a larger project — reading a document, summarizing something, or answering a question. They’re fast and cost-efficient, but may underperform on multi-step builds or complex orchestration. If you’re using Workshop Desktop, local models are also available in the selector — see Local Models to set them up. The currently available models are:| Model | Provider | Best for | Speed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude Sonnet 4.6 | Anthropic | Balanced — code, review, orchestration | Fast | Medium |
| Claude Haiku 4.5 | Anthropic | Fast, focused tasks — searches, scans, checklists | Fastest | Low |
| Claude Opus 4 | Anthropic | Complex reasoning — architecture, multi-file analysis | Slower | Highest |
| GPT-5.4 | OpenAI | Backend coding, code review, general-purpose reasoning | Fast | Medium |
| GPT-5.4 Mini | OpenAI | Lighter tasks at lower cost | Fast | Low |
| GPT-5.4 Nano | OpenAI | Simple tasks, lowest cost | Fastest | Lowest |
| Gemini 3.1 Pro | Frontend dev, long-context analysis (1M token window) | Fast | Medium | |
| Gemini 3.1 Flash | Fast general-purpose tasks, large context | Fastest | Low | |
| GLM-5.1 | Z.ai | Frontend dev, long-horizon tasks, cost-efficient coding | Fast | Lowest |
| GLM-5 | Z.ai | General-purpose coding | Fast | Low |
| GLM-5 Turbo | Z.ai | Fast coding tasks | Fastest | Lowest |
| GLM-5v Turbo | Z.ai | Vision + coding tasks | Fast | Low |
| Kimi K2.5 | Moonshot | Coding, reasoning, multilingual tasks | Fast | Low |
This list is updated regularly as new models become available. For the latest, check the model selector in the app.
Communicating effectively
The clearer you are about what you want, the better Workshop can deliver. Think of it as a collaborative conversation.Be specific and descriptive
Vague prompts produce generic results. Specificity gives Workshop the information it needs to make the right decisions.- Vague
- Specific
Provide context and purpose
Tell Workshop why you’re building something, not just what. Context about your situation, audience, and constraints leads to better decisions.- No context
- With context
Iterate and refine
Building software is iterative. Instead of expecting perfection on the first try, guide Workshop through incremental improvements with specific feedback.- Unhelpful
- Actionable
Prompting by intent
Starting a project
Give Workshop a clear picture of what you’re building, who it’s for, and what success looks like.Describing design and UI
Reference specific styles, colors, layouts, and interaction patterns rather than abstract adjectives.Defining functionality
Describe user interactions as specific scenarios — what the user does, what should happen, and what edge cases to handle.Backend and API work
Specify data models, integrations, performance requirements, and security considerations.Debugging and troubleshooting
Describe what you expected, what actually happened, and any relevant context about when the issue occurs.Requesting changes
Be specific about what to change, where to change it, and why.Plan Mode
Plan Mode is an optional scoping tool for when you want structured requirements gathering before building. It’s especially useful when starting a new project from scratch or when you’re not sure exactly what you need.What Plan Mode does
- Asks probing questions to understand your true needs — typically 2–3 structured questions per turn
- Scopes down to an MVP before expanding — build something valuable first
- Pushes back when you’re over-engineering or adding unnecessary complexity
- Produces a plan document that Build Mode can follow step by step
How it works
Discovery
Plan Mode asks questions to understand your needs using structured multiple-choice for clear, efficient communication.
MVP Scoping
Based on your answers, Plan Mode identifies the smallest version that delivers real value. It steers away from scope creep.
Summary Checkpoint
Before generating the plan, Plan Mode presents a concise summary of scope and technical decisions. You review and approve — or request adjustments.
The plan document
Each plan is append-only — new plans never overwrite existing ones, preserving your decision history. The plan includes:- Spec Header — Name, smallest scope, non-goals
- Decision Snapshot — Key technical and product decisions
- Architecture at a Glance — Recommended stack and structure
- Implementation Plan — Step-by-step development phases
- Verification & Demo Script — How to test each phase
- Deploy — Deployment strategy
Plan Mode is read-only — it cannot modify files or execute code. Planning stays separate from implementation.
Switching between modes
Open the + menu to the left of the conversation input and choose Mode: Build to reveal the mode picker, then select Plan or Build. You can also just type “Use Plan mode.” (or “Switch to Build mode.”) — Workshop will flip the toggle for you. The mode persists across sessions and defaults to Build Mode.
A common workflow for new projects:
- Plan Mode — Define requirements, scope the MVP, create a plan
- Build Mode — Implement Phase 1
- Plan Mode — Evaluate results, plan Phase 2
- Build Mode — Continue implementation
Voice input
Workshop supports voice dictation — speak your prompt instead of typing it. Your speech is transcribed and inserted into the message input. How to use it:- Click the microphone icon in the message input toolbar, or press ⌘⇧D (Mac) / Ctrl⇧D (Windows/Linux)
- Speak your prompt — the button pulses while recording
- Click the microphone again (or press the shortcut again) to stop — Workshop transcribes your audio and inserts the text
- Edit the transcription if needed, then send as usual
Files and attachments
You can attach files directly in the message input — but how you attach a file determines what Workshop can do with it. Attaching in the input box (drag-and-drop, paste, or clipboard) The model can read and understand the file — useful for showing Workshop a design reference, a screenshot of a bug, or a spec to follow. The file is not stored anywhere your app can access, so it won’t appear in what gets built. Uploading a file for your app to use If you want Workshop to use a file inside your app — a logo, a background image, a data file — you need to upload it first:- Click the + button in the message input and choose Files & Uploads, or go to Workshop Hub → Uploads
- Type @ in the message input and select the file by name
- Tell Workshop how to use it — e.g. “Use @logo.png as the logo in the header”
- Context files help Workshop understand your project — reference material, design specs, data schemas, or documentation it should read but not directly include in output. Add files to your project’s context through the sidebar Sources panel.
- Content files are material Workshop should use directly — images to display, data files to process, CSVs to transform. Upload these and reference with @ in your message.
.workshop/ directory structure described in Context and Memory.
Message queuing
You can keep typing while Workshop is responding. Messages you send during an active response are queued and delivered automatically once the current response completes. This means you don’t need to wait for the agent to finish before giving your next instruction — just type and send as you think of things. Queued messages appear above the input so you can review or remove them before they’re sent.Send now
If you want your queued messages sent immediately without waiting for the current response to finish, click Send now. This interrupts the agent’s current response and delivers your queued messages as a single combined prompt.Managing long conversations
Every conversation has a finite context window — the amount of information Workshop can hold in memory at once. As a conversation grows, responses can slow down and quality can degrade toward the end of the window. Workshop handles this automatically so you can focus on building.Auto-compaction
When your conversation approaches the context window limit, Workshop automatically compacts it. This creates an intelligent summary of the conversation so far and continues seamlessly — no action needed from you. Here’s what happens:- Workshop detects that the conversation is nearing its context limit
- It generates a focused summary that preserves the key decisions, code context, and current task state
- Your conversation continues in a new child conversation, carrying forward the essential context
- The original conversation becomes read-only history you can review anytime
The /compact command
You can also compact manually at any time using the /compact command. This is useful when you want to start a fresh context on your own terms — for example, after completing a milestone.
When a conversation nears the context limit, a banner appears suggesting compaction:
You can click Compact conversation and continue in the banner, or type /compact in the chat input at any time.
Other useful commands
| Command | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
/context [guidance] | Update project context from conversation | /context focus on API patterns |
/summarize [focus] | Summarize the current conversation | /summarize action items |
Tips for better results
Use version control
Projects can evolve quickly and it’s easy to lose a working state. Ask Workshop to initialize Git and commit at key milestones so you can always go back to a version that worked — or connect a GitHub repository using the native GitHub integration to back up your code and collaborate with others.
Try Plan Mode for new projects
When starting from scratch, Plan Mode helps you define clear requirements and creates a structured plan — even from vague ideas.
Work incrementally
Build features one at a time. Get core functionality working before adding complexity. This makes debugging easier and progress more visible.
Use custom instructions
Set consistent preferences in Settings so you don’t repeat the same guidance in every conversation.
Leverage project context
Keep your
.workshop/context.md updated so Workshop always understands your project’s current state and conventions. See Context and Memory.