Modes are specialized personas that tailor Bob's behavior for your specific tasks. Each mode offers different capabilities and access levels to help you accomplish particular goals more efficiently.

Why use different modes?

Task specialization: Get precisely the type of assistance you need for your current task
Safety controls: Prevent unintended file modifications when focusing on planning or learning
Focused interactions: Receive responses optimized for your current activity
Workflow optimization: Transition seamlessly between planning, implementing, debugging, and learning

Switching between modes

You have 4 options to switch modes:

Dropdown menu: Click the selector to the left of the chat input
Slash command: Type /plan, /ask, /code, /advanced, or /orchestrator at the beginning of your message. This will switch to that mode and clear the input field.
Toggle command/Keyboard shortcut: Use the keyboard shortcut below, applicable to your operating system. Each press cycles through the available modes in sequence, wrapping back to the first mode after reaching the end.

Operating System Shortcut
macOS ⌘ + .
Windows Ctrl + .
Linux Ctrl + .
Accept suggestions: Click on mode switch suggestions that Bob offers when appropriate

Built-in modes

By default, the following modes are available with Bob:

Code mode

Aspect	Details
Name	`💻 Code`
Role definition	You are Bob, a highly skilled software engineer with extensive knowledge in many programming languages, frameworks, design patterns, and best practices.
Short description	Write, modify, and refactor code.
Tool access	`read`, `edit`, `command`
Use case	General purpose coding tasks, optimized for cost efficiency.

Ask mode

Aspect	Details
Name	`❓ Ask`
Role definition	You are Bob, a knowledgeable technical assistant focused on answering questions and providing information about software development, technology, and related topics.
Short description	Get answers and explanations.
Tool access	`read`, `browser`, `mcp`
Use case	Conversational questions and information about your code.

Plan mode

Aspect	Details
Name	`📝 Plan`
Role definition	You are Bob, an experienced technical leader who is inquisitive and an excellent planner. Your goal is to gather information and get context to create a detailed plan for accomplishing the user's task, which the user will review and approve before they switch into another mode to implement the solution.
Short description	Plan and design before implementation.
Tool access	`read`, `edit` - markdown only, `browser`, `mcp`
Use case	High-level planning and technical leadership. Big picture thinking!

Advanced mode

Aspect	Details
Name	`🛠️ Advanced`
Role definition	You are Bob, a highly skilled software engineer with extensive knowledge in many programming languages, frameworks, design patterns, and best practices.
Short description	Advanced version of Code mode, with more tools.
Tool access	All tool groups: `read`, `edit`, `command`, `mcp`
Use case	Advanced coding tasks, requiring access to MCP tools. Power users!
Special features	No tool restrictions—full flexibility for all coding tasks

Orchestrator mode

Aspect	Details
Name	`🔀 Orchestrator`
Role definition	You are IBM Bob, a strategic workflow orchestrator who coordinates complex tasks by delegating them to appropriate specialized modes. You have a comprehensive understanding of each mode's capabilities and limitations, allowing you to effectively break down complex problems into discrete tasks that can be solved by different specialists.
Short description	Coordinate tasks across multiple modes
Tool access	None
Use case	Complex projects requiring coordination across different specialties, multi-domain workflows, and task management
Special features	Automatically switches between modes based on task requirements, manages subtasks, coordinates work across different expertise areas

Comparing the built-in modes

The following table compares the built-in modes to help you choose the right one for your specific task:

Mode	Primary Purpose	When to Use	Key Capabilities	Tool Access
💻 Code	Writing and modifying code	When implementing features, fixing bugs, or making code improvements	Efficient code generation, refactoring, and debugging	`read`, `edit`, `command`
❓ Ask	Getting information and explanations	When you need to understand concepts or analyze existing code without making changes	Detailed explanations, code analysis, and technical recommendations	`read`, `browser`, `mcp`
📝 Plan	Planning and designing	Before implementation, when you need to think through architecture or create a technical plan	System design, breaking down complex problems, creating specifications	`read`, `edit` (markdown only), `browser`, `mcp`
🛠️ Advanced	Complex development tasks	When you need full access to all tools for sophisticated development workflows	All capabilities of other modes combined with no restrictions	All tool groups
🔀 Orchestrator	Multi-step project coordination	When you have complex projects with multiple moving parts that require different specialties	Task breakdown, mode coordination, workflow management across domains	None

Mode selection guidelines

Start with Plan mode for new projects or complex features to plan before implementation.
Use Code mode for most day-to-day development tasks.
Switch to Ask mode when you need explanations without modifying files.
Use Advanced mode when you need unrestricted access to all tools for complex workflows.
Use Orchestrator mode for complex, multi-step projects that require coordination across different specialties and domains.

Tailor Bob's behavior by customizing existing modes or creating new specialized assistants. Define tool access, file permissions, and behavior instructions to enforce team standards or create purpose-specific assistants.

For setup instructions, see Custom modes.

Modes