The workspace

The workspace is where you and Anvil get things done. Whether you start in the terminal or the browser, it's one live session: a conversation, the files and commands it touches, and a rail that shows what the agent knows and is doing.

Chat vs. Coding

Anvil opens on Chat — ask anything, and it answers, runs tools, and streams the result. When the work is building or changing a codebase, switch to Coding: same engine, but oriented around a project — file edits, diffs, running the code, and committing.

• Chat — a conversation that can reach for any tool (bash, file read/write, web search, image generation, and more).
• Coding — a project-scoped session: open a repo, let Anvil read and edit it, run it, and prepare commits.

Both run against whatever model you've selected, and both carry the same memory and permissions.

Picking a model, mid-session

The model selector at the top of the workspace sets the active provider and model. Switch it any time — Anvil swaps the provider, routing, and system identity together, so you're never half-changed between two providers.

/model gpt-5.6      # switch provider + model on the fly
/model              # or pick from the list

Permissions: you decide what it can do

Every session runs under a permission mode you control — from read-only to full access. A destructive or outward-facing action asks first unless you've granted it. The rail shows the current mode at a glance.

[!NOTE] Permissions are per-session and explicit. Anvil won't take an irreversible or outward-facing action on your behalf without the mode or a confirmation that allows it.

The status rail

Down the side of the workspace, the rail is your situational awareness:

• Model — the active provider/model and effort.
• Permissions — the current mode.
• Memory — what Anvil has learned and is carrying into this turn.
• Mind map — a live, force-directed view of what it's thinking.
• Sessions — switch between conversations; search and filter them.

Related

• Memory — how the rail's memory works, and how you curate it.
• Command reference — every slash command, including the session and model commands used here.