FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Agent Console.

General

What is Agent Console?

Agent Console is an Obsidian plugin that lets you chat with AI agents directly within Obsidian. It supports Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, and any ACP-compatible agent. The plugin uses the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) to communicate with agents.

Is this an official Anthropic/OpenAI/Google plugin?

No. Agent Console is a community-developed plugin. It uses official agent packages but is not affiliated with any AI provider.

Does this work on mobile?

No. Agent Console is desktop-only. Agents run as local processes, which is not supported on mobile devices.

Is my data sent to AI providers?

Yes. When you send a message, it's processed by the AI provider behind your selected agent (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.). Review each provider's privacy policy for details.

Note Mentions

How do I reference my notes in a conversation?

Type @ in the input field and a dropdown appears with matching notes. Select a note to insert a mention in @[[Note Name]] format. The note's content is sent to the agent.

See Note Mentions for details.

Is there a length limit on notes I send?

Nothing to configure – long notes and selections are sent as a truncated preview (up to 10,000 characters) plus a link to the full note, so the agent can read the rest on demand. It's automatic.

Is the note I'm looking at included automatically?

Yes. On a fresh chat, the note you have open rides along as a provisional pill in the context strip and pins into the conversation when you send your first message. Prefer to start every chat empty? Turn it off under Settings → Agent Console → Chat behavior → Active note as default context.

Can I include just part of a note?

Yes. Select text in your note before sending and only that selection is sent as context. Long selections are sent as a truncated preview with a link back to the full note.

How do I drop the active note from one chat?

Remove its pill in the context strip – click the ✕ on the pill, or focus it and press Backspace. To stop the active note being added by default at all, turn off Settings → Agent Console → Chat behavior → Active note as default context.

Agents

How do I switch between agents?

Click the ⋮ (ellipsis) menu in the chat header. Under "Switch agent", select the agent you want to use. This is a one-time change for that view only.

To change the default agent for new chat views, go to Settings → Agent Console → Default agent.

Can I run multiple agents at the same time?

Yes. Click the + in the tab bar to open a new tab – each tab runs an independent agent session. Right-click the + to start the new tab on a different agent, and use the Broadcast commands to drive several at once.

See Tabbed Sessions for details.

How do I send the same prompt to multiple agents?

Use the Broadcast commands:

1. Type your prompt in one chat view
2. Open command palette and run "Broadcast prompt" to copy it to all views
3. Run "Broadcast send" to send simultaneously

Where do new chat views open?

Agent Console runs in the sidebar and multiplexes with in-panel tabs, so new chats open as tabs in the same panel – not as separate editor panes. Choose which sidebar it docks in under Settings → Agent Console → Display → Sidebar side (left or right).

What is a custom agent?

Any ACP-compatible agent beyond the built-in ones (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI). You can add custom agents in Settings → Agent Console → Custom agents. See Custom Agents.

Do all agents support the same features?

No. Features like slash commands, modes, and models depend on the agent. The plugin adapts its UI based on what the agent supports. For example, the mode dropdown only appears if the agent provides multiple modes.

Slash Commands

Why don't I see slash commands?

Slash commands are provided by the agent, not the plugin. If the input placeholder doesn't show / for commands, your current agent doesn't support slash commands.

Why are the commands different from what I expected?

Each agent provides its own commands. Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI all have different command sets. Refer to your agent's documentation for available commands.

Permissions

Why does the agent ask for permission?

Some agents request permission before performing certain actions (like editing files or running commands). This is a safety feature controlled by the agent.

Can I auto-approve all permissions?

Yes. Enable Settings → Agent Console → Permissions → Auto-allow permissions. Use with caution—this gives agents full access without confirmation prompts.

Some agents don't ask for permission at all?

Correct. Permission behavior is agent-specific. Some agents may edit files directly without requesting permission.

Exporting

How do I export a conversation?

Click the export button in the chat header. The conversation is saved as a Markdown file in your vault.

Where are exports saved?

By default, exports are saved to the Agent Console folder in your vault. You can change this in Settings → Agent Console → Export → Export folder.

Can I auto-export conversations?

Yes. Enable Auto-export on new chat or Auto-export on close chat in export settings.

Can I customize the frontmatter tag?

Yes. In Settings → Agent Console → Export → Frontmatter tag, you can set a custom tag. Nested tags like projects/agent-console are supported.

Session History

How do I resume a previous conversation?

Click the History button (clock icon) in the chat header to open the session history modal. Select a session and click Restore to reopen it in a new tab, right where you left off.

See Session History for details.

What's the difference between Restore and Fork?

Restore reopens the session in a new tab, right where you left off – your current chat is untouched, and the agent reconnects when you send your first message. Fork branches the session into a new tab so you can explore a different direction without changing the original. Fork works with any agent: agents that support server-side forking keep the assistant's full context, while others start a fresh session that shows the earlier transcript for reference.

The modal says "This agent does not support session restoration"

This appears only when a session can't be reopened at all – the agent advertises no restore capability and Agent Console has no locally saved transcript to reopen from. Whenever a local transcript exists, Restore stays available: it reopens the session in a new tab and reconnects on your first message. You can always view and delete locally saved sessions.

Are my sessions saved automatically?

Yes. The plugin automatically saves session metadata and message history when you send messages. Sessions are stored locally in Obsidian's data folder.

Can I delete old sessions?

Yes. Open the session history modal and click the Delete button (trash icon) on any session. Deletion is permanent.

Windows

What is WSL mode?

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) mode runs agents inside a Linux environment on Windows. Enable it in Settings → Agent Console → Windows Subsystem for Linux → Enable WSL mode. This is useful for agents that work better in Linux environments.

Do I need to specify a WSL distribution?

Only if you have multiple WSL distributions installed and want to use a specific one. Leave it empty to use your default distribution.

Cost & Billing

Is Agent Console free?

The plugin itself is free and open source. However, using AI agents may incur costs depending on the agent and your authentication method.

API key vs account login—what's the difference?

• API key: Billed per usage by the AI provider. You pay for what you use.
• Account login: Uses your subscription's included usage. May have limits depending on your plan.

Getting Help

Where can I get help?

1. Check the Troubleshooting page
2. Search GitHub Issues
3. Open a new issue if your problem isn't covered

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue on GitHub with:

• Your OS and Obsidian version
• The agent you're using
• Steps to reproduce
• Error messages (enable Debug Mode in Settings → Agent Console)