Conversation Forking
Explore ideas in parallel without affecting your main conversation or code
A fork branches off any point in the chat to explore ideas or plans without changing code. It keeps the history up to that point. Merge it back when you're done, and optionally build from there.
Need a parallel agent that can change code? Use a feature branch. Forks stay read-only.
Creating a Fork
There are two ways to start a fork:
From a Message
Every completed assistant message has a fork button (the split icon) in its footer, next to the ... menu. Click it to create a fork that starts from that point in the conversation.
The fork inherits the full conversation history up to and including that message. Everything after it in the main chat is not visible to the fork.
While the Agent is Running
If the agent is currently working and you want to explore a different direction without interrupting it:
- Type your message in the chat input
- Click the split icon button that appears next to the submit button, or press Cmd+Enter (or Ctrl+Enter on Windows)
This creates a fork from the latest assistant message and immediately sends your message in the new fork. The main agent continues working undisturbed.
Working in a Fork
When you're in a fork, you'll notice a few differences:
- Fork tabs appear above the chat, letting you switch between your main conversation and any active forks
- A "Read-only fork" banner appears above the chat input with merge and discard actions
- Agent mode is locked. You can use Plan, Chat, and Design modes.
- View and Revert buttons on previous messages are disabled, since forks don't produce code changes
A fork can: answer questions, read files, view the sandbox and browser logs, propose plans, use project memory, tasks, and knowledge, generate images, and search the web.
A fork cannot: edit files, run code, commit, run builds or migrations, or restart the dev server.
Fork Naming
Stardeck titles a fork from its first message. Rename it with the pencil icon on its tab, or double-click the tab name.
Merging a Fork
When you've finished exploring and want to bring the conversation context back into your main chat, click Merge in the fork banner above the chat input.
Merging appends all fork messages to the end of your main conversation. The main chat agent can then see everything that was discussed in the fork and continue from there.
Merge is only available when the main agent is idle (not currently streaming a response) and when the fork has at least one message.
What Happens When You Merge
- A "Merged from fork" divider appears in the main chat
- All user and assistant messages from the fork are appended in order
- An "End of merged fork" marker closes the section
- The fork tab is removed (the fork is marked as merged)
You're then back on the main chat, and the agent sees everything from the fork.
Merge & Build
If the fork proposed a plan, its card shows Merge & Build instead of Build plan. It merges the fork, switches the main chat to Agent mode, and builds the plan.
Discarding a Fork
Click Discard in the fork banner. The tab is removed; its messages are kept but hidden.
Multiple Forks
Forks are independent and don't see each other's messages. Switch between them with the tabs above the chat.
Forks cannot be created from other forks. The fork button only appears when viewing the main chat.
Tips
- Compare approaches: fork once per option, plan each, then merge the one you prefer.
- Ask without interrupting: during a long build, press Cmd+Enter to fork and ask.