Glossary

The words Studio uses for chats, projects, checkouts, agents, Orchestra, devices, approvals and schedules, with a link to the page for each.

Updated October 25, 2026View as markdown

On this page

The terms used across the Studio docs, grouped by where you meet them.

Chats and projects

Term	Meaning
Chat	One conversation with an agent, in a project, on one device. Some places in the app call it a session. Your first chat
Project	A folder you add to Studio, on this computer or on a remote device. Its chats work on its files. Projects and checkouts
Checkout	Where a chat works in a project: the Local checkout itself, or a worktree. You pick it when you start the chat. Projects and checkouts
Worktree	A separate working copy of the repository on its own branch, so a chat can change files without touching your local checkout. New worktree creates one from a branch you pick. Projects and checkouts
Composer	The box at the bottom of a chat where you write, and pick the agent, model and other options. The composer
Access level	What an agent may do on the device: read only, write in the workspace, or full access. Access levels
Steer	Send a message to an agent while it is working, without stopping the run. Steer, interrupt and stop
Context window	What the model holds in mind for the next turn. Studio shows how full it is. Context and compaction
Compaction	Shortening a long chat's context into a summary so the agent can keep going. Context and compaction

Term	Meaning
Agent	An AI coding agent Studio runs for you, such as Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, Devin or Grok. Settings → Agents lists them per device. Connect your agents
Harness	The agent's own command-line tool or SDK that Studio drives, such as the Claude Code CLI. The app calls them agents. Connect your agents
Account	A provider login an agent runs under. An agent can have several accounts, and you switch between them. Models, reasoning and accounts
Provider retry	Studio retrying a turn the provider cut short, or waiting for a usage limit to reset. Troubleshooting

Term	Meaning
Orchestra	A chat mode in which the model you chat with breaks the work into steps and hands each one to an agent. Agents can run on different providers, in parallel. How Orchestra works
Orchestrator	The model you chat with in an Orchestra chat. It plans, hands out the work and answers its agents' questions. How Orchestra works
Subagent	An agent the orchestrator hands a step to. It works under a role set in Settings → Subagents. Mix providers and accounts
Agent map	The column beside an Orchestra chat that lists its agents as Needs you, Running and Finished. A row opens that agent's record. The agent map and records
Plan card	The card under the agent map that lists the steps of a declared plan in order. The plan card

Term	Meaning
Chat delegation	An agent starting a separate chat for long work, such as a full test run. Chat delegation settings
Proposal	A card in the chat where an agent asks to do something you must confirm, such as start an Orchestra or schedule a chat. Nothing happens until you apply it. Proposals you confirm
Access ceiling	The rule that a chat cannot give another chat more access than it has itself. Access ceiling and limits

Term	Meaning
Scheduled chat	A new chat whose first message is sent once at a time you pick. If the computer is asleep or offline then, it starts when it is back. Scheduled chats
Automated	The page of prompts that run on a schedule. Each run opens a fresh chat. Automated and Workflows
Workflows	The page of saved step-by-step prompts. Each run opens a fresh chat. Automated and Workflows

Term	Meaning
Device	A computer that runs Studio's engine: this Mac, or a server. Settings → Devices & security lists them. Run Studio on your own server
Remote device	A Linux machine you installed Studio on with the install command. Sessions you start there run there, so they keep going while your Mac sleeps. Run Studio on your own server
Online, Waiting, Offline	A device's status: reporting in, a report late, or no report for a few minutes. Device status
Approved device	A device you paired with another. From another device, only approved devices can run, steer or stop a session. Approved devices and signatures
Pairing	Approving a device with a six-digit code shown on one device and typed on the other. Approved devices and signatures
Encryption	Chats, previews, memories, settings and automations are encrypted before they sync, and only paired devices with a key can read them. Encryption of synced content
Archive	Chats hidden from the sidebar, never deleted, which you can unarchive. Backup and archived chats

Term	Meaning
Cloud findings	The findings of your Kelrova Cloud scans, which a chat can read and work on when you turn it on. Kelrova findings in Studio