---
url: 'https://vixl.app/using/use-the-workbench.md'
description: 'The right-side workbench holds editor, terminal, plan, and agent-shell tabs.'
---
# Use the workbench

The workbench is the right-side panel: files, a terminal, plans, and captured agent shells next to the chat. Toggle it with `Cmd` or `Ctrl+Shift+B` (see [Keyboard shortcuts](/reference/keyboard-shortcuts)).

The plus menu (**New tab**) offers **Editor** and **Terminal**. Plan tabs and agent-shell tabs open from chats and from Settings lists, not from that plus menu.

Tabs persist across launches. Interactive terminal sessions do not: the PTY dies with the tab.

If a **Terminal** tab is already open for that project, Vixl asks whether to reuse it or open another. Default is ask (`workbench.duplicateTabBehavior` in [settings.json](/reference/settings-json)). Open existing or Open new, and optionally do not ask again. Editor tabs do not use that prompt: one editor tab per project, and opening a file adds it there.

## Editor

![Workbench editor with debounce.ts open, the file tree, and the language server status chip](/media/landing/editor-dark.webp)

Editor tabs host a Monaco editor. One tab can hold several open files. Project row **Open Editor** opens `README.md`. Graph nodes, skills, agents, rules, and file-tree clicks open at a path. Markdown can preview.

`Cmd` or `Ctrl+S` saves the active buffer. `Cmd` or `Ctrl+Shift+F` opens Find and replace in the workspace. `Cmd` or `Ctrl+Shift+H` opens the same pane with replace expanded. **Search files** is the file picker. **Toggle file list** shows the tree. From the tree you can create, rename, copy, add a file to chat, open a folder in a terminal, and delete.

Language servers are configured in Settings > LSP. The status chip is on the editor tab. See [Language servers](/customize/language-servers).

Closing a dirty file asks before discarding.

## Terminals

![Workbench terminal in the project root after a passing vitest run](/media/landing/terminal-dark.webp)

**Terminal** is a real interactive PTY, not the agent's `run_terminal` tool. The shell is `$SHELL` or `/bin/zsh` (Windows `COMSPEC` / `cmd.exe`). The working directory is the project root, or a folder from **Open in terminal**. A terminal needs a project root and a PTY that can spawn.

## Plan tabs

`create_plan`, Settings > Plans, and the project Plans tab open `.vixl/plans/<id>/PLAN.md` as a plan tab. The header has **Orchestrate** and **Build**. See [Work with plans](/using/work-with-plans).

## Agent shells

When the agent runs `run_terminal`, Vixl opens an agent-shell tab. That view is captured stdout and stderr plus **Stop terminal**. It is not a PTY.

See [Shortcuts and the command palette](/using/shortcuts-and-the-command-palette) to open an editor or terminal from the palette.