Operating Agents

Mnethos provides three specialized agents, each designed for different stages of development work. They differ in capabilities and access levels, allowing you to choose the right approach for your task.

Agent Comparison

Typical workflow: Use architect to plan → Switch to smith to implement

Any agent can lean on sage to research and understand your codebase when needed.

Agent Selection Summary

Here are the key points to remember when selecting an agent:

How to switch quickly

1. Type :agent in your Mnethos session
2. Browse the available agents list
3. Use ↑/↓ to choose an agent
4. Press Enter to confirm

Why selection matters

Models control raw intelligence, while agents control behavior and execution style. Picking the right agent gives you help that matches your current stage of work.

When to switch

• Use sage for deep research and system understanding
• Use architect for planning and change analysis
• Use smith for direct implementation and code changes
• Use custom agents for team- or domain-specific workflows

Pro tips

• Your conversation and project context are preserved when switching agents
• Combine :agent with :model to tune both behavior and intelligence

architect Agent

architect analyzes your codebase and creates detailed implementation plans. It proposes solutions and explains the impact of changes without modifying your code, writing its plans to the plans/ directory.

Switch to architect: :architect (alias :plan)

Ideal for:

• Planning complex refactoring
• Understanding scope before implementation
• Working with critical or production code
• Learning how to implement specific features
• Changes requiring team review

Example prompts:

• "How would you redesign this API for better scalability?"
• "Create a plan to add user authentication"
• "What's needed to implement pagination?"

smith Agent

smith implements solutions directly. It modifies files, creates code, and executes commands to complete tasks immediately. It is the default agent.

Switch to smith: :smith (active by default)

Ideal for:

• Quick fixes and routine tasks
• Refactoring with immediate results
• Implementing approved plans
• Tasks where you want hands-off execution
• Creating new features

Example prompts:

• "Fix the null pointer exception in UserService"
• "Create a React component for the user profile"
• "Add unit tests for the payment processor"

sage Agent

sage is a read-only research agent. It investigates code, traces functionality, and analyzes architecture without making any changes. The other agents can also draw on sage-style research when they need deeper codebase insights.

Switch to sage: :sage (alias :ask)

Ideal for:

• Understanding unfamiliar codebases
• Tracing bugs and following data flow
• Analyzing architecture
• Answering questions about how the code works

Switching Between Agents

You can switch between agents at any time during your session:

• Use :architect (or :plan) to switch to the architect agent
• Use :smith to switch to the smith agent
• Use :sage (or :ask) to switch to the sage agent
• Use :agent to see all available agents and choose from a dropdown

Common patterns:

• Use architect before making significant changes to critical systems
• Switch to smith when you're ready to implement
• Use sage for research whenever you need to understand the code first

Best practice: Use version control and commit your work before using smith for significant changes.

Related Guides

• Plan and Act Guide: Strategic AI Development Workflow with Mnethos
• AI Model Selection Guide: Optimize Mnethos for Your Workflow