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Agent modes optimize Hercules for completing specific tasks.
  1. Plan mode is best for building features and making large changes
  2. Debug mode is best for fixing bugs
  3. Build mode is the best for small fixes and general use cases
Switch modes by selecting the mode toggle at the bottom of the chat input
Agent mode selector showing Build, Plan, and Debug modes

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Quick summary

ModeWhen to useHow it works
Plan mode
  • Building large/complex features
  • Making major app changes
  1. Interviews you
  2. Clarifies your goals/intent
  3. Creates a detailed implementation plan
Debug mode
  • Part of your app isn’t working
  • Build mode isn’t doing what you ask
  1. Interviews you
  2. Investigates possible causes
  3. Proposes hypotheses
  4. Attempts fixes in most likely order
Build mode
  • General use
  • Building small features
More eager. Prioritises building rather than asking clarifying questions.

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Build Mode

Use for: small changes / fixes, general Q&A
Build mode is Hercules’ default mode. The Agent biases towards making changes immediately. It will still plan, research, and ask questions if needed, however, less so than the other modes. Examples:
  • “Change the button color to blue”
  • “Add a loading spinner to the submit button”
  • “Remove the subtitle under the ‘about us’ section”

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Plan Mode

Use for: Large/complex features, unclear requirements
Plan Mode interviews you about your intent and goals, creates product milestones, confirms your approval, and then puts together a detailed engineering implementation plan before writing any code. It then switches back to Build mode to execute the plan. Plan mode ends up being cheaper and faster than just using Build mode. It plans ahead meaning it gives you a more accurate product result and avoids engineering implementation errors. Examples:
  • “Build a CRM for my business”
  • “Create an admin dashboard with user management and analytics”
  • “Add a booking system with calendar and availability”
Plan mode for speccing out new features

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Debug Mode

Use when: app functionality isn’t working as expected or Build mode is unable to resolve an issue
Debug mode interviews you to understand the bug you are experiencing, clarifies how it should work instead, comes up with hypotheses for what is causing this issue by deeply searching the codebase, then implements a fix for each hypothesis one-by-one until the issue is solved. Debug mode ends up being cheaper and faster than just using Build mode. It deeply researches the codebase to find the most likely cause for the issue which means its first fix is most likely correct. Examples:
  • “The checkout button doesn’t open when I click it”
  • “The form submits but the data doesn’t save”
  • “When I try to go to the dashboard it redirects me to the home page”
  • “I can’t login”
  • “Images aren’t loading on the /product page”
Debug mode for fixing issues

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FAQ

Switch modes at any time by clicking the mode selector in the chat interface or by asking the Agent to switch modes. Your conversation context is preserved when switching.
Start with Plan mode to define requirements and milestones. This approach is faster and more accurate than just using build mode then course-correcting later.
No. Plan mode is optional but recommended for complex features. If your request is straightforward, Build mode works well.
Debug mode investigates before making changes. This reduces wasted effort from wrong guesses.
The Agent may suggest switching modes when it detects a mismatch. For example, if you describe a bug while in Build mode, it might recommend switching to Debug mode.