AI Interaction Modes

Sticklight gives you three ways to work: Ask mode for understanding your project, Plan mode for aligning on complex work, and Build mode for making changes. Switching between them helps you move from concept to finished product with confidence.

Ask Mode

Ask mode lets you explore and understand your project without making any changes. Use the mode dropdown in the chat input area and select Ask.

What it does:

• Searches and reads your code to answer questions
• Explains how things work and where things are configured
• Traces data flows and architecture
• Helps you understand unfamiliar parts of your project

Best for:

• Understanding how something works before changing it
• Investigating bugs and tracing issues
• Getting oriented in a project you haven’t touched in a while
• Reviewing plans before building
• Asking “what if” questions safely

Ask mode is read-only. Nothing in your project changes. It’s the safest way to explore and build context before you commit to a direction.

Plan Mode

Plan mode lets you align on complex work before building. Use the mode dropdown and select Plan.

What it does:

• Explores directions and presents options
• Gives recommendations on how to approach features
• Helps you think through architecture before building
• Compares layouts, designs, or implementation approaches
• Creates a plan document you can review before executing

Best for:

• Multi-file features with unclear scope
• Breaking down complex ideas into steps
• Exploring different directions before committing
• Getting alignment before a big build

Plan mode is where clarity happens. When you take time to align on approach first, the build goes faster and the results match what you actually want.

Build Mode

Build mode executes your requests and makes changes to your project. This is the default mode.

What it does:

• Creates pages, sections, and features
• Generates code and updates layouts
• Makes design changes (colors, typography, spacing)
• Fixes issues you describe

Best for:

• Executing a plan you’ve already thought through
• Making design changes
• Fixing bugs or broken elements
• Iterating on existing work

A Better Way to Work

Using the right mode at the right time leads to better results:

Understand before you build. Use Ask mode to explore how things work, especially in unfamiliar code. A few questions in Ask mode can save you from building the wrong thing.

Align on complex work. For multi-step features, use Plan mode to think through the approach. When you switch to Build mode, you’re executing a clear plan instead of figuring it out as you go.

Build with confidence. Once you understand the context and have a clear direction, Build mode executes efficiently.

Recommended workflow:

• Understand (Ask) → Align (Plan) → Build for complex work
• Understand (Ask) → Build for simpler changes
• Build directly for quick fixes and iteration

Switching Modes

The mode dropdown sits in the bottom-right of the chat input area, next to the send button.

Each mode has a distinct color:

• Build – Green (default)
• Plan – Blue
• Ask – Turquoise

The dropdown shows all three options with a brief description of each. Select the mode that matches what you want to do.

Note: Ask mode is available in Studio only. The homepage prompt supports Build and Plan modes.

Context and Memory

Sticklight maintains awareness of your project throughout the conversation, regardless of which mode you’re in.

Design System First
Your brand kit and design choices are remembered. New elements automatically inherit your established visual language.

Fingerprint Protection
Custom styling you’ve applied is preserved. Sticklight won’t override your intentional design decisions unless you ask it to.

Conversation History
Previous requests inform future ones. You can reference earlier work and Sticklight understands the context. For long conversations, Smart Conversation Management ensures your context is preserved as chats grow.

When to Use Each Mode

Situation	Mode
Understanding how something works	Ask
Investigating a bug	Ask first, then Build
Starting a new project	Ask or Plan first, then Build
Adding a major feature	Plan first, then Build
Not sure which direction to take	Plan
Making design tweaks	Build
Something’s broken	Ask to investigate, Build to fix
Comparing approaches	Plan
Reviewing a plan before building	Ask
Final polish	Build + visual editing