FAQ

Frequently asked questions about Agent Client.

General

What is Agent Client?

Agent Client is an Obsidian plugin that lets you chat with AI agents directly within Obsidian. It supports Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI, and any ACP-compatible agent. The plugin uses the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) to communicate with agents.

Is this an official Anthropic/OpenAI/Google plugin?

No. Agent Client is a community-developed plugin. It uses official agent packages but is not affiliated with any AI provider.

Does this work on mobile?

No. Agent Client is desktop-only. Agents run as local processes, which is not supported on mobile devices.

Is my data sent to AI providers?

Yes. When you send a message, it's processed by the AI provider behind your selected agent (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, etc.). Review each provider's privacy policy for details.

Note Mentions

How do I reference my notes in a conversation?

Type @ in the input field and a dropdown appears with matching notes. Select a note to insert a mention in @[[Note Name]] format. The note's content is sent to the agent.

See Note Mentions for details.

Can I change the character limit for mentions?

Yes. Configure Max note length and Max selection length in Settings → Agent Client → Mentions. The default is 10,000 characters each.

What is auto-mention?

When enabled (Settings → Agent Client → Mentions → Auto-mention active note), the currently open note is automatically included as context. Unlike manual mentions, auto-mention only sends the note's file path—not its content. The agent can use its Read tool to access the content if needed.

Can I include just part of a note?

Yes. If you select text in your note, only that selection is sent as context. The auto-mention badge shows the line range (e.g., @My Note:5-10).

How do I temporarily disable auto-mention?

Click the × button next to the auto-mention badge above the input field. Click + to re-enable it. This only affects the current message.

Agents

How do I switch between agents?

Click the ⋮ (ellipsis) menu in the chat header and select "Switch agent". The agent switches immediately. This is a one-time change for that view only.

To change the default agent for new chat views, go to Settings → Agent Client → Default agent.

Can I run multiple agents at the same time?

Yes. Open multiple chat views using "Open new chat view" from the command palette or the ⋮ menu in the chat header. Each view runs an independent agent process.

See Multi-Session Chat for details.

How do I send the same prompt to multiple agents?

Use the Broadcast commands:

1. Type your prompt in one chat view
2. Open command palette and run "Broadcast prompt" to copy it to all views
3. Run "Broadcast send" to send simultaneously

Where do new chat views open?

By default, new views open in the right pane. You can change this in Settings → Agent Client → Display → Chat view location to open in editor tabs or splits instead.

What is a custom agent?

Any ACP-compatible agent beyond the built-in ones (Claude Code, Codex, Gemini CLI). You can add custom agents in Settings → Agent Client → Custom agents. See Custom Agents.

Do all agents support the same features?

No. Features like slash commands, modes, and models depend on the agent. The plugin adapts its UI based on what the agent supports. For example, the mode dropdown only appears if the agent provides multiple modes.

Slash Commands

Why don't I see slash commands?

Slash commands are provided by the agent, not the plugin. If the input placeholder doesn't show / for commands, your current agent doesn't support slash commands.

Why are the commands different from what I expected?

Each agent provides its own commands. Claude Code, Codex, and Gemini CLI all have different command sets. Refer to your agent's documentation for available commands.

Permissions

Why does the agent ask for permission?

Some agents request permission before performing certain actions (like editing files or running commands). This is a safety feature controlled by the agent.

Can I auto-approve all permissions?

Yes. Enable Settings → Agent Client → Permissions → Auto-allow permissions. Use with caution—this gives agents full access without confirmation prompts.

Some agents don't ask for permission at all?

Correct. Permission behavior is agent-specific. Some agents may edit files directly without requesting permission.

Exporting

How do I export a conversation?

Click the export button in the chat header. The conversation is saved as a Markdown file in your vault.

Where are exports saved?

By default, exports are saved to the Agent Client folder in your vault. You can change this in Settings → Agent Client → Export → Export folder.

Can I auto-export conversations?

Yes. Enable Auto-export on new chat or Auto-export on close chat in export settings.

Can I customize the frontmatter tag?

Yes. In Settings → Agent Client → Export → Frontmatter tag, you can set a custom tag. Nested tags like projects/agent-client are supported.

Session History

How do I resume a previous conversation?

Click the History button (clock icon) in the chat header to open the session history modal. Select a session and click the Restore button (play icon) to continue where you left off.

See Session History for details.

What's the difference between Restore and Fork?

Restore continues the existing session—new messages are added to the same conversation. Fork creates a new session branching from that point, leaving the original session unchanged.

The modal says "This agent does not support session restoration"

Not all agents support session restoration. You can still view and delete locally saved sessions, but you won't be able to restore or fork them with that agent.

Are my sessions saved automatically?

Yes. The plugin automatically saves session metadata and message history when you send messages. Sessions are stored locally in Obsidian's data folder.

Can I delete old sessions?

Yes. Open the session history modal and click the Delete button (trash icon) on any session. Deletion is permanent.

Windows

What is WSL mode?

WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux) mode runs agents inside a Linux environment on Windows. Enable it in Settings → Agent Client → Windows Subsystem for Linux → Enable WSL mode. This is useful for agents that work better in Linux environments.

Do I need to specify a WSL distribution?

Only if you have multiple WSL distributions installed and want to use a specific one. Leave it empty to use your default distribution.

Cost & Billing

Is Agent Client free?

The plugin itself is free and open source. However, using AI agents may incur costs depending on the agent and your authentication method.

API key vs account login—what's the difference?

• API key: Billed per usage by the AI provider. You pay for what you use.
• Account login: Uses your subscription's included usage. May have limits depending on your plan.

Getting Help

Where can I get help?

1. Check the Troubleshooting page
2. Search GitHub Issues
3. Open a new issue if your problem isn't covered

How do I report a bug?

Open an issue on GitHub with:

• Your OS and Obsidian version
• The agent you're using
• Steps to reproduce
• Error messages (enable Debug Mode in Settings → Agent Client → Developer)