Side questions that leave useful decisions behind

While an agent implements a feature, you may want to understand a database choice, challenge an assumption, or ask what an error means. A side conversation gives that question its own discussion. The useful result is an answer you can bring back to the work.

Ask with enough context

Rigless's side conversations receive the main conversation's available context when they are created. In the Developer workspace, you can attach selected text as a reference. Selecting an older passage does not rewind the project's files or create a historical copy of its workspace.

A focused question works well: “Why does this form need server-side validation? Explain using the current implementation. Do not change files or run commands.” That establishes both the subject and the intended action.

The side-question guide shows the menu and /btw paths.

Remember that files are shared

A separate conversation does not create an isolated copy of the code. Side agents retain the tools supported by the active workspace and agent, including file editing. A change made there can affect what the main task is working on.

For exploration, ask for an explanation and bring the decision back before implementing it. If the side question does need to change files, coordinate it with the main work and review the resulting diff. Avoid simultaneous edits to the same source.

That distinction is especially relevant when discussing agent choice. An agent's conversation format and a project's source files are different forms of state. Keeping a transcript separate does not separate the filesystem it can access.

Make the conclusion durable

Side questions are temporary. Closing or reloading the browser page is designed to discard them. Hiding the panel is useful while you continue, but it is not a way to save a permanent decision record.

If the answer changes your plan, write the conclusion in the main conversation. Ask the main agent to record lasting setup or architecture decisions in an appropriate project file.

For example: “Keep client-side validation for feedback, and validate again on the server before saving. Document which layer enforces each rule.” The main task now has an actionable instruction, and future work can find the rationale in the source.

Those project files can travel through GitHub or a workspace export. Preserving a useful decision makes it easier for you, a teammate, or another coding agent to continue the implementation later.