HeyBoss has two powerful modes: Chat Mode for planning and discussion, Code Mode for building. Learn when to use each mode to work faster and more efficiently.

Purpose: Discussion, planning, debugging, asking questions

What happens: AI responds with explanations and suggestions but DOES NOT modify your code

Best for:

Credits: Uses minimal credits (chat-only, no code generation)

Purpose: Building, editing, and modifying your project

What happens: AI directly modifies your code files, adds features, fixes bugs

Best for:

Credits: Uses more credits (generates and modifies code)

Scenario: You want to add a feature but aren't sure of the best approach.

Chat Mode conversation:

You: "I want to add user authentication. Should I use email/password or social login? What's easier?"

AI: "For beginners, email/password with Supabase is easiest. Social login requires OAuth setup. Here's how to implement each..."

You: "OK, let's go with email/password. What pages do I need?"

AI: "You'll need /login, /signup, /reset-password pages plus authentication state management. Here's the flow..."

[Now switch to Code Mode to implement]

Scenario: Something is broken and you're not sure why.

Why Chat Mode: Investigate the issue without making random code changes that might make it worse.

Chat Mode workflow:

Example:

You: "My login form submits but nothing happens"

AI: "Is there a console error? What happens when you click submit?"

You: "Console says 'handleSubmit is not defined'"

AI: "The handleSubmit function is missing from your Login component. I can add it—would you like me to?"

You: "Yes" [Switch to Code Mode]

Questions like:

Chat Mode is perfect for learning because it explains without changing code.

Scenario: Building something complex like e-commerce checkout.

Chat Mode planning:

You: "I need to build a complete checkout flow. What's the best approach?"

AI: "Let's break it into 4 phases: 1) Shopping cart, 2) Shipping info, 3) Payment, 4) Order confirmation. We'll build them one at a time. Start with cart?"

You: "Yes, what should the cart have?"

AI: "Cart needs: display items, quantities, subtotal, remove items button, and checkout button. Here's the structure..."

[Now you have a clear plan, switch to Code Mode to build phase 1]

Scenario: You want to see different approaches before committing.

Example:

You: "What are 3 different ways to implement search on my site?"

AI: "Option 1: Client-side filtering (fast, limited). Option 2: API endpoint (scalable). Option 3: Third-party like Algolia (powerful, costs money). Here's when to use each..."

You: "Let's go with Option 2" [Switch to Code Mode]

After planning in Chat Mode, switch to Code Mode to build.

Example prompt in Code Mode:

"Add a contact form to /contact page with name, email, and message fields. On submit, send email to [email protected] and show success message."

When Code Mode is active, AI will:

Workflow:

Direct implementation in Code Mode:

These are straightforward changes that don't need Chat Mode planning.

Code Mode prompt:

"Create a new About Us page at /about with our company story, team section with 6 members, and a contact CTA at the bottom."

The AI will create the page, add content structure, and set up routing.

When you know what to refactor:

"The checkout component is too long. Split it into 3 smaller components: CartSummary, ShippingForm, and PaymentForm."

AI will refactor the code in Code Mode.

Phase 1: Plan in Chat Mode

Phase 2: Build in Code Mode

Phase 3: Refine (Chat or Code)

❌ Wrong approach (Code Mode only):

"Add user profiles" → AI builds something that might not be what you wanted → Credits used → Must fix

✅ Right approach (Chat → Code):

Chat Mode:

You: "I want to add user profiles. What should they include?"

AI: "Typical profile has: profile photo, name, bio, social links, join date. Do you want users to edit their own profiles?"

You: "Yes, users should edit their own profile but only admins can delete accounts"

AI: "Got it. We'll need: /profile/[userId] view page, /profile/edit page, permissions check for admin actions. Sound good?"

You: "Perfect!"

Code Mode:

"Create user profile system with /profile/[userId] view page and /profile/edit page. Users can edit their own profiles (photo, name, bio, social links). Only admins can delete accounts."

Result: Built correctly the first time because requirements were clear.

❌ Wrong: Jump to Code Mode

"Fix the contact form" → AI doesn't know what's broken → Might make unnecessary changes

✅ Right: Start with Chat Mode

Chat Mode investigation:

You: "Contact form on /contact isn't working. When I submit, nothing happens."

AI: "Let me help debug. First, check the console—any errors?"

You: "Yes: 'submitForm is not a function'"

AI: "Found it. The function is named 'handleSubmit' but the form calls 'submitForm'. I can fix this."

Code Mode fix:

"Fix the contact form submit handler. Change submitForm call to handleSubmit."

Result: Precise fix, no trial and error.

Look for the mode toggle in your HeyBoss interface:

Click to switch between modes anytime.

You can skip Chat Mode if:

You can discuss multiple things without switching:

Chat Mode (Low Credits):

Code Mode (More Credits):

Pro tip: Do all your planning and question-asking in Chat Mode to save credits, then switch to Code Mode only when ready to build.

Yes, but it might trigger code changes you don't want. Chat Mode is safer for questions because it won't modify code—just explains.

No! Your conversation history is preserved. You can reference earlier discussion when you switch modes.

Start in Chat Mode when beginning a new feature or debugging. Switch to Code Mode when you're ready to implement. Think of Chat as planning, Code as doing.

Yes! HeyBoss has version history. You can revert to previous versions if something goes wrong. But planning in Chat Mode first reduces the need for undos.

When in doubt, start with Chat Mode. Ask the AI what you want to do. If it requires code changes, the AI will suggest switching to Code Mode.

Both modes use AI, but Code Mode does more work (generating and modifying actual code), so it uses more credits. Chat Mode is mostly conversation, which is cheaper.

See also: Best Practices | Prompt Engineering Fundamentals

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