Modes
Learn how to use Lovable’s different modes to build faster and smarter.
Lovable has different modes that are good for different things.
Default Mode
When you start building with Lovable the Default mode is automatically selected. It can write code, implement new functionality or troubleshoot depending on your prompt.
Chat Mode
Chat Mode is your development and debugging partner. It helps you think through problems, debug issues and plan your product directly within Lovable.

Activate Chat mode
To activate Chat mode, simply click “Chat” next to where you input your messages in Lovable.
Unlike Default mode, Chat mode is conversational and can’t make changes to your code. This is perfect for asking questions, planning your project, and debugging. It is agentic, meaning it can reason across multiple steps and decide when to search files, inspect logs, query the database and more.
If you ask it for help with implementing a functionality or troubleshooting it will come up with a step-by-step plan to reach your desired outcome. You’ll get prompted with an “Implement the plan”-button. Simply press it and the AI will enter Default mode and implement the necessary code changes.
Best use cases for Chat mode
- Efficient debugging by asking the AI to investigate issues in depth before requesting a fix.
- Planning database structures and relationships to support effective system architecture.
- Optimal implementation of new features by identifying the minimal necessary changes required for new functionality.
- Requesting improvement tips to enhance your application.
- Understanding and evaluating how potential new features will impact the application’s structure and functionality.
Agent Mode (Beta)
Agent mode enables Lovable to think, plan, and take actions autonomously. It’s designed to make Lovable more capable, reliable, and independent when handling complex development tasks.
Agent mode can:
- Interpret your request
- Explore your codebase for the necessary context
- Read files on demand
- Fix and refactor code as needed
- Debug issues proactively
All without manual intervention. With deeper codebase understanding and real-time debugging, it delivers better results with fewer errors and fewer unwanted changes.

Activate Agent mode
Once available to you, you can enable Agent Mode by:
- Going to your project’s dropdown settings
- Turning on the Agent mode toggle
Agent Mode has access to a new series of capabilities:
- Search your codebase to locate exact files, functions, or components
- Read files on demand for full context before making changes
- Inspect logs and network activity to identify and fix errors automatically
- Search the web in real-time to fetch documentation, assets, or screenshots
- Generate and edit images for your application
These tools allow Lovable to act with autonomy and precision, reducing friction during development.
Pricing
Agent Mode uses usage-based pricing. Requests can cost less than 1 credit or several credits, depending on their complexity. This ensures you only pay for what you actually use.
Mode | Cost |
---|---|
Default mode | 1 credit/message |
Chat mode | 1 credit/message |
Agent mode | Usage-based (see below) |
Example costs
- A simple message that reads 1 file and edits 1 file will cost 0.8 credits.
- A message that leads to 5 file reads, 4 file edits and 1 image generation will cost 2.4 credits.
You can view the exact credit usage per message by hovering over the three dots next to it in your message history.