What conversation statuses mean
Every conversation has a status. It tells you whether the agent is busy, waiting for you, or done, so you know where your attention is needed.
Where you see it
- Below the latest message. While the agent works, an indicator there says Working or Compacting, with a timer. Select it to open the agent’s activity, or select its stop square to stop the agent.
- In the conversation list. Each conversation shows its status as a small badge. Ready isn’t shown there.
- In Agent activity. The status shows at the top of the panel. Select Show agent activity, the last button at the top right of the conversation, to open it. See Follow what your agent is doing.
- On Conversations. In the rail on the left side of the window, small colored bars on Conversations show that agents are working in the project. A number on it shows how many conversations need your attention because they’re waiting for your answer or approval, or have unread replies.
The top of an open conversation shows its label and title, not its status. After the title sits the one action that fits: Stop while the agent works, Complete once it’s done, or Reopen after you complete it. Nothing appears there while the agent waits for your answer.
What each status means
| Status | What it means and what to do |
|---|---|
| Ready | The agent isn’t working. Send a message whenever you like. |
| Working | The agent is working. A timer shows how long it has been at it. The indicator below the latest message names the current step. |
| Compacting | The agent is summarizing the earlier part of a long conversation so it can keep going. Wait for it to finish. |
| Needs input | The agent asked a question or wants permission. In the list this appears as Needs you. Open the conversation and answer. |
| Out of usage | The agent’s account ran out of usage. Enjoy continues the conversation when the usage resets, and the status shows when, such as Out of usage · 3:00 PM. Select Resume now to try sooner. See What to do when an agent runs out of usage. |
| Stopped | You stopped the agent. Select Retry to continue, or send new instructions. |
| Failed | The request couldn’t finish. The conversation explains why and offers Retry. |
| Completed | You marked the conversation as completed. Select Reopen to undo that. |
| Couldn’t load | Enjoy couldn’t read the conversation’s file. |
For help with Failed and Couldn’t load, see A conversation failed. For questions and permission requests, see Answer your agent’s questions and Approve or decline agent requests.
Other signs in the conversation list
- A dot on the message icon means the conversation has replies you haven’t read. The number beside the icon is how many messages the conversation has.
- A clock with a number shows messages that are queued or waiting to send. See Send follow-ups while the agent works.
- A Needs you box shows the agent’s question or request right in the list. Select Respond to open the conversation at the question. In Compact view, a Needs you badge appears instead.
- An Out of usage box shows that the agent’s account ran out of usage, and when the conversation resumes, such as Resumes 3:00 PM · in 2h 13m, or Until Mon 9:00 PM for a long wait. After you switch the agent to another account, select Move in the box to continue the conversation on that account. In Compact view, an Out of usage badge appears instead.
- A label in bold is the short name the agent gave the conversation, or one you set. See How conversations get their names.
- The agent’s name and a date show which agent the conversation uses and when its latest message arrived.
- Group headings appear once any conversation works in a worktree, a separate copy of your project. Conversations are grouped by the folder they work in. See Try ideas side by side in worktrees.
- A small circle with an initial appears in shared projects and shows who started the conversation.