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Use /side (or its alias /btw) to ask a side question in a temporary copy of the current chat. The side chat opens as a Side chat tab in the right sidebar, so you can follow it and the main chat at the same time. The side chat knows everything the main chat knows, but nothing you say in it is added to the main chat.
The command takes no arguments. It opens an empty composer; type your question in the side chat.

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How side chats work

  • Inherits context, not execution: the side chat receives a frozen copy of the main chat’s conversation and uses the same model and settings. An unfinished response is reference-only: pending tool calls are not run again. Opening or reopening a side chat never automatically resumes a turn; it waits for your question or an explicit retry.
  • Main chat keeps going: an agent working in the main chat keeps working next to the side chat. Keyboard shortcuts such as Esc to interrupt apply to whichever chat has focus.
  • Same checkout: the side chat runs in the main chat’s working tree, so it sees uncommitted changes.
  • Understanding, not changes: side chats are for interactive questions and explanations. Only read-only inspection tools are available: no shell, file edits, workflows, sub-agents, or project-defined tools can change the shared checkout. Make changes from the main chat instead.
  • Attachments: add files in the main chat before opening a side chat, or ask the side chat to read an existing local file. New attachment uploads in side chats are disabled so they cannot leave files behind in the shared checkout.
  • Disposable: closing the tab (its close button, middle-click, or Ctrl+W / Cmd+W while it is focused) discards that side chat. Removing or archiving the main workspace discards its side chats too. Open side-chat tabs survive app restarts and stay out of the workspace list.
  • Multiple conversations: run /side again in the main chat to open another independent tab. Closing one leaves the others intact. Side chats can’t be nested, and workspace commands such as /fork, /compact and /goal are not available inside them.
When the right sidebar is hidden (narrow windows and phones), the side chat takes over the chat view instead. Press Esc (or Ctrl+C in Vim mode) when it is idle, or click Return to main chat, to go back; leaving discards it. Side chats are available for local, worktree and SSH workspaces.
To keep exploring a tangent for longer, or to make changes on it, use /fork instead: a fork is a full workspace with its own branch.