Replit Lets Users Steer Agent Mid-Task with Live Follow-Ups
ReplitReplit introduced Steering, which lets users send follow-up messages while Agent is still actively working instead of waiting for the run to finish or restarting it. Steer is now the default behavior in both Conversations and Projects, with a Queue mode available for anyone who prefers follow-ups to wait their turn. The two modes can be swapped instantly with a keyboard shortcut, and the default can be changed under Settings > Personalization.
Key Takeaways
- Steering lets users redirect Agent mid-run by sending a follow-up message that lands while the current task is still executing.
- Steer is now the default mode in both Conversations and Projects, replacing the older wait-or-cancel pattern.
- Queue mode remains available for users who prefer follow-ups to wait until the current step finishes, configurable in Settings > Personalization.
- A keyboard shortcut (Cmd/Ctrl+Enter) toggles between Steer and Queue per-message, without changing the global default.
- The feature addresses a common agentic-coding pain point: correcting course mid-task without losing progress or restarting the run.
- Steering shipped alongside Conversations and Routines, part of a broader push to make Replit Agent feel like an ongoing, steerable collaborator rather than a one-shot command executor.
Redirecting Agent Without Stopping It
Replit shipped Steering, a feature that lets users inject new instructions into an Agent run while it's still in progress. Previously, sending a follow-up mid-task typically meant either waiting for the current run to finish or cancelling it outright and starting over. Steering removes that tradeoff by letting new context land directly into the active run.
Steer vs. Queue
Replit now offers two distinct modes for handling follow-up messages sent during an active Agent run:
- Steer — the new default — feeds a follow-up message into the run immediately, letting it reshape what Agent is doing in real time.
- Queue — the previous-style behavior — holds a follow-up message until the current step finishes, then applies it.
Steer is now the default in both Conversations and Projects, though users who prefer the older, more sequential behavior can switch the default to Queue from Settings > Personalization.
Switching Modes on the Fly
Beyond the global default, Replit added a keyboard shortcut — Cmd+Enter on Mac or Ctrl+Enter on Windows and Linux — that toggles between Steer and Queue mode for a single message, without changing the account-wide default. This gives users fine-grained control over when they want an instruction to land immediately versus wait its turn, without digging into settings each time.
Why It Matters
Steering addresses a common friction point in agentic coding tools: realizing mid-task that an instruction was incomplete or slightly wrong, and having no good way to correct course without losing progress. By making real-time redirection the default across both Conversations and Projects, Replit is treating an Agent run less like a single fire-and-forget command and more like an ongoing, steerable collaboration.