Agents
Zed supports three agent paths. Choose the path based on how you want agentic work to run.
| Agent path | Runs in | Uses | Best when |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zed Agent | Agent Panel and Threads Sidebar | Zed-configured LLM providers, native tools, skills, instructions, MCP | You want Zed's native agent integration |
| External Agents | Agent Panel and Threads Sidebar | ACP agent process and its own auth/config | You want Claude, Codex, OpenCode, Copilot, Cursor, Pi, or another ACP-integrated agent |
| Terminal Threads | Threads Sidebar and terminal | Native CLI/TUI auth/config | You want the tool's command-line experience organized in Zed |
An agent path is sometimes called a harness. It is the way agentic work is started, displayed, configured, and controlled in Zed.
Agent Path vs. LLM Provider
| Question | Start here |
|---|---|
| Which agent or CLI should run the work? | This page |
| Which model should power Zed AI features? | LLM Providers |
The Zed Agent uses models configured in Zed. External Agents and Terminal Threads may use their own model setup.
Thread Types
Threads are the units shown in the Threads Sidebar. Thread types include:
- Zed Agent threads
- External Agent threads
- Terminal Threads
Use Parallel Agents to run and manage multiple threads at once.