Zed Agent
Zed Agent is Zed's native agent path. It runs in the Agent Panel and Threads Sidebar, uses models configured through LLM Providers, and integrates with Zed's project, editor, terminal, and review surfaces.
Use Zed Agent when you want the agent to:
- read and search your project
- edit files
- run terminal commands
- use Zed-managed MCP tools
- follow Agent Profiles
- use Zed Skills and Instructions
- show changes in Zed's review UI
What Zed Agent Uses
| Capability | Source of truth |
|---|---|
| Model access | LLM Providers |
| Panel workflow | Agent Panel |
| Tool availability | Agent Profiles |
| Tool approval behavior | Tool Permissions |
| Built-in tools | Tools |
| External tools | MCP |
| Reusable task instructions | Skills |
| Always-on instructions | Instructions |
How It Differs from Other Agent Paths
| Agent path | Main difference |
|---|---|
| Zed Agent | Uses Zed's model, tool, profile, skill, instruction, and MCP configuration |
| External Agents | Use an ACP integration and often own auth, model, tool, and native instruction configuration |
| Terminal Threads | Run a CLI/TUI in a terminal-backed thread; the CLI owns auth and configuration |
See Agents for the full comparison.