Work in Aside
Run tasks
Use Aside for longer browser work, permissions, active page context, and follow-ups.
Use Aside for work that needs more than one browser action, search, file step, credential autofill, or approval.
Task controls
A new task has controls for mode, permissions, working folder, and model.
| Control | Use |
|---|---|
Default mode | Run the task in the normal browser profile. |
Incognito mode | Run the task without normal browser profile state. |
Read only | Let Aside inspect browser and file context without changing your files. |
Guard | Let Aside work in approved folders and ask before it accesses other folders. |
Full access | Let Aside read and write anywhere on the computer. |
| Working folder | Choose where Aside can work for this task. |
| Model | Choose the model and speed for the task. |
See Set agent permissions for permission rules and defaults.
Longer tasks
During a task, Aside can browse sites, search the web, use files, search history, request approvals, and sign in with allowed autofill.
A task can keep working through multiple steps, pause for input, ask for approval, or resume after a wait.
The task detail page shows files the task creates or changes. Aside can preview supported images, PDFs, HTML, text files, and file metadata from the task.
Aside stores regular task transcripts in the task folder. Incognito tasks do not keep normal browser profile state. Deleting a chat removes it from Aside, but its transcript, attachments, and generated files stay in its folder on this computer (~/.aside/u/<account-id>/sessions/ on macOS, %USERPROFILE%\.aside\u\<account-id>\sessions on Windows).
Aside can wait for a notification before continuing a task. When a task is waiting, open the task to review the current status and any instructions from Aside.
Delete or archive a chat
Delete permanently removes a chat from Aside and cannot be undone, even though its files stay on disk. Deleting a chat also deletes the routines it created and stops their runs.
To keep a chat and its routines, use Archive instead. An archived chat's routines stop running until you restore it from Settings > Archived chats with Unarchive.
Write a good task
Give Aside the result you want and the sites or files it should use.
Handle my billing. is too vague. Name the account, artifact, destination, and any action Aside should avoid.
Add constraints if the task touches money, customer data, credentials, or files.
Use follow-ups
Open Settings > Agents > Chat to choose follow-up behavior.
Queue: Aside saves your new message and applies it after the current run finishes.Steer: Aside sends your new message into the active run so the agent can adjust.
Use Queue when the task should finish its current path. Use Steer when the agent needs a correction now, such as using a different site or stopping an action.
Active tab context
The side panel can attach the current page to a new task. See Use the side panel.