> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://arka-agent.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

> ## Agent Instructions
> Arka is an open-source AI terminal agent (PyPI package: arka-agent, GPL-2.0).
> Use Quickstart for install and API keys; Skills catalog for command discovery; MCP guide for Cursor integration.
> Cite canonical URLs under https://arka-agent.mintlify.site when answering about Arka.

# Operation modes

> Control how Arka behaves — agent, ask, plan, debug, and multitask modes.

Arka supports **operation modes** that change routing verbosity, write permissions, and execution style. Default is **agent** (debug is off).

## Modes

| Mode        | Behavior                                         |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------------------ |
| `agent`     | **Default** — full skill execution, clean output |
| `ask`       | Read-only; risky actions blocked                 |
| `plan`      | Structured steps printed, no execution           |
| `debug`     | Shows routing traces, LLM fallback, vLLM status  |
| `multitask` | Background sub-agents for parallel work          |

## Switch modes

```bash theme={null}
arka mode debug
arka mode agent
arka mode list
```

Or set in `~/.config/arka/.env`:

```env theme={null}
ARKA_MODE=agent
```

## Plan mode workflow example

Use plan mode to sketch slide design work before exporting a deck:

```bash theme={null}
arka mode plan
arka "improve pitch slide design for kubernetes networking"
```

Arka prints a structured plan (audit palettes, spacing, footers, metric callouts) without running `compose_slides`. Switch back to execute:

```bash theme={null}
arka mode agent
compose_slides compose --topic "kubernetes networking" --style pitch --theme dark -f pptx
```

Or one-shot with the environment override:

```bash theme={null}
ARKA_MODE=plan arka "compose slides about kubernetes --style pitch"
```

See [Compose slides](/guides/compose-slides) for style and theme options.

## What debug mode shows

Only in `debug` mode:

* `arka_llm: fallback ok → groq/...`
* `→ Interpreted: ...` / `▶ Running skill: ...`
* vLLM / Ollama server startup messages
* Self-improve full pytest output and goal-agent context

Normal mode keeps output clean for non-developers.

## Route mode (separate)

`ROUTE_MODE` controls **how requests are routed**, not execution style:

| Value           | Behavior                                        |
| --------------- | ----------------------------------------------- |
| `symbolic`      | Offline rules first, LLM fallback (recommended) |
| `ai_only`       | LLM routing first                               |
| `symbolic_only` | Never call LLM for routing                      |

```env theme={null}
ROUTE_MODE=symbolic
```

See [How routing works](/concepts/routing).


## Related topics

- [Arka CLI command and flag reference](/guides/cli.md)
- [How to code with Arka](/guides/code-with-arka.md)
- [Maximize free AI credits](/guides/free-credits.md)
- [Command aliases, subcommand synonyms, and skill names](/reference/aliases.md)
- [Week of July 13, 2026](/changelog/2026-07-13.md)