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Agent Mode

Maximum automation — the AI automatically manages context, generates a multi-step plan, and executes code end-to-end with your approval.
Best for: Running full analyses with minimal manual intervention. Perfect when you want to give a high-level goal and let the agent handle the details.

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How Agent Mode Works

Agent Mode is the most autonomous workflow in SignalPilot’s agentic harness. When you make a request, the agent:
1

Analyzes context

Reviews your current notebook, available datasets, database connections, and kernel state to understand what’s already available.
2

Drafts a plan

Breaks down your request into a step-by-step sequence with clear to-dos, handling dependencies automatically (e.g., load data before analysis).
3

Asks for approval

Shows you the complete plan before executing anything. You can approve, edit, reorder steps, or refine your instructions.
Analyst-in-the-loop approval ensures you stay in control while the agent handles execution.
4

Executes step by step

Generates code, creates cells, runs queries, and produces visualizations. Each step is marked as done once completed.
Agent Mode executing plan with progress tracking
5

Updates dynamically

If results change, errors occur, or you refine your request mid-execution, the plan is revised in real time.
You can stop the agent at any moment, edit the plan, and it will regenerate with your changes.

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Example Workflow

Prompt: “Do dollar cost averaging investment in SPY every month with $1000 for the last 5 years” What the agent does:
  1. Plans the analysis:
    • Download historical SPY data for 5 years
    • Calculate monthly investment amounts ($1000 each)
    • Compute cumulative shares purchased
    • Calculate final portfolio value
    • Generate performance visualization
  2. Shows the plan for approval — you review and click “Approve”
  3. Executes automatically:
    • Creates cells for data download
    • Writes pandas code for calculations
    • Generates plotly chart with results
    • Explains findings in markdown cell
Result: Complete analysis in your notebook, ready to review, iterate, or share.

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Planning & Chat Integration

Agent Mode combines two powerful capabilities:
Planning makes complex workflows manageable. Instead of juggling multiple instructions, you give one high-level goal and the agent:
  • Handles dependencies (e.g., load data before running analysis)
  • Tracks progress with to-do checkboxes
  • Adapts to errors by pausing, showing the issue, and suggesting fixes
  • Persists across sessions — the plan is saved in the notebook
If a step fails, the plan pauses, shows the error, and suggests fixes before continuing. You can also manually edit the plan at any time.
Chat is the interface for working with the agent. You describe what you want in plain language, and the agent responds with code, explanations, or edits.Key features:
  • Natural language in, code out — type your request in the chat panel
  • Context-aware — remembers your datasets, connections, and prior steps in the session
  • Interactive loop — accept, reject, or modify suggestions before execution
  • @mention context — explicitly add cells, datasets, or database connections to context
Example interactions:
  • “Load my CSV file and show me the first 5 rows.”
  • “Connect to my Postgres database and get total sales by region.”
  • “Fix the error in the last cell and explain what went wrong.”
  • “Make the plot use a log scale on the y-axis.”

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Agent Tools

In Agent Mode, the AI has access to these tools to work autonomously:
Code generation & execution:
  • read_cells — inspect existing notebook cells
  • edit_cell — modify code in existing cells
  • run_cell — execute cells and capture output
  • delete_cells — remove cells from notebook
  • read_notebook_summary — understand notebook structure

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Why Agent Mode Matters

Agent Mode transforms your notebook into a collaborative environment where AI works as a true partner:

Handle boilerplate

No more writing repetitive data loading, cleaning, or transformation code

Automate workflows

Multi-step analyses that would take hours are done in minutes

Stay in control

Analyst-in-the-loop approval means you review plans before execution

Learn & adapt

The agent remembers context within sessions and adapts plans based on results

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Switching Modes

You can switch between Agent Mode, Hands-On Mode, and Ask Mode anytime using the mode selector in the SignalPilot panel.
Start with Agent Mode for fully automated workflows. If you prefer more granular control over what gets executed, switch to Hands-On Mode.

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FAQ

Yes. SignalPilot shows you the plan before execution. You can always:
  • Stop the agent at any point
  • Edit or reorder plan steps
  • Roll back changes
  • Review generated code before it runs
The agent never executes code without showing you the plan first.
To give you control. Analyst-in-the-loop approval means you review the full plan before any code runs. This prevents unexpected changes and ensures the agent’s approach aligns with your goals.
The plan pauses, shows the error with context, and suggests fixes. You can:
  • Accept the suggested fix and continue
  • Manually edit the code
  • Refine your original request
  • Skip the failing step
The agent won’t proceed until the issue is resolved or you approve skipping it.
Yes. You can stop the agent at any moment, edit the plan or refine your instructions, and the agent will regenerate the plan with your changes incorporated.
Yes. The plan is saved as part of the notebook metadata. When you reopen the notebook, the agent remembers the plan and execution state.
Yes, within the active session. SignalPilot agents keep track of:
  • Active datasets in kernel memory
  • Database connections you’ve configured
  • Variables and dataframes you’ve created
  • Prior steps in the current analysis
SignalPilot follows a zero data retention policy — no data is stored outside your notebook environment.
Yes. SignalPilot agents generate, refactor, explain, and debug code — all in the same workflow. Just describe the issue and the agent will trace errors, explain stack traces, and propose fixes.

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Next Steps

Try Hands-On Mode

More granular control over context and execution

Explore Ask Mode

Read-only mode for questions and explanations

Connect Your Data

Add database connections for richer context

Real-World Example

Follow a complete investigation workflow