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Cascade

Introduction​

Cascade is your in‑IDE coding copilot for chat and code edits. It understands large repos fast (Fast Context), can plan multi‑step work (Planning Mode), and apply safe edits with reverts.

  • Modes: Cascade Code (edits files) and Cascade Chat (ask/answer; can propose inserts)
  • Context: @‑mentions, pinned context, active document, terminal awareness
  • Controls: Model selection, queued messages, auto‑continue, named checkpoints & reverts

Setup (Settings & Context)​

  • Model selection: pick the right model under the chat input based on speed/accuracy needs
  • Planning Mode: enable for longer tasks; track/edit the Todo list in‑chat
  • Persistent Context: add Custom Instructions and pin files/dirs/snippets in Advanced tab
  • @‑Mentions: reference files, dirs, functions/classes, terminal, or @diff to guarantee context
  • Auto‑continue: allow Cascade to resume when tool‑call limits hit (consumes credits)

Do’s and Don’ts (Code Quality)​

  • Do ask for small, atomic changes; review proposed diffs before applying
  • Do create a named checkpoint before risky refactors; revert if outcomes regress
  • Do use Planning Mode for multi‑step changes; keep the plan updated as you learn
  • Do pin critical files/specs and use @‑mentions for determinism
  • Don’t combine multiple concerns (refactor + feature + cleanup) in one prompt
  • Don’t paste secrets/credentials; prefer environment placeholders
  • Don’t skip tests/linters after applying edits

Tips (Fast Flow)​

  • Regenerate with context: submit with Cmd+Enter to force codebase context; sparkle to re‑run
  • Slash command: /explain to clarify code or errors
  • Copy & Insert: insert code blocks from Chat directly at cursor
  • Fast Context: rely on Cascade’s quick subagent to pull relevant code; still cite @‑mentions for must‑include context
  • Queued messages: type next prompts while Cascade works; send now by pressing Enter on an empty box
  • Tool calling: let Cascade search/build/run with terminal/web/MCP tools; press Accept to execute
  • Stats for nerds: inspect message stats to debug context usage and tool calls
  • Reverts: changes are revertible to a checkpoint; note that revert operations themselves are irreversible