Which Agent Asked You What? Managing Multi-Agent Context

As developer workflows shift toward autonomous tools, a new cognitive burden has emerged: keeping track of which agent asked you what. When you are running multiple AI coding agents simultaneously, the stream of requests for permission, clarification, or file access can quickly become a bottleneck. Managing these concurrent threads requires a strategy that prevents context switching from eroding the efficiency gains that agents provide.

The Cognitive Load of Multi-Agent Development

Modern software engineering often involves specialized tools for different tasks. You might have one agent refactoring a legacy module while another generates unit tests for a new feature. Each of these agents operates within its own sandbox, yet they frequently need human intervention to proceed with high-stakes operations like deleting files or executing shell scripts.

The challenge arises when these notifications overlap. If your terminal is flooded with output from three different processes, identifying which agent requires a response becomes a chore. This leads to a specific type of fatigue where the developer spends more time triaging agent requests than actually writing code. To mitigate this, developers need clear visual separation and persistent history for every agent interaction.

Strategies for Organizing Agent Threads

To maintain flow, you must categorize agent activities based on their scope and urgency. Not every agent prompt deserves immediate attention, but some are blockers that stop progress entirely.

• Sequential Execution: This is the safest approach. You run one agent to completion before starting the next. While it eliminates confusion, it fails to leverage the parallel processing power of modern hardware.
• Tabbed Interfaces: Many IDEs use tabs to separate processes. This hides background agents, making it easy to forget that an agent is waiting for your input in a hidden tab.
• Tiled Terminals: Splitting a screen into quadrants allows for simultaneous monitoring. However, screen real estate is limited, and text becomes unreadable as you add more tiles.
• Persistent Logging: Maintaining a central log of all agent outputs helps in auditing, but it does not solve the real-time problem of knowing which agent is currently stalled.

Comparing Agent Architectures

Different AI agents take different approaches to user interaction. Understanding these differences is key to deciding how to host them in your environment.

These tools differ in approach when it comes to state management. Some rely heavily on the current terminal session, while others maintain an internal database of past actions. When you run them in isolation, they work well. The friction only appears when you attempt to scale your output by running them together.

Visual Context with Deska Panels

Deska addresses the "which agent asked what" problem by providing an infinite canvas where you can place agents as individual panels. Instead of switching tabs or squinting at small terminal tiles, you can arrange your workspace so that each agent has its own dedicated area.

If you are using coding agents like Claude Code and OpenCode, you can place them side by side. Each panel maintains its own state and terminal history. Because the workspace is a canvas, you can zoom out to see the status of all active agents or zoom in on the specific panel that is requesting input. This spatial organization provides an immediate visual answer to which agent needs your attention.

The agent threads in Deska are not just text outputs. They are part of a broader context that includes a code editor and terminals. When an agent asks for permission to modify a file, you can have that file open in a panel right next to the agent. This reduces the cognitive leap required to verify the agent's intent.

Monitoring Agents on the Go

One of the biggest frustrations with long-running agent tasks is being tethered to your desk. If an agent is performing a large refactor, it might ask a clarifying question ten minutes after you start the process. If you have stepped away, that agent sits idle, wasting time.

Deska offers a mobile app that allows you to monitor your workspace from your phone. Through a secure relay that connects your devices directly without exposing ports, you can check your notifications and respond to agent prompts. This ensures that you always know which agent asked you what, even if you are not sitting at your computer. The remote access capability is designed to keep the local-first security model intact, as your files stay on your machine.

Privacy and Local Context

When managing multiple agents, security is a primary concern. Developers often worry about where their code is being sent and how their sessions are stored. A local-first approach ensures that your code, files, and agent sessions remain on your hardware.

In Deska, the data and storage model is built around privacy. Whether you are using the Ask Deska assistant to drive your workspace or running external CLI agents, the integration happens locally. You can use your own API keys via a BYOK model, which gives you full control over your costs and data usage.

Best Practices for Agent Orchestration

To get the most out of a multi-agent setup, consider the following workflow:

1. Define specific boundaries: Give each agent a distinct task to avoid file write conflicts.
2. Use notes for context: Keep a notes notebook panel open to document what each agent is responsible for in the current session.
3. Leverage voice commands: Use voice via Ask Deska to query the status of your workspace when your hands are busy coding.
4. Set up shortcuts: Configure shortcuts to quickly toggle between agent panels.

By treating agents as modular components in a spatial workspace, you transform the chaos of multiple terminal streams into a manageable, visual workflow. You no longer have to guess which agent is waiting for you; the answer is visible on your canvas.

FAQ

How to see which agent is running?

In a canvas-based environment, you can zoom out to see all active panels. Each panel running a process will show active terminal output or a status indicator. You can also use the command palette to list all open sessions and their current states.

Can I run multiple agents at once?

Yes, you can run multiple agents like Claude Code and Codex CLI side by side. It is best to place them in separate panels or workspaces to prevent their outputs from mixing and to ensure you can track their individual requests for input.

How to manage agent notifications?

Effective management involves using a system that alerts you when a process requires input. A mobile companion app can relay these notifications to your phone, allowing you to stay informed about agent progress without needing to watch the screen constantly.

Start Building with Deska

If you are tired of losing track of your AI workflows, a spatial workspace might be the solution. You can organize your agents, editors, and browsers in a way that makes sense for your brain. The desktop app is free and available for Mac, Windows, and Linux.

Download Deska and start organizing your agents today.