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Say what the thread side panels show, in plain words - #395

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coolestnick:fix/reword-thread-side-panel
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useagenthq:mainfrom
coolestnick:fix/reword-thread-side-panel

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@coolestnick

@coolestnick coolestnick commented Oct 30, 2026 •

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Closes #349

What and why

The panels beside a thread used internal words that only make sense if you built the product. This reworks that copy so each panel says what it holds in everyday language, and makes the desktop control button name itself by its visible text.

Examples of the change:

Where Before After
Files panel "Session files" / "Durable outputs you can preview, edit, or download" "Files" / "Finished files like a report or spreadsheet. Preview, edit, or download them."
Editor empty "Content capture lands with the engine event mirror." "This file's contents will show here once the agent saves it."
Terminal empty "Booting session…" "Starting up…"
Browser (desktop) "No active sandbox…" / "Starting sandbox desktop…" / iframe title "Sandbox desktop" "Nothing is running yet…" / "Starting the browser…" / title "Browser"
Desktop control button fixed aria-label="Control sandbox desktop" removed, so "Take control" / "Release control" is its accessible name
Interactive shell "no active sandbox - send a message…" / "reconnecting to sandbox…" "nothing is running - send a message…" / "reconnecting…"
Rail tab list aria "Surface" aria "Panels"
Surface chooser header "Surface" / "Open a surface" "Panels" / "Open a panel"
Open / close panel "Open surfaces panel" / "Close surfaces panel" "Open side panel" / "Close side panel"
Agents tree / detail aria "Child sessions" / "Continue as session" "Subagents" / "Continue as thread"
Subagent pane / breadcrumb "Session" "Thread"
Composer lock "Verifying child session…" "Verifying this thread…"

Done-when (from the issue)

  • None of these panels show or announce session, sandbox, surface, durable, engine or mirror.
  • The Take control button's accessible name matches its visible text.
  • bun test components passes.

All green: bun test components (1493 pass), full bun run test (1768 pass), typecheck, lint, build, and the agent-docs check.

Deliberately left out of scope (happy to include if wanted)

These live in the conversation column / separate features, not the side panels, and carry real meaning: the approval card's "Always allow this session" (a permission scope), the boot indicator's "Provisioning sandbox", and the "Engine error" turn-failure category.

How to see it

Open a thread and look at the right-hand panels (Files, Editor, Terminal, Browser, Agents) and the rail controls.

Before / after

Panel Before After
Files before-files after-files
Terminal (empty) before-terminal after-terminal
Browser caption before-desktop after-desktop
Subagent pane before-subagent after-subagent
Thread breadcrumb before-breadcrumb after-breadcrumb

View with [code]smith Autofix with [code]smith
Need help on this PR? Tag @codesmith-bot with what you need.

The panels beside a thread used internal words that only make sense if you
built the product: "Session files", "Durable outputs", "Booting session",
"Sandbox desktop", "Open surfaces panel", a tab group named "Surface", and
more. This reworks that copy so each panel says what it holds in everyday
language, and drops the fixed "Control sandbox desktop" label on the desktop
button so its own visible text (Take control / Release control) is its
accessible name.

Reworded across the whole rail surface: the Files panel, the Editor and
Terminal empty states, the interactive shell notices, the Browser (desktop)
status and frame, the surface chooser and its header, the rail tab list, the
open/close panel controls, the Agents tree and detail, the subagent pane, the
thread breadcrumb, and the composer lock message. None of these now show or
announce session, sandbox, surface, durable, engine or mirror.

Tests that matched the old strings are updated.
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Use plain words in the Files, Editor, Terminal and Browser panels

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