Skip to main content
Fabriqa Desktop App is the local, workspace-aware environment for serious AI coding workflows. This guide is focused on the desktop product experience and the features currently available today.
This documentation intentionally focuses on the Desktop App user journey: workspace setup, chat workflows, settings, and desktop-native capabilities.

​
What Fabriqa Desktop Is

Workspace-first

Work directly in your project folders with persistent context and session continuity.

Agentic Chat

Run coding workflows through conversational threads with streaming output and tool activity.

Desktop-native

Use features built for desktop usage such as global toggle hotkey, window pin, and in-app updates.

Governed Execution

Manage permissions, audit activity, and safety decisions from inside the app.

​
Install And First Launch

Install Fabriqa Desktop App and open it from Applications. On first launch, the app initializes your local runtime and prompts you to select a workspace.
If startup does not complete, use the troubleshooting section below to check workspace path validity, provider key setup, and update state.

​
Open Your Workspace

1

Open the workspace selector

From the launch screen, choose an existing workspace or use the folder picker to open a new one.
2

Confirm workspace context

Verify the active workspace in the sidebar and ensure the folder you selected is the one you want the assistant to operate in.
3

Start your first chat

Enter a prompt from the welcome input to create your first chat in that workspace.

​
First Chat

1

Send your prompt

Type your request and send it from the composer.
2

Watch streaming output

Follow response text, thinking, tool calls, and status as they appear in real time.
3

Interrupt when needed

Stop an in-flight response when direction changes, then continue with a refined prompt.

​
Core Desktop Workflows

Queue while streaming

Add follow-up prompts while a response is still running. Fabriqa Desktop queues and executes them in order.

Cancel and steer

Interrupt a response and immediately provide a corrected instruction.

Chat tabs

Work across multiple chats in one workspace and keep draft context isolated per tab.

Fork conversations

Create a branch from a previous assistant message to explore alternate approaches.

​
Settings Overview

Providers

Configure provider keys, default model/provider behavior, and preset preferences.

Appearance

Tune chat rendering mode, terminal output style, theme behavior, and sidebar preferences.

Changelog

Review release notes directly inside the app.

Developer

Control ACP debug logs, update actions, and global defaults such as auto-open Git changes.

Workspace Settings

Manage workspace-scoped tabs: Overview, Actions, Permissions, Audit, and Diagnostics.

​
Desktop-Only Features

Fabriqa Desktop checks for updates, downloads in the background, and lets you install when ready from in-app controls.
Pin the window so Fabriqa Desktop stays visible while you work in other tools.
Configure a system-wide shortcut to quickly show or hide Fabriqa Desktop.
Open workspaces using the operating system folder dialog for a native workflow.

​
Explore Features

Window Management

Global hotkey, zen mode, always-on-top, and display controls.

Navigation & Search

Command palette, file search, slash commands, and tab navigation.

Chat & Conversations

Tabs, view modes, message navigation, forking, and streaming controls.

Panels & Layout

Dockable panels for terminal, git, timeline, debugging, and more.

Task Runner

Run project tasks with VS Code and Fabriqa task file formats.

Git Integration

Diffs, branch tracking, and worktree-aware git panel.

AI & Agents

Providers, presets, agent config, and tool permissions.

Settings

Providers, appearance, themes, and workspace configuration.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Complete shortcut reference for all features.

​
Workflow Guides

Git Worktrees

Create isolated worktree chats for feature branches, experiments, and parallel work.

Multi-project Workspaces

Attach multiple repos or folders to one workspace and start chats in the right project context.

​
Workflow authoring

Workflow DSL

Define custom workflows with phases, agents, artifacts, lifecycles, and document-first artifact rendering.

AI-DLC workflow

See how Fabriqa’s built-in AI-DLC workflow is modeled and what the flow looks like from your perspective.

Startup issues

Validate workspace path access, provider credential setup, and update/install state.

Hotkey unavailable

Choose a non-reserved shortcut and avoid key combinations blocked by system rules.

Streaming recovery

If a response is interrupted by refresh or temporary connectivity issues, retry from the active chat.

Permissions confusion

Review saved allow/deny rules in Workspace Settings and adjust scope as needed.