The palette

The palette is the command interface behind every mode key. It's a hierarchical, filterable tree — start typing to filter, use space to descend into a group, Tab to autocomplete, Enter to confirm. A breadcrumb at the top shows where you are.

TUI command palette open showing the full top-level command list with no filter applied

Commands (`:`)

: opens the command palette. Commands are grouped by domain.

App

Command	What it does
`:help`	Open keyboard reference
`:new`	Start a fresh session
`:reload`	Reload the TUI
`:docs`	Open Axon documentation in browser
`:logout`	Log out
`:exit`	Quit

Agent

Command	What it does
`:agent new <name>`	Create a new agent
`:agent select`	Switch to a different agent
`:agent open`	Open the agent folder in `$EDITOR`
`:agent deploy`	Deploy the active agent to Axon Cloud

Modules

Command	What it does
`:module install`	Install a module from the registry
`:module remove`	Remove an installed module
`:module upgrade`	Upgrade installed modules
`:module list`	List modules on the active agent

Policy

Command	What it does
`:policy show`	Print the current capsule policy
`:policy reset`	Restore the default policy
`:policy open`	Open policy config in `$EDITOR`
`:policy fs`	Filesystem access rules
`:policy network fetch`	Network fetch rules
`:policy proc`	Process spawning rules

Keys

Command	What it does
`:keys set openai`	Connect an OpenAI API key
`:keys set openrouter`	Connect an OpenRouter API key
`:keys show`	Show configured keys (masked)
`:keys clear`	Remove all saved keys

Session

Command	What it does
`:session open`	Open the active session file in `$EDITOR`
`:clear session`	End the current session and start fresh
`:clear sessions`	Delete all session data for the active agent
`:clear history`	Wipe input history
`:clear data`	Wipe all local data and log out

Ollama

Command	What it does
`:ollama ps`	Show models loaded in VRAM
`:ollama unload <model>`	Unload a model from VRAM
`:ollama remove <model>`	Delete a model from disk
`:ollama update`	Re-pull all installed models to latest
`:ollama stop`	Stop the Ollama server

Settings and theme

Command	What it does
`:settings open`	Open settings in `$EDITOR`
`:theme set <theme>`	Apply a colour theme
`:theme reset`	Reset to default theme
`:header set <header>`	Switch header art
`:header reset`	Restore built-in Axon logo

Scripts (`!`)

! lists every script in the active agent's src/scripts/. Select one to run it immediately. Output streams into the chat as it arrives.

Scripts run non-blocking — the TUI returns to normal mode immediately and output appears as capsule stdout entries in the chat. You can send messages while a script runs.

Prompts (`>`)

> lists every prompt in the active agent's src/prompts/. Selecting one renders the prompt server-side and inserts the result into the input bar. You can edit it before sending.

Dynamic prompts (.vue) with typed props show a form for filling in arguments before rendering.

Sessions (`@`)

@ lists all sessions for the active agent. Sessions are scoped per agent — switching agents shows that agent's sessions only. Select one to resume it.

Theme (`"`)

" opens the theme switcher. Themes apply live as you move through the list — no need to confirm before seeing the result. Escape reverts to the previous theme if you change your mind.

Keyboard reference (`?`)

? opens the full keyboard reference — every mode key, every shortcut, in one view.

Keyboard shortcuts

Key	Action
`Escape`	Return to normal mode, abort a running stream, or deny a policy escalation
`Escape Escape`	Clear the input (double-tap within 400ms)
`Shift+Enter`	Insert a newline
`↑` (empty input)	Open input history
`Tab`	Autocomplete or descend into a command group
`↑ / ↓`	Move through palette items
`Enter`	Confirm palette selection or send message

Policy escalations

When a tool call requires approval — because it matches an escalate rule in the agent's policy — the TUI automatically switches to escalation mode. The input bar shows ‼ and the palette presents the call details with allow and deny options.

TUI in escalation mode showing a pending capsule policy escalation with allow and deny options

Approving updates the policy for future calls of the same kind. Denying sends a rejection back to the agent. Escape always denies.