Git

The built-in Git panel brings repository review into your AI workspace. Inspect what an agent changed, choose what to stage, write or generate a commit message, and synchronize with your remote without leaving AI.Chat.

Install Git on the server and leave the git extension enabled. Open the top-right workspace button, then select its Git tab. The panel uses the selected chat's project; without a project, it can browse repositories inside your initial allowed directories.

Example repository data showing the staged comparison and commit controls.

Bring a repository into your workspace​

Use New project → Clone repository to clone an existing repository, or create a new project with Initialize Git repository checked. See Projects for URLs, branches, credentials, progress, and cancellation.

The Git panel discovers repositories inside the allowed workspace. A plain folder shows No Git repository here. Existing plain projects are not initialized from this panel; use a Git client if needed.

Inspect working, staged, and historical diffs​

Click a file to open its unified diff in the main panel. Red marks removals, green marks additions, and line numbers and hunk headers show where each change belongs. Deleted files remain reviewable; untracked files compare against an empty file. Binary files, conflicts, and oversized changes show an explanation instead of an incomplete diff.

Expand a recent commit to load its changed files. Hover or focus a commit for its author, date, full hash, and message. Right-click it, or press Shift+F10, for Open on GitHub, Copy Commit Hash, and Copy Commit Message. The GitHub link follows the selected remote; other hosts disable that action.

Refresh keeps expanded folders and commits. While the Git panel is open, finishing the selected chat's agent run refreshes its repository status. URLs retain the selected file, comparison, and historical revision so reload and Back/Forward can restore the view.

Stage and commit​

1. Review Working changes and use a file's + to stage it. Section controls stage or unstage all listed changes; a staged file's − returns it to Working changes.
2. Review the staged diff and enter a commit message. The editor grows as you type.
3. Check the Git author shown below the commit button. If none is configured, enter name and email. Remember for this repository explicitly saves them to that repository's Git config.
4. Choose Commit, or use Ctrl+Enter / Cmd+Enter in the message editor.

The regular button commits only the current index. Later working edits stay unstaged. Messages are kept in browser memory per project/repository, including a separate no-project draft; failed operations retain the message. A successful commit immediately refreshes status and history. Committing does not push.

Generate a commit message with AI​

Stage changes, then use the sparkle button in the message editor. It sends the complete staged patch to the configured text model and proposes an editable subject. Review it before committing. Generation never stages files or creates a commit, and typing while it runs protects your manual edits.

Configure defaults.commit in App_Data/chat/llms.json:

{
  "defaults": {
    "commit": {
      "model": "openai/gpt-oss-120b",
      "stream": false,
      "messages": [
        { "role": "system", "content": "Write a concise imperative commit subject based only on the supplied staged changes. Return one plain-text line." },
        { "role": "user", "content": "Summarize these staged changes:\n\n{diffs}" }
      ]
    }
  }
}

Choose any configured compatible model; set commit to null to disable generation. Older configs use the bundled default when this key is absent. The staged patch may contain sensitive code, so select a provider appropriate for your project. Input beyond the size/context limit is rejected instead of silently summarized from only part of the changes.

Repository menu​

The ellipsis beside the branch opens Pull, Push, and Commit, Changes, and Stash submenus. Keyboard arrows navigate them; on narrow screens, submenus use a Back button.

Stashing needs an existing commit and Git author. Conflicts retain the stash and require a Git client. Right-click an individual working file for confirmed Discard Changes: tracked files revert to the index and untracked files are deleted. Review carefully before discarding; these actions change files.

Pull, push, and Sync Changes​

Select a remote when there are several. Ahead/behind counts reflect local remote-tracking references and update after synchronization.

• Pull fetches the selected branch and fast-forwards only. Commit or stash local changes first.
• Push sends the reviewed commit without force or implicit tags.
• On a clean tree with pending incoming or outgoing changes, Sync Changes fetches and fast-forwards before pushing under the same repository lock.

Diverged history is preserved and requires resolution with a Git client. The first sync records an upstream when none exists. Disabled controls explain missing remotes, detached/unborn branches, dirty trees, or hosted restrictions in their tooltips.

Local and hosted access​

AI.Chat defaults to hosted access. Public HTTPS clone/pull operations are limited to GitHub, GitLab, Bitbucket, or the host's configured allowlist. Push and synchronization that pushes are disabled; the server operator's global Git identity and credentials are not borrowed. Application sign-in, including GitHub login, does not itself authorize repository access.

Configure the allowlist when registering the plugin:

services.AddPlugin(new ChatFeature {
    Git = { CloneHosts = ["github.com", "git.example.org"] },
});

For a trusted single-user deployment, the host can explicitly opt into its existing Git credential helpers and SSH identities:

services.AddPlugin(new ChatFeature {
    Git = { UseLocalCredentials = true },
});

Remote operations remain non-interactive; SSH hosts must already be trusted in known_hosts. This opt-in uses the host process's credentials, so reserve it for trusted users rather than a shared multi-user deployment. Do not put secrets in repository URLs. Git.Executable can select a Git binary.

Writes are blocked while an agent is queued, running, or awaiting approval in the project or an overlapping workspace. Read-only review stays available. Reviewed revisions prevent stale commits and discards; hooks and signing do not run in this UI. Content filters, linked/external Git metadata, submodules, merge/conflict resolution, and more advanced workflows require a Git client.

Diffs are bounded to 1 MiB or 10,000 lines. Remote requests are bounded operations, not durable jobs; after losing a remote-operation reply, refresh status and inspect the outcome before retrying.

Troubleshooting​

See Workspace Explorer for file previews and Projects for project creation and organization.