Code IDE overview — multi-file editor with an agent loop
What the Code IDE is, who it's for, how it differs from the legacy workbench, and how to switch a site over.
The Code IDE is an alternative editor surface for Web Design sites. Instead of the page-at-a-time, chat-first workbench, you get a multi-file tree, a Monaco editor (the same one VS Code uses), and a Claude-powered agent that can read, search, and edit any file in your site over multiple turns — much closer to working with a real code editor.
It’s opt-in and experimental. Most users stay on the legacy workbench because it’s faster for the one-page-at-a-time edits agencies make 95% of the time. The IDE is for the moments when you want full control: refactoring shared styles across pages, building a custom component, or writing a long-form landing page that needs tight HTML.
Code IDE vs the legacy workbench
- Legacy workbench — page-at-a-time edits, chat scoped to one page, click-to-edit modal, intake wizard. Best for fast iteration and ~one-shot fixes.
- Code IDE — file tree, Monaco editor, site-wide agent that reads and edits across files, checkpoint history. Best for refactoring, multi-file features, and when you need to see raw code.
Both surfaces save to the same site, but they store content in different tables — pages versus files — so switching a site does not migrate content from one to the other. Each surface preserves whatever was last edited there.
Switching a site between surfaces
From the legacy workbench, when the IDE is enabled for your workspace, you’ll see a thin Try Code IDE strip above the editor — click it to flip this site to the IDE and land in the new surface. From the IDE topbar, click ↩ Classic to flip back. Both buttons update the site preference first, then navigate — there’s no way to land on the wrong surface from a bookmark.
Permissions
The IDE follows the same Phase 23 design permissions as the legacy workbench. WRITER and EDITOR roles can edit; MANAGER can publish; CLIENT users are read-only (even if a workspace owner explicitly grants design.edit). The workspace owner is the only role who can flip the master toggle that decides whether the IDE is available at all.
When NOT to use it
- You want fast results without thinking about code — the legacy workbench is faster for this.
- Your client’s designer will be in here too — the legacy workbench has click-to-edit, which is friendlier for non-developers.
- You need to ship today. The IDE is feature-complete for editing, but it’s still labelled beta — file a bug if anything surprises you.