Discuss Mode
Discuss mode lets you think through ideas, ask questions, and plan changes with MonstarX, without building or modifying anything in your app.
What is Discuss mode?
By default, sending a message in MonstarX triggers a build. Discuss mode changes that. With it enabled, MonstarX responds conversationally, reasoning through your question, comparing approaches, or explaining how something works, without touching a single line of code.
Think of it as a whiteboard conversation before you commit to building.
Discuss mode never modifies your app. Each message uses one credit.
| Regular message | Discuss mode | |
|---|---|---|
| Triggers a build | Yes | No |
| Changes your app | Yes | No |
| Uses a credit | Yes | Yes |
| Good for | Making changes | Planning first |
What to use it for
You can use Discuss mode to:
- Explore an idea before committing to it
- Ask questions about how your app is structured
- Investigate a bug safely before making changes
- Compare two approaches and understand the trade-offs
- Plan a new feature before writing the prompt that builds it
- Understand what a change would affect before triggering it
How to activate Discuss mode
Look for the Discuss toggle near the message input field.
Tooltip: "Ask questions without building or redeploying preview."
Click it to turn it on, the active state shows "Discuss mode on."
Type your message and send it. MonstarX responds without changing your app. When you're ready to build, turn the toggle off and send your prompt normally.
Example prompts
Exploring a feature:
"I want to add a paywall so only paid users can see the dashboard. How would you implement this with Stripe? What parts of the app would change?"
Investigating a bug:
"Users say the login form doesn't work on mobile. What's the most likely cause? What should I check first?"
Planning before building:
"I want to add notifications. Walk me through the options, email, in-app, SMS, and what each would require."
Understanding existing code:
"What does the dashboard page currently do? How is the data being fetched?"
Before a large change:
"I'm about to ask you to redesign the entire dashboard. What parts of the app would that affect? Is there anything I should be careful about?"
When Discuss mode produces a plan
If your conversation leads to a clear approach, MonstarX may produce a structured plan that includes:
- A high-level overview of the approach
- Key decisions and assumptions
- Steps in the right order
- Any services or integrations needed
From there, you can:
- Edit the plan, adjust scope, add constraints, or remove steps
- Approve the plan, MonstarX switches to build mode and starts from the approved plan
You can keep asking questions before approving. The plan only becomes a build instruction when you say so.
When to use Discuss mode
Before a big change? → Turn ON Discuss mode, talk it through first
Ready to build? → Turn OFF Discuss mode, send your prompt
Something broke? → Turn ON Discuss mode, ask what happened
Unsure what it will do? → Turn ON Discuss mode, ask before committingFAQ
Does Discuss mode change my app? No. Your app, code, and Preview are completely untouched while Discuss mode is active.
Does it cost credits? Yes, one credit per message, the same as a regular build message.
Can I use it to debug? Absolutely. Describe the problem, what you expected, and what actually happened, MonstarX will help you figure out the cause without making any changes.
How do I go back to building? Turn off the Discuss toggle and send your next message normally.
Can I use Discuss mode at any point? Yes, before you start a project, mid-build, or after you've published. Use it any time you want to think before you commit.
