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Command reference · Aider

/architect

Switches to architect mode, where one model plans the solution and a second model turns it into concrete file edits.

In architect mode, Aider first sends the request to the main model (the architect), which proposes a solution. Aider then sends that proposal to a separate editor model (configurable with --editor-model), which turns it into concrete file edits. Without an attached prompt, /architect only switches to this mode persistently, without sending a message.

✅ WHEN TO USE IT?

Pair a strong reasoning model with a good editor model

/architect Refactor the payment module to use the new API — e.g. with a strong reasoning model as architect and Sonnet or GPT-4o as the editor model

Give the same model two passes at the problem

/architect (no prompt, to switch persistently) — the model gets one pass to plan and one to implement, which the docs say can produce better results than plain code mode

⛔ WHEN NOT TO?

A quick, simple change

Architect mode needs two LLM requests instead of one, which the docs note costs more time and money.

Better: Use /code for direct changes without the extra step

Just discussing, not changing anything

Architect mode ends up changing files; that's unnecessary if you only want to clarify questions.

Better: Use /ask to discuss the approach before any code gets changed

SOURCES