Generation modes

Recraft Studio offers three ways to generate images: Agentic, Manual, and Exploration mode. Each mode is designed for a different workflow, and you can switch between them at any time.

Agentic and Manual modes are available in the new interface. If the Old interface toggle is enabled, these modes are not accessible.

Agentic mode

Agentic mode uses an LLM-powered assistant to help generate and refine images through a conversational workflow.

In this mode:

• The system understands context and intent across multiple turns, and keeps track of your history.
• You can describe ideas naturally, refine them, and ask for suggestions.
• The assistant may suggest adjustments, apply styles, or select models automatically when helpful.
• You don’t need to restate details repeatedly as you iterate.
• Image generation and edits follow the flow of the conversation.

Agentic mode is best for exploration, iteration, and situations where you want guidance or are still shaping what you want to create. It may also be faster in achieving your goal, especially when you’re not sure how to prompt something.

Manual mode

Manual mode is a manual, prompt-based workflow with no conversational context.

In this mode:

• Each request is treated independently.
• No history, context, or memory is applied between generations.
• You control all inputs explicitly through the prompt and settings.
• Generation is faster and more predictable.

Manual mode is ideal when you know exactly what you want, need precise control, or are making quick, one-off generations.

Exploration Mode

Exploration mode helps you quickly generate and browse multiple visual directions from a single idea.

In this mode:

• You start with a prompt and receive a variety of generated options at once.
• The system focuses on diversity, showing different styles, compositions, and interpretations.
• You can easily compare results and pick the direction you like most.
• Selected outputs can be refined further or used as a starting point for iteration.
• It’s designed to surface ideas you might not have considered.

Exploration mode is best when you want inspiration, are comparing creative directions, or need to quickly discover what works before refining further.

Switching between modes

You can switch modes directly in the prompt panel:

1. Locate the mode selector in the prompt panel.
2. Select Agentic for conversational, context-aware generation.
3. Select Manual for manual, stateless prompt-based generation.
4. Select Exploration to generate multiple variations from a single idea and quickly compare different directions.

Switching modes does not reset your project or canvas:

• Existing images remain unchanged.
• You can explore ideas in Agentic mode, then switch to Manual mode to fine-tune details.
• You can move between modes freely as your workflow changes.

Return to the old interface (optional)

If you re-enable the Old interface toggle, the new interface is disabled and Agentic mode is no longer available.

When to use each mode

Mode	Best for	Behavior
Agentic	Exploration, iteration, guidance	Context-aware, conversational, may suggest or adjust settings
Manual	Precision, speed, manual control	Stateless, prompt-only, fully explicit
Exploration	Inspiration, comparison, discovery	Multiple variations, diverse outputs

All modes work within the same canvas and support Recraft Studio’s full set of image generation and editing tools.