> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](/llms.txt).
> Markdown versions of each page are available by appending .md to any URL.

# Conversation Forking

Branch into a new agent thread with full context to explore alternatives without altering the original conversation.

Warp allows you to **fork conversations** to create a new thread that inherits all of the context, messages, and history from an existing conversation. This is useful when you want to branch off in a new direction without affecting the original conversation.

### How conversation forking works

-   When you fork a conversation, the new thread starts with the same context and history as the original.
-   Any follow-ups in the forked conversation do **not** impact the original. Likewise, continuing in the original conversation does not change the fork.
-   Forked conversations behave just like any other conversation: you can move them into new windows, panes, or tabs.
-   Your selected model and execution profile are preserved in the forked conversation.

*Example*: You can fork a conversation to explore an alternate solution, ask “what if” questions, or continue down two separate paths in parallel.

### How to fork a conversation

There are five ways to fork an existing conversation:

#### 1\. From the Command Palette

Open the menu using the Command Palette (`CMD + Y` on macOS / `CTRL + SHIFT + Y` on Windows/Linux).

Select **Fork current conversation** to fork your current conversation, or fork a specific conversation from open conversations.

![Command Palette showing the Fork current conversation option highlighted](/_astro/conversation-forking-palette.BNHRy8Zx_uT3sq.webp?dpl=dpl_9gV68dirrqKrRdyth6yAi1FwZf77)

In addition, when you hover over any open conversation in the Command Palette, you’ll see a **fork button**. This lets you fork not only active conversations, but also inactive and historical ones.

![Command Palette listing open conversations with a fork button visible on hover](/_astro/conversation-forking-open-conversations.Coq00-hC_1X3sJm.webp?dpl=dpl_9gV68dirrqKrRdyth6yAi1FwZf77)

You can also access this conversation view from the conversation chip in the current conversation.

![Conversation chip in the input area showing the Manage conversations shortcut](/_astro/conversation-forking-chip.Dl8peSj9_15PHYP.webp?dpl=dpl_9gV68dirrqKrRdyth6yAi1FwZf77)

#### 2\. From the footer of the most recent AI response block

In any conversation in the block list, click the **fork button** in the footer of the most recent AI block. A new conversation opens in a separate pane with the full context of the original.

![Fork conversation button in the footer of the most recent agent response block](/_astro/conversation-forking-footer.cfCl1sGv_ZxgHUu.webp?dpl=dpl_9gV68dirrqKrRdyth6yAi1FwZf77)

#### 3\. Using the `/fork` slash command

Type `/fork` in the input to fork the current conversation. You can optionally include a prompt after the command, and Warp will send that prompt in the newly forked conversation.

-   Press `Enter` to open the fork in a new pane (default)
-   Press `⌘+Enter` (macOS) or `Ctrl+Enter` (Windows/Linux) to open the fork in the current pane

*Example*: `/fork Can you try a different approach?` Forks the selected conversation and immediately sends `Can you try a different approach?` in the forked conversation.

#### 4\. Using the `/fork-and-compact` slash command

Type `/fork-and-compact` to fork the current conversation and automatically compact the forked version. This combines forking with [context window management](/agent-platform/local-agents/interacting-with-agents/#context-window-management), giving you a fresh start with a summarized context.

-   Press `Enter` to open the fork in a new pane (default)
-   Press `⌘+Enter` (macOS) or `Ctrl+Enter` (Windows/Linux) to open the fork in the current pane

![Using the /fork-and-compact slash command to fork and summarize a conversation](/_astro/conversation-fork-and-compact.DfcxH8fj_Z1fdaDY.webp?dpl=dpl_9gV68dirrqKrRdyth6yAi1FwZf77)

#### 5\. Using the `/fork-from` slash command

Type `/fork-from` to open a searchable menu of all queries in the current conversation. Select a query to fork the conversation from that specific point—everything up to and including that exchange is included in the fork, but subsequent messages are excluded.

This is a more discoverable alternative to right-clicking on an agent response block.

### Fork from anywhere in a conversation

In addition to forking from the end of a conversation, you can fork from any point in the conversation history. This lets you return to an earlier agent response and branch off in a new direction from there.

![Conversation forking workflow demo](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/SlhF4_0bBxY/sddefault.jpg)

To fork from a specific point, **right-click** on any agent response block or click the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the block.

-   Select **Fork conversation from here** to create a new conversation that includes everything up to and including that response, but excludes any queries or responses that came after it.

**This is particularly useful for:**

-   **Exploring alternate paths** - Go back to a point where the conversation was on track and try a different approach.
-   **Managing your context window** - If a conversation has grown too long, fork from an earlier point to continue with only the relevant context.
-   **Preventing context pollution** - When a conversation has accumulated errors or gone off track, fork from before those issues occurred to start fresh.

### Settings

You can configure the default layout for forked conversations in **Settings** > **Features** > **Open forked conversation layout**:

-   **Split Pane** (default): Opens the forked conversation in a new pane alongside your current view.
-   **New Tab**: Opens the forked conversation in a new tab.

This setting controls the default behavior when forking via the Command Palette, AI block footer button, or slash commands (when pressing `Enter`).

### Using forked conversations

-   Once forked, you can continue prompting as if you were still in the original conversation. The original conversation remains unchanged, allowing you to reference or continue both in parallel.
-   For example, after forking you can ask *“Could you explain more?”* and Warp responds using the inherited context.

**Forking is especially useful when:**

-   You want to explore different approaches without losing the original thread.
-   You need to keep one conversation “clean” while experimenting in another.
-   You want to reuse context or specific blocks from older conversations.