Pool is an AI coding agent developed by Poolside (poolsideai) designed to execute software engineering tasks directly in developer environments. Built as both an interactive terminal application and a modular agent service, Pool interfaces with local repositories to read, modify, and manage codebase changes. In day-to-day use, Pool operates in two primary modes: as an interactive terminal UI/CLI tool and as an Agent Client Protocol (ACP) server that integrates into compatible code editors and IDEs. Developers can prompt the agent to inspect context, make code modifications, and execute tasks across the project workspace, while retaining the ability to intervene during execution. What distinguishes Pool is its native adoption of the Agent Client Protocol (ACP) along with features like mid-turn steering, custom hooks, and an autonomous 'Auto' execution mode. By decoupling the core agent logic from the interface via ACP, Pool allows developers to switch seamlessly between standalone terminal workflows and IDE-driven client environments without changing the underlying agent setup. Pool is released under an open-source license on GitHub with ongoing development and versioning. It serves as Poolside's core client harness for developer-driven AI agent workflows.
Terminal Interactive Mode — Runs as a standalone interactive TUI/CLI application for direct terminal-based coding. - Agent Client Protocol (ACP) Server — Integrates seamlessly with ACP-compatible editors and IDEs via standardized protocol communication. - Mid-Turn Steering — Allows developers to provide input or redirect the agent while a task is actively in progress. - Auto Execution Mode — Enables automated multi-step task execution for extended codebase operations. - Lifecycle Hooks — Supports configurable hooks to trigger custom scripts and integrations throughout agent runs. - Refined Terminal UI — Offers a structured interface for monitoring agent diffs, actions, and execution history.
Use cases
Use Case: Terminal-Based Refactoring and Bug Fixing Developers invoke Pool directly from their command line to investigate bugs, generate targeted patches, and refactor existing modules within their repository. The interactive UI presents diffs and proposed changes for rapid review before applying modifications.
Use Case: Editor Integration via ACP Software engineers connect their ACP-compatible code editor to Pool running as a background ACP server. This allows inline agent assistance, multi-file context tracking, and code generation directly inside their standard development environment.
Use Case: Automated Task Execution with Mid-Turn Steering Teams assign complex, multi-step maintenance tasks to Pool in Auto mode. If the agent heads in an unintended direction during execution, developers use mid-turn steering to inject updated constraints and course-correct without restarting the entire task.
Who it is for
Pool is targeted at software engineers and teams seeking a flexible agent that operates both in the terminal and inside ACP-compatible IDEs. It is ideal for developers working in local repositories who want mid-turn control and protocol-driven tooling. It is less suitable for users looking for a fully managed SaaS cloud agent or a simple non-interactive code generation script.
Install guide
Installation Pool can be cloned and built from source, or installed using standard package release binaries: bash # Clone the repository git clone https://github.com/poolsideai/pool.git cd pool # Build or install using your local package toolchain # (Refer to repository release tags for prebuilt binaries)
First Run To start Pool in standalone interactive terminal mode, run the CLI binary in the root of your project: bash pool To run Pool as an ACP server for compatible editor integration: bash pool --acp
Example Session Launch Pool in interactive mode and prompt it with a task: bash $ pool > Refactor the user authentication middleware to support token refresh and add corresponding unit tests.
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