Make Vortex comfortable to use

4 minute read · Settings

Make the workspace comfortable without changing every setting at once. Use Settings search to find the control you want, then check that it saved.

• Start with the everyday choices
• Keep a personal skills library
• Keep tools close to the conversation
• Make navigation yours
• Set up the workspace for your way of working
• Find and change a shortcut
• Check saving and reset scope

Start with the everyday choices#

General settings include the startup view, restore behavior, preferred editor, visible tools and privacy preferences. Appearance controls theme, color and interface scale. Editor and Terminal have their own font and display options.

Agents & chat sets defaults for new work and manages installations/connections. Existing conversations keep their own choices. Voice, notifications, Mail, MCP and Updates have separate sections for their particular behavior.

Keep a personal skills library#

Use Skills to manage your personal skills library. A skill contains reusable instructions for a particular kind of work. Review its instructions before making it available to an agent; adding a skill does not connect an account, install a required tool or grant permission to act.

Choose the skills needed by each project in its project settings. Keeping a skill in your library and selecting it for a project are separate steps. A writing skill may help one project while a database workflow belongs to another. Check the project's selection before starting the task instead of assuming every personal skill is enabled everywhere.

Project instructions describe the conventions and constraints for that project. Use them for details such as which checks to run and which existing patterns to follow. Keep credentials in protected connection settings. A plain chat has no project settings; open or attach the intended project before changing its instructions or selected skills. See project context.

Keep tools close to the conversation#

Open the saved tools and connections launcher to choose an existing resource. Where a tool offers layout controls, keep it docked beside your work or float it inside Vortex. A floating tool remains part of Vortex; it does not require a separate external application. Moving or closing its panel does not delete the saved connection.

Files and Source Control have separate navigation. Open a file in the editor, then move the editor to the position that suits the review. Keep a diff or tool result visible while discussing it in chat. See file and change review and saved resources.

Make navigation yours#

Search the keyboard shortcuts and adjust the bindings you use regularly. Check for conflicting keys, then try the action in its actual view. Multiple windows share the same account identity; opening another surface does not create another account.

Settings save automatically with feedback. If saving fails, use the retry state and check the value after reopening. Reset only the current section when that is what you intend.

Some preferences are device-local. Do not assume a system voice, microphone or every OS setting will be identical on another computer. Next: voice, updates, sync.

Set up the workspace for your way of working#

General controls include startup/restore behavior, preferred editor, visible tools and privacy preferences. Appearance controls include theme, palette, accent, interface font/scale and animation preferences. Hide a module you do not need without deleting its saved resources. Tool sessions that support keep-alive retain their ordinary state across navigation.

Agents & chat controls the default provider/access choices and installed/connected agents. Existing conversations keep their saved choices. Voice and Notifications have their own device and attention settings, including chat/mail previews and Signals-specific quiet hours. A disabled notification is not proof that no new event arrived.

Find and change a shortcut#

Open Keyboard shortcuts, search by action and inspect the current binding. Assign a combination that does not conflict with another important action or an OS shortcut. Test it in the surface where the action applies: file quick-open, project panels and terminal input have different focus contexts.

Editor preferences control code font/size and wrapping. Terminal preferences control its font, cursor, scrollback and theme. Changing the interface scale should be checked with the actual panels you use, including a small window; it does not change a project's website CSS.

Check saving and reset scope#

Settings show automatic-save feedback and a retry when saving fails. Wait for confirmation before assuming a change persisted. Resetting the current section should not reset unrelated account data. Some preferences are device-local, so do not expect every OS setting to appear identically on another computer.

Multiple windows share the account identity but retain their own supported session state. Closing a panel or window does not delete the underlying project or connection. If a setting appears to belong to the wrong account after a switch, stop and inspect the account scope rather than copying old preferences into the new profile. See support.