Zed introduces parallel agents with a new Threads Sidebar
Zed now supports running multiple AI agent threads simultaneously across projects via a new Threads Sidebar, with support for mixing built-in and third-party agents like Claude, Codex, and Cursor.
Score breakdown
Running multiple specialized agents concurrently — mixing Zed's built-in agent with Claude, Codex, or Cursor — in a single window removes the friction of juggling separate editor instances for parallel AI-assisted workflows.
- 01A new Threads Sidebar lets users run multiple agent threads simultaneously within a single Zed window.
- 02Third-party agent threads from Claude, Codex, Cursor, Amp, and Open Code can be imported into the sidebar.
- 03Users can mix Zed's built-in agent, Claude, Codex, and Cursor agents across concurrent threads.
Zed Industries has shipped Parallel Agents, a major update to Zed's AI capabilities that allows multiple agent threads to run simultaneously across projects without opening separate editor windows. The centerpiece is a new Threads Sidebar, which displays all active and historical threads with unread indicators — a blue dot marks threads that have completed since you last viewed them. Threads from external agents including Claude, Codex, Cursor, Amp, and Open Code can be imported into the sidebar, making their history accessible from one place.
The feature supports mixing agents within the same session: a developer can run Zed's built-in agent in one thread, Claude in another, and Cursor's agent in a third, all concurrently.
The feature supports mixing agents within the same session: a developer can run Zed's built-in agent in one thread, Claude in another, and Cursor's agent in a third, all concurrently. For project organization, Zed now supports adding multiple folders to a single project, enabling a single agent thread to read and write across repos. For heavier or more isolated tasks, the feature integrates Git worktree creation directly from the thread UI — Zed automatically generates a new worktree with a randomly named directory (formatted as a random adjective followed by a random noun) inside a dedicated `worktrees` folder. The project panel has also been moved to the right side by default to allow it to remain open alongside the new sidebar, though users can redock it to the left via a right-click menu.
Key facts
- 01A new Threads Sidebar lets users run multiple agent threads simultaneously within a single Zed window.
- 02Third-party agent threads from Claude, Codex, Cursor, Amp, and Open Code can be imported into the sidebar.
- 03Users can mix Zed's built-in agent, Claude, Codex, and Cursor agents across concurrent threads.
- 04Git worktree creation is integrated directly into the thread UI, generating an isolated checkout with a randomly named directory.
- 05A single agent thread can read and write across multiple repos in a multi-folder project.
- 06Completed threads are marked with a blue unread indicator dot in the sidebar.
- 07The project panel now defaults to the right side to allow simultaneous display with the Threads Sidebar.