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Get Started Installation Authentication Your first project Models Overview Available models Reasoning effort Features How Kiro works Specs Steering Hooks MCP Permissions Custom agents Agent Skills Powers Cloud sessions Compaction Kiroignore Checkpoints and rewind Built-in tools Configuration scopes IDE 1.x What's new in 1.0 Setup & First Run Editor Chat Experimental Troubleshooting 0.x reference CLI What's new in 3.0 Setup & First Run Terminal UI Chat Session management Goal Queue steering In-session settings Prompts File references Context management Responding to messages Working with Git Images Custom diff tools Voice mode Headless mode ACP Auto complete Experimental 2.x reference Crew Quick start Installation Running 24/7 Chat Agent Capabilities Features Interfaces Apps System & storage Configuration Security Troubleshooting Web Setup & First Run Identity Center Connect your repositories Working with the agent Autonomous mode Automations Memory Configuration Sync Sandbox Mobile - Preview Overview Commands and Reference CLI commands Slash commands Built-in tools Exit codes Settings Billing Overview Managing your subscription Upgrading your plan Downgrading your plan Cancelling your plan Purchasing add-on credits Managing your payments Managing usage notifications Managing your taxes Contacting billing support Deleting your account Related questions Enterprise Concepts Onboarding quickstart Connecting your identity provider Deployment options Subscribe your team Manage subscriptions Governance Monitor and track Settings Managed updates Billing IAM Supported regions Privacy and Security Overview Data protection Code references Compliance validation Infrastructure security IAM permissions Firewalls, proxies, and data perimeters VPC endpoints (AWS PrivateLink) Guides Overview Language support Learn by playing Migration Migrating from Q Developer Migrating from VSCode Upgrading from Q CLI * Docs * * CLI * * Chat * * Queue steering Copy page View as Markdown Queue steering Copy page View as Markdown Mid-turn steering lets you type a follow-up message while the agent is actively processing. Instead of waiting for the agent to finish or cancelling and starting over, you can send guidance that the agent incorporates into its work. Kiro offers two follow-up modes that control when your message reaches the agent: Mode Behavior Best for Steer (default) Message reaches the agent mid-turn so it can adjust course Real-time course correction Queue Message buffered locally, sent after turn ends Batching multiple follow-ups Press Ctrl+S to switch between steer and queue modes. How it works Steer mode * Type your message and press Enter while the agent is working * Your message is sent to the agent * The agent picks it up mid-turn at the next safe point and incorporates it * The agent sees your guidance and adjusts its approach * The agent acknowledges how it handled your input Queue mode * Type your message and press Enter while the agent is working * Your message is added to a local buffer (visible in activity tray) * The agent finishes its current turn normally * The first queued message is sent as a new prompt * Process continues until the queue is empty When the agent sees your message In steer mode, your message reaches the agent during the current turn and is picked up at the next safe point in its work — without interrupting an action that's already in progress. Multiple messages sent in steer mode are concatenated and delivered together. Usage Type and press Enter while the agent is working: bash > Refactor the auth module [ Agent starts working, reading files .. . ] > Actually, focus on the login function first [ In steer mode: sent to the agent mid-turn ] [ In queue mode: message added to local buffer ] Viewing queued messages The activity tray shows your pending messages: * Press Ctrl+X to expand the activity tray * The tab shows "Steer" (steer mode) or "Queue (N)" (queue mode with N items) * Press Delete or Backspace to clear the message or selected item Cancel and redirect Press Ctrl+C or Esc while a steering message is queued to implement "stop that and do this instead": * The current operation is cancelled * Your queued message is automatically sent as a new prompt bash > Write unit tests for the user service [ Agent starts writing tests .. . ] > Actually, let 's do integration tests > [press Ctrl+C or Esc] Redirecting to: Actually, let' s do integration tests [ New turn starts with integration test focus ] Steer vs. queue vs. cancel Action What happens Use when Steer (type + Enter) Agent adjusts mid-turn at the next safe point You want immediate course correction Queue (Ctrl+S, then type) Messages buffer, sent after turn ends You want to batch multiple follow-ups Cancel (Ctrl+C or Esc) Agent stops, queued steer message sent as new prompt You want to stop and pivot immediately Configuration Set the startup default via /settings → terminal → interrupt behaviour . Limitations * Steer mode : Only one message slot — multiple messages concatenate with \n\n * Queue mode : Messages sent sequentially, not batched * Timing dependent : If the agent finishes before your message is queued, it becomes a normal prompt Related * Goal — autonomous agent loop with built-in verification * Responding to messages — how to interact with agent responses * Rewind — fork a conversation at an earlier turn * Settings — configure keybindings and display preferences Page updated: August 4, 2026 Goal In-session settings