# Settings

> A map of every Settings section in Vato Desktop and what each one controls.

Settings gathers everything you can configure in Vato Desktop, from the theme to your AI accounts.

## Open Settings

- Click the gear icon in the main navigation bar.
- Or press ⌘, on macOS or Ctrl+, on Windows.
- Or open the command palette and choose **Settings**.

The sections are listed on the left. Type a word such as "theme" in **Search settings** to filter them by name and description. Click **Back** to return to your work.

## Application

| Section | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **General** | How Vato starts, how agents behave and which local permissions they have. |
| **Appearance** | The theme, the navigation and the surfaces visible in your workspace. |
| **Notifications** | The events Vato tells you about, and on which devices. |
| **Shortcuts** | The keyboard shortcuts. You can review and change each one. |

In **General** you will find, among others:

- **Interface language**, for the Vato interface.
- **AI response language**, for the answers of Claude, Codex and OpenRouter.
- **Default agent execution mode**: **Plan**, **Default permissions**, **Approve for me** or **Full access** for new conversations.
- **Messages during a turn**: whether Enter sends a follow-up to the **Queue** or uses it to **Steer** the running turn.
- **Agent collaboration** and **Question answer window**, which control how often agents ask you questions and how long you have to answer.
- **Commit attribution**, the signature added to commits and pull requests created by agents.
- **Index projects automatically**, the private local index that helps agents find code.
- **Final answer**, the length and presentation of agents' final answers.
- **Voice activation**, to listen for "Hey Vato".
- **Vato's general guide**, to open the welcome guide again.

In **Appearance**, choose the **Theme** (**Dark** or **Light**), pick which surfaces appear in **Header tabs**, and turn the **Desktop mascot** on or off.

## Workspace tools

| Section | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Tools** | Audit and clean up development resources used by Vato. |
| **Plugins** | The browser, desktop control and API keys. |
| **Vato Design** | Vato Design and its local design tools. |
| **AppSnap** | Screen capture, and how captures join active conversations. |
| **Worktrees** | Isolated Git checkouts linked to your conversations, and their setup script. See [Review changes](./review-changes.md). |
| **Skills** | Reusable procedures available to your agents. |

## Data and connections

| Section | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Providers** | Your AI provider accounts: connect, order and update them. See [Start your first conversation](../agents/first-conversation.md). |
| **Integrations** | Apps you connect for your agents and Bots, on all your devices. |
| **Vault** | Logins, keys and server details your agents can use without ever seeing the secrets. |
| **Storage** | Local data, backups and space you can reclaim. |
| **Archives** | Conversations removed from your current activity. Find and restore them here. |

## Usage

| Section | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Dashboard** | Costs, tokens and their breakdown. |
| **Usage & quotas** | Your provider accounts, their quotas and reset credits. |

## Account

| Section | What it controls |
| --- | --- |
| **Profile** | Your Vato identity and the information tied to this session. |
| **Team** | Your team, its members and access to shared conversations. |
| **Vato Cloud** | A hosted machine that runs your agents and Bots, even when your computer is off. |

Source: https://vatoide.com/docs/workspace/settings