Capability overview
How can I use ai agent presence in DevDock?
See when Claude Code or Codex is actively working in a project before you switch branches, run a build, or edit the same files.
The sidebar project row and the project dashboard show which agent is active and whether it is working, running a command, or waiting. Hover over the label to see the session title or latest prompt.
Claude Code presence is read from recent local session transcripts, including terminal and Claude desktop app sessions, without connecting an account.
Agent presence is included in DevDock Free and reports activity only; it does not control the agent or inspect source changes.
Where it shows
Where agent activity appears in DevDock
When a coding agent is working in a folder that belongs to a registered project, that project's sidebar row shows a short status such as "Claude Code working" or "Codex running a command". The open project also shows a badge with the agent's name and state, with a pulsing dot while it is working.
Hover the status to see what the agent is doing: the session's title, or its latest prompt when the session has no title. If several agents work in the same project, the badge names up to two and counts the rest.
DevDock checks for agent activity every few seconds. It matches the agent's working directory to the closest registered folder, so an agent working in one repository of a multi-folder project appears on the correct project.
Why it matters
Avoid working against an agent that is still running
An agent that is editing files or running a build can be disrupted by a branch switch, a pull, a database wipe, or a second build in the same folder. Agent presence shows which projects are busy before you act in them. Because the sidebar lists every project, you can check this without opening each terminal.
It also helps when agents run in several terminals or in the Claude desktop app at once, and you need to know which project each one is working in.
Supported agents
Which agents DevDock recognizes
Claude Code and Codex are recognized without any setup. DevDock reads the session data these tools already keep on your computer: recent Claude Code session transcripts, including sessions started from the Claude desktop app, and Codex's local session and log data. You do not connect an account.
Other tools appear only when an integration reports their activity through a heartbeat file: a small JSON file in a shared folder in the Windows temporary directory, refreshed at least every ten seconds. DevDock ignores heartbeats older than twenty seconds.
Scope
What agent presence reports
DevDock shows an agent only while its session reports an active turn: working, running a command, or waiting. An agent that is open in a terminal but idle does not appear. For Claude Code, the status changes to running a command while a tool call it started, such as a shell command, is still in progress.
Agent presence reports activity only. It does not start, stop or prompt an agent, and it does not show which files the agent changed; Git status and the commit dialog show that. Agent presence is included in DevDock Free.
In the workflow
How to use it
Register the project
Add the folder the agent works in as a DevDock project, or as one of its folders with Pro.
Run the agent as usual
Start Claude Code or Codex in a terminal or in its desktop app. No DevDock setup is needed.
Check the sidebar
Before switching branches, pulling or starting a build, look for an agent status on the project's row.
Hover for details
Hover the status or badge to read the session title or latest prompt and decide whether to wait.
Useful in practice
When to use it
Related manual
Getting started with DevDock
Build a dependable DevDock workspace: register a project, verify detection, run commands safely, and create a daily workflow you can return to.
Read the guideDirect answers
Questions about ai agent presence.
Do I need to configure Claude Code or Codex for DevDock?
No. DevDock reads the session data both tools already store on your computer and shows activity for the registered project that contains the agent's working directory.
Can DevDock show agents other than Claude Code and Codex?
Only when an integration writes DevDock's heartbeat file for that tool. Without a heartbeat, other agents are not detected.
Why does an open agent terminal not show as active?
DevDock shows an agent only while a session reports an active turn. A terminal with an idle agent in it is not counted.
Is agent presence part of DevDock Pro?
No. Agent presence is included in DevDock Free.
Free & Pro: what’s included
Available on the Microsoft Store. Free for up to three local projects with core commands, Git, Docker, project health checks, and security-audit tools. A one-time Pro purchase unlocks unlimited and multi-folder projects, custom workflows, full history and insights, database tools, SSH transfers, and configuration backup and restore.