v0.49.0: add interaction_mode: off — silent agent mode

Adds "off" as a valid interaction_mode value that suppresses all
per-iteration render output (iteration headers, thinking, tool calls,
tool results, summary) and delivers the clean final answer to stdout.

Implementation:
- Add interactionMode field + SetInteractionMode() to loop Engine
- Gate all 6 render call sites with e.interactionMode != "off"
- Wire interactionMode from Agent Config to engine
- CLI: skip rend.Start() header, print clean result to stdout
- Telegram: force toolProgress="off" when interaction_mode="off"
- Update /mode help, config docs, and AGENTS.md
- Unit tests at loop level (render suppression) and config level (value acceptance)
- Set global config: interaction_mode=off, tool_progress=new

Author: molty3000

AGENTS.md

@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ Five-layer priority chain:
 4. CLI flags               ← Explicit invocation (highest priority)
 ```
 - `${VAR}` substitution in JSON config files.
-- `interaction_mode` field: `engaging` | `verbose` | `enhance`.
+- `interaction_mode` field: `engaging` | `verbose` | `enhance` | `off`.
 - `max_tool_parallel`: bounded concurrency for tool execution.
 - `--deliver` CLI flag delivers agent response to Telegram default chat (for cron).
 

cmd/odek/main.go

@@ -1092,7 +1092,9 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 	ctx, cancel := signal.NotifyContext(context.Background(), os.Interrupt)
 	defer cancel()
 
-	rend.Start(f.Task)
+	if resolved.InteractionMode != "off" {
+		rend.Start(f.Task)
+	}
 
 	// Shared agent run — capture messages for --learn mode
 	var allMessages []llm.Message
@@ -1186,6 +1188,11 @@ func run(args []string) error {
 		}
 	}
 
+	// ── Off mode: print clean result to stdout ──
+	if resolved.InteractionMode == "off" && runErr == nil && result != "" {
+		fmt.Println(result)
+	}
+
 	return nil
 }
 

cmd/odek/telegram.go

@@ -1053,6 +1053,10 @@ func handleChatMessage(
 	// behavior is used regardless of tool_progress (preserves existing UX).
 	toolProgress := resolved.ToolProgress
 	isEnhance := resolved.InteractionMode == "enhance"
+	isOff := resolved.InteractionMode == "off"
+	if isOff {
+		toolProgress = "off"
+	}
 	if isEnhance {
 		toolProgress = "enhance"
 	}

internal/config/loader.go

@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@ type CLIFlags struct {
 	// "engaging" (default) = emoji-rich narration, progress message edited.
 	// "enhance" = per-tool narrated messages appended, progress header kept.
 	// "verbose" = raw tool names, args, and results.
+	// "off" = no intermediate progress output, clean answer only.
 	InteractionMode string
 }
 
@@ -184,6 +185,7 @@ type FileConfig struct {
 	// "engaging" (default) = emoji-rich narration, progress message edited.
 	// "enhance" = per-tool narrated messages, progress header kept.
 	// "verbose" = raw tool names, args, and results.
+	// "off" = no progress output, clean answer only.
 	InteractionMode string `json:"interaction_mode,omitempty"`
 
 	// ToolProgress controls per-tool progress messages for the Telegram bot.
@@ -292,6 +294,7 @@ type ResolvedConfig struct {
 	GithubRepoUrl string
 
 	// InteractionMode is the resolved interaction style.
+	// Values: "engaging" (default), "enhance", "verbose", or "off".
 	// "engaging" (default), "enhance", or "verbose".
 	InteractionMode string
 

internal/config/loader_test.go

@@ -750,3 +750,11 @@ func TestLoadConfig_InteractionModeViaCLI(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("InteractionMode = %q, want %q", cfg.InteractionMode, "verbose")
 	}
 }
+
+func TestLoadConfig_InteractionModeOff(t *testing.T) {
+	// "off" should be accepted as a valid value via CLI.
+	cfg := LoadConfig(CLIFlags{InteractionMode: "off"})
+	if cfg.InteractionMode != "off" {
+		t.Errorf("InteractionMode = %q, want %q", cfg.InteractionMode, "off")
+	}
+}

internal/loop/loop.go

@@ -71,6 +71,11 @@ type Engine struct {
 
 	toolEventHandler ToolEventHandler // optional: fires during tool execution
 
+	// interactionMode controls how progress is surfaced to the user.
+	// "engaging" (default), "verbose", "enhance", or "off" (silent).
+	// When "off", all per-iteration render output is suppressed.
+	interactionMode string
+
 	// narrator produces engaging, human-friendly progress messages
 	// instead of raw tool call output. nil = verbose mode (default).
 	narrator *narrate.Narrator
@@ -148,6 +153,10 @@ func (e *Engine) SetSkillLoader(sl SkillLoader) { e.skillLoader = sl }
 // message before the LLM invocation.
 func (e *Engine) SetEpisodeContextFunc(ef EpisodeContextFunc) { e.episodeCtx = ef }
 
+// SetInteractionMode sets how progress is surfaced.
+// "off" suppresses all per-iteration render output except the final answer.
+func (e *Engine) SetInteractionMode(mode string) { e.interactionMode = mode }
+
 // SetSkillVerbose controls whether skill loading shows full banners (true)
 // or condensed markers (false, default). Condensed saves context window space.
 func (e *Engine) SetSkillVerbose(verbose bool) { e.skillVerbose = verbose }
@@ -404,7 +413,7 @@ func (e *Engine) runLoop(ctx context.Context, messages []llm.Message) (string, [
 		}
 
 		// Render iteration header (1-indexed for humans)
-		if e.renderer != nil {
+		if e.renderer != nil && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 			e.renderer.Iteration(i+1, e.maxIter, 0, 0, 0, 0)
 		}
 
@@ -547,7 +556,7 @@ func (e *Engine) runLoop(ctx context.Context, messages []llm.Message) (string, [
 		}
 
 		// Render turn statistics (re-draw iteration header with stats)
-		if e.renderer != nil {
+		if e.renderer != nil && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 			e.renderer.Iteration(i+1, e.maxIter, latency, result.InputTokens, result.OutputTokens, 0)
 		}
 
@@ -563,7 +572,7 @@ func (e *Engine) runLoop(ctx context.Context, messages []llm.Message) (string, [
 
 		// No tool calls = final answer
 		if len(result.ToolCalls) == 0 {
-			if e.renderer != nil {
+			if e.renderer != nil && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 				e.renderer.FinalAnswer(result.Content)
 				e.renderer.Summary(
 					e.TotalInputTokens,
@@ -607,7 +616,7 @@ func (e *Engine) runLoop(ctx context.Context, messages []llm.Message) (string, [
 					e.renderer.NarratorMessage(msg)
 				}
 			}
-		} else if e.renderer != nil && result.Content != "" {
+		} else if e.renderer != nil && result.Content != "" && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 			e.renderer.Thinking(result.Content)
 		}
 
@@ -653,7 +662,7 @@ func (e *Engine) runLoop(ctx context.Context, messages []llm.Message) (string, [
 						e.renderer.NarratorMessage(msg)
 					}
 				}
-			} else if e.renderer != nil {
+			} else if e.renderer != nil && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 				e.renderer.ToolCall(tc.Function.Name, tc.Function.Arguments)
 			}
 			if e.toolEventHandler != nil {
@@ -782,7 +791,7 @@ if e.approver != nil && len(result.ToolCalls) > 1 {
 			output := results[i].output
 
 			// Tool results: only shown in verbose mode.
-			if e.narrator == nil && e.renderer != nil {
+			if e.narrator == nil && e.renderer != nil && e.interactionMode != "off" {
 				e.renderer.ToolResult(output)
 			}
 			if e.toolEventHandler != nil {

internal/loop/loop_test.go

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 package loop
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"context"
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
@@ -14,6 +15,7 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/BackendStack21/kode/internal/danger"
 	"github.com/BackendStack21/kode/internal/llm"
+	"github.com/BackendStack21/kode/internal/render"
 	"github.com/BackendStack21/kode/internal/tool"
 )
 
@@ -1840,3 +1842,69 @@ func TestClassifyToolCall_Terminal(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestEngine_InteractionModeOff_SuppressesAllRenderOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	// Mock LLM: first response has thinking + tool call, second is final answer.
+	callCount := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		callCount++
+		if callCount == 1 {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, `{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"Let me check.","tool_calls":[{"id":"call_1","function":{"name":"echo","arguments":"{\"text\":\"hello\"}"}}]}}]}`)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, `{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"Final answer"}}]}`)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	reg := tool.NewRegistry([]tool.Tool{&fakeTool{name: "echo", output: "echo output"}})
+	rend := render.New(&buf, false)
+
+	client := llm.New(server.URL, "sk-test", "test-model", "", 0)
+	engine := New(client, reg, 10, "", rend, 0)
+	engine.SetInteractionMode("off")
+
+	result, err := engine.Run(context.Background(), "test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Run() error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if result != "Final answer" {
+		t.Errorf("result = %q, want %q", result, "Final answer")
+	}
+	if buf.Len() > 0 {
+		t.Errorf("render output should be empty in off mode, got %d bytes: %q", buf.Len(), buf.String())
+	}
+}
+
+func TestEngine_InteractionModeDefault_ProducesRenderOutput(t *testing.T) {
+	// Same mock LLM but without SetInteractionMode("off") — render output should appear.
+	callCount := 0
+	server := httptest.NewServer(http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
+		callCount++
+		if callCount == 1 {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, `{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"Let me check.","tool_calls":[{"id":"call_1","function":{"name":"echo","arguments":"{\"text\":\"hello\"}"}}]}}]}`)
+		} else {
+			fmt.Fprint(w, `{"choices":[{"message":{"content":"Final answer"}}]}`)
+		}
+	}))
+	defer server.Close()
+
+	var buf bytes.Buffer
+	reg := tool.NewRegistry([]tool.Tool{&fakeTool{name: "echo", output: "echo output"}})
+	rend := render.New(&buf, false)
+
+	client := llm.New(server.URL, "sk-test", "test-model", "", 0)
+	engine := New(client, reg, 10, "", rend, 0)
+	// Default interaction mode — no SetInteractionMode, no SetNarrator = verbose mode
+
+	result, err := engine.Run(context.Background(), "test")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("Run() error: %v", err)
+	}
+	if result != "Final answer" {
+		t.Errorf("result = %q, want %q", result, "Final answer")
+	}
+	if buf.Len() == 0 {
+		t.Error("render output should NOT be empty in default (verbose) mode")
+	}
+}
+

internal/telegram/commands.go

@@ -139,7 +139,8 @@ func modeHandler(args string) (string, error) {
 		"*Interaction Mode:*\n" +
 		"• `interaction_mode: engaging` — emoji-rich narration (default)\n" +
 		"• `interaction_mode: enhance` — narrated tool summaries (persist)\n" +
-		"• `interaction_mode: verbose` — raw tool call output\n\n" +
+		"• `interaction_mode: verbose` — raw tool call output\n" +
+		"• `interaction_mode: off` — no progress output, clean answer only\n\n" +
 		"*Tool Progress (Telegram):*\n" +
 		"• `tool_progress: all` — smart previews with throttling (default)\n" +
 		"• `tool_progress: new` — only on tool change\n" +

odek.go

@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ type Config struct {
 	// after each tool invocation. Used by the WebUI for live streaming.
 	ToolEventHandler func(event string, name string, data string)
 
-	// InteractionMode controls tool-call rendering: "engaging" (default), "enhance", or "verbose".
+	// InteractionMode controls tool-call rendering: "engaging" (default), "enhance", "verbose", or "off".
 	InteractionMode string
 
 	// IterationCallback, if set, is invoked after each iteration of the
@@ -560,10 +560,14 @@ func New(cfg Config) (*Agent, error) {
 
 	// Wire narrator for engaging/enhance interaction modes.
 	// In verbose mode, narrator stays nil → existing renderer behavior.
+	// In "off" mode, narrator stays nil and render output is suppressed.
 	if cfg.InteractionMode == "" || cfg.InteractionMode == "engaging" || cfg.InteractionMode == "enhance" {
 		engine.SetNarrator(narrate.New(true))
 	}
 
+	// Wire interaction mode to the engine for render gating
+	engine.SetInteractionMode(cfg.InteractionMode)
+
 	// Wire per-turn episode search — searches past session episodes
 	// using the user's message as a query, then injects relevant summaries.
 	// Uses recency-based ranking (no LLM) to avoid recursion in the loop.