Kimi composer UX: agent pills, Instant/K3 & skills
Kimi treats the composer as a task dispatcher, not a chat box. The placeholder says “Ask anything, or task an agent.” Seven pills under the bar (Swarm, Slides, Deep Research, Websites, Docs, Sheets, Design) swap the whole surface: copy, chips, templates, and often an Upgrade banner. Instant / K3 / K3 Swarm lives on the right with thinking effort nested in the same menu. Files, plugins, skills, and web search sit behind +.
Calm default
What works
- Placeholder names both jobs: chat and agent work. Users do not have to guess the product type.
- Seven outcome pills sit under the bar as the real mode switcher. Swarm, Slides, Docs, Sheets are deliverables, not model names.
- Instant High stays on the right as the default brain. Casual send does not require opening a picker.
- Explore inspiration and Scroll to explore keep a second discovery path below the fold without crowding the first prompt.
What we would push on
- Seven pills is a lot for a first visit. Swarm vs K3 Swarm in the model menu is easy to confuse with the Swarm pill.
- Instant High is jargon. Instant vs High reads like two settings mashed into one label.
Business strategy
Moonshot is selling Kimi as an agent that ships slides, sites, sheets, and research, not a cheaper ChatGPT. The home bar has to advertise those jobs before the first keystroke.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Agent pills under a familiar chat bar | Job catalog visible without opening + | Busy home; Swarm named twice (pill and model tier) |
Takeaway
If the product is work to delegate, put outcome pills on the home composer and keep the default bar typeable.
Instant, K3, Swarm
What works
- Three rows, each with a one-line job. Instant is fast chat. K3 is chat and agent. K3 Swarm is batch and massive search.
- Thinking effort opens beside the list (Standard / High) instead of a second settings page.
- Selected Instant shows a check. The bar label Instant High already hinted at the stacked choice.
What we would push on
- No latency or cost cue on Instant vs K3 vs Swarm. High effort is equally quiet.
- K3 Swarm in this menu and the Swarm pill on home are two doors into similar work. First-time users will pick the wrong one.
Business strategy
Instant keeps the free-feeling chat loop cheap. K3 and Swarm are the quality and agent lanes, which is where paid compute and plan upgrades live.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Outcome-labeled tiers with nested thinking effort | Depth choice before send, without a separate effort control on the bar | Swarm named in two places; wait and cost stay invisible |
Takeaway
Label model tiers by job, nest effort in the same menu, and do not reuse a tier name as a home-mode pill.
Pattern: Model Selection UITiers use job copy (fast chat, flagship all-rounder, batch processing) instead of raw model IDs, with thinking effort nested in the same menu.
Pattern: Cost Transparency
+ menu and attach limits
What works
- One + groups files, plugins, skills, and web search. Attach is not a separate product.
- Tooltip states formats and caps before the file picker: 50 files, 10MB each, including video.
- Chevrons on Plugins, Skills, and Web search promise nested choices without dumping them on the first screen.
What we would push on
- 10MB per file is tight for video and decks. The cap appears on hover, so mobile users may miss it until upload fails.
Business strategy
Kimi’s agent jobs eat documents. Putting attach first in + and spelling limits in the tooltip reduces failed uploads on the cheap default tier.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Attach limits in a hover tooltip on the first + row | Caps visible before the picker for curious users | Hover-only; 10MB will surprise video uploads |
Takeaway
Put format and size limits next to Add files, not only after a failed upload.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Cost Transparency
Web search Auto vs Off
What works
- Two options with outcome copy. Auto is “Browses the web when needed.” Off is “No web access.”
- Search is a nested policy, not a glowing chip on the default bar. The empty composer stays calm.
- Auto as default matches how people expect an assistant to look things up without a research mode.
What we would push on
- No Always-on or domain controls. Auto vs Off is a coarse switch for a product that also sells Deep Research.
Business strategy
Default Auto keeps answers current without teaching a Search chip. Deep Research remains the paid-feeling research product on a home pill, not this toggle.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Nested Auto/Off web policy instead of an in-bar Search chip | Calm default; privacy off-ramp exists | Only two settings; no Always-on or domain limits |
Takeaway
Keep web search as a nested policy with outcome copy. Add Always-on or domain controls when research depth matters.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Input Mode Toggle
Plugins from +
What works
- Each plugin has an icon and a truncated one-liner. Image and audio sit next to SEC filings and finance data.
- Manage Plugins at the bottom is an escape hatch to the catalog, not a dead end list.
- Placeholder in the bar switches to Type / to invoke plugins, so + and slash teach the same system.
What we would push on
- Copy cuts off mid-sentence. Users cannot tell Image Generation from a generic create-image chip without opening it.
- Plugins vs Skills vs home pills overlap. Image Generation here vs Design on the home row is two image doors.
Business strategy
Data plugins (SEC, academic, finance) position Kimi for knowledge work. Generative plugins keep consumer creation in the same menu so the catalog feels broad.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mixed generative and data plugins in one flyout | One extensibility list; Manage as a catalog link | Overlaps Design/Slides pills; truncated descriptions |
Takeaway
If plugins and home modes share jobs, say which door to use, or merge them.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Progressive Disclosure
Skills from +
What works
- File-format skills (xlsx, pdf, docx) sit at the top. That matches Docs and Sheets on the home row.
- Document to skills (Beta) plus Click to upload Office files makes creation a first-class row, not buried in settings.
- Create with Kimi and Manage Skills close the loop to authoring and the hub.
What we would push on
- Slug names (audience-adaptive-comms, repo-audit) assume you already know the catalog.
- This flyout, slash, and home Docs/Sheets are three discovery paths for similar work.
Business strategy
Skills are Kimi’s reusable know-how layer. Surfacing upload-to-skill in the composer is an ecosystem play: users bring house style, Kimi stores it, the agent runs it later.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Skills flyout with create and manage in the same + tree | Reuse and authoring at attach time | Four doors into skills; slug names for newcomers |
Takeaway
Put create-skill next to invoke-skill in the attach menu. Keep names readable.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Progressive Disclosure
Slash to invoke plugins
What works
- Power users who never open + still reach the catalog from the keyboard.
- Added Plugins implies a personal subset, not the entire store. That scales better than dumping every plugin.
- Footer links to Plugins and Skills keep the palette from being a trap.
What we would push on
- The bar still says Instant High. Slash looks like a plugin launcher while the model picker still thinks you are in fast chat.
- Same truncated descriptions as the + flyout. Keyboard users get no extra detail.
Business strategy
Slash is how coding and agent products teach extensibility. Matching + and / means Kimi can recruit ChatGPT and Claude users who already type slash.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| + flyout and / palette for the same plugin list | Mouse and keyboard paths; Added subset stays scannable | Two UIs to maintain; Instant vs Agent mode still unclear |
Takeaway
Offer slash as a second door into the same attach catalog, and label it as the user’s added set.
Pattern: Slash CommandsTyping / opens Added Plugins in the composer, the same catalog as the + flyout, with a footer jump to Plugins and Skills.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Skills need Agent mode
What works
- The slash skill stays in the bar as /competitor-analysis. Users see what they invoked.
- The toast is specific: skills need Agent mode, not a generic error.
- K3 High on the right is the Agent-capable tier. Instant is no longer the label.
What we would push on
- The toast does not switch the mode for you. Users must infer that Instant was the problem and K3 is the fix.
- Select project appears once you are in this agent-looking state. Project context arrives late relative to the home pills.
Business strategy
Gating skills on Agent mode protects Instant as a cheap chat loop and nudges skill users onto K3, where compute and plan value show up.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Toast that skills require Agent mode, without an auto-switch | Honest capability gate; Instant stays cheap | Dead-end slash until the user changes tier |
Takeaway
If a slash skill needs a different tier, offer a one-click switch in the toast, not only a warning.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Input Mode Toggle
Swarm workspace
What works
- Placeholder changes to Assign a task to your AI team. The job is no longer casual chat.
- Swarm chip in the bar confirms the mode. Featured Swarm cases give browseable examples under the composer.
- Opening the picker in this mode adds Context Length (Standard) under Thinking effort. Swarm gets extra knobs Instant does not show.
What we would push on
- Upgrade sits in the bar next to Swarm. The first Swarm visit is a paywall cue as much as a mode.
- Featured case “Balckhole: GARGANTUA” is a typo on a flagship gallery. Browse paths need the same polish as the composer.
Business strategy
Swarm is the parallel-agent upsell. Changing copy, adding Context Length, and parking Upgrade in the bar all say this is the expensive product, not Instant chat with a new chip.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Full workspace rewrite for Swarm, with extra model knobs and Upgrade in-bar | Mode feels like a different product; examples teach the job | Paywall chrome on first landing; Swarm named in pill and picker |
Takeaway
When a mode is a different runtime, rewrite placeholder, chips, and picker. Keep Upgrade out of the first-run bar if you still want a trial send.
Websites workspace
What works
- Placeholder becomes “Beautiful design, real backend. Just describe your site.” The job is build a site, not chat.
- Websites chip stays in the bar so you know which agent mode is armed.
- Select template under the composer offers Cyber Rain, Color Room, Flow Shader as browse paths beside free text.
- Select project appears under the bar. Sites can live in a project before the first generate.
What we would push on
- Upgrade your plan stays in the header on every artifact workspace. First visit feels like an upsell tour.
- Template + free text is two metaphors with no guidance on when to pick which.
Business strategy
Websites is a full product SKU. Rewriting the composer and parking templates under it sells Kimi as a site builder, not a chat model that happens to output HTML.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Dedicated Websites workspace with template gallery under the bar | Job and browse path obvious before send | Another mini-product UI to learn next to Docs and Design |
Takeaway
When a mode ships a real site, change the placeholder and put templates under the composer, not only in a help page.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Prompt Starters
Docs workspace
What works
- Placeholder is “Upload a document to work with or create from scratch.” Attach and blank start are both valid first moves.
- Docs chip in the bar marks the mode. Featured Docs cases show finished deliverables (tear sheet, design deck, toolkit).
- Powered by skills on a featured card ties docs output to the skills system without opening the hub.
What we would push on
- Upload is named in the placeholder, but + is still the only attach control. First-time users may not connect the two.
- Featured cases look like finished galleries. Unclear if clicking one remixes or only previews.
Business strategy
Docs is the document agent SKU. Upload-or-create copy plus featured cases teach that Kimi edits and ships files, which is where Agent mode and skills earn their keep.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Docs workspace with upload-or-create placeholder and featured cases | Two entry paths; examples prove the deliverable | Attach still hidden behind +; case click affordance vague |
Takeaway
For file-first modes, say upload in the placeholder and show finished cases under the bar.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Prompt Starters
Sheets workspace
What works
- Placeholder mirrors Docs: “Upload a spreadsheet to work with or create from scratch.” Same mental model across file agents.
- Sheets chip in the bar. Featured Sheets cases with Shuffle keep the gallery fresh without leaving the mode.
- Cases show dashboards and graphs (knowledge graph, panorama, health), so Sheets reads as analysis, not only cell editing.
What we would push on
- Docs and Sheets workspaces are nearly identical chrome. Mode chip color is the main differentiator until you read the placeholder.
- Shuffle on Sheets but not Docs is an inconsistent discovery pattern across sibling modes.
Business strategy
Sheets is the spreadsheet agent SKU. Pairing upload-or-create with analysis-looking featured cases positions Kimi against Excel copilots and data agents, not only chat.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Sheets workspace that reuses the Docs layout with Shuffle on featured cases | Familiar pattern across file agents; gallery feels alive | Sibling modes look interchangeable at a glance |
Takeaway
Reuse one upload-or-create pattern across file agents, but differentiate the featured cases so each mode’s job is obvious.
Pattern: Tool Switching in Composer
Pattern: Prompt Starters
Design workspace
What works
- The composer grows controls the job needs: Adaptive aspect ratio, Resolution, Print, Custom Size. That is not a generic chat chip.
- Preset ratios use rectangle icons so 9:16 vs 16:9 is visual, not only text.
- Category tags (Social Media Posts, Educational Illustrations) under the bar work as starters without a second page.
What we would push on
- Creation is born free is brand line, not a job. Compare Swarm’s Assign a task, which tells you what to type.
- Design here vs Image Generation in plugins is still two create-image doors.
Business strategy
Design, Slides, Docs, Sheets, and Websites are the artifact SKUs. Unique in-bar controls (Adaptive, templates, Select project) justify treating each pill as a mini-product, which is how Kimi competes with Manus and dedicated AI design tools.
Tradeoff
| Decision | Benefit | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Mode-specific composer with aspect, print, and category starters | Scope set before generate; browse plus type | Each pill is a new UI to learn; overlaps plugin image gen |
Takeaway
When a mode outputs a visual artifact, put format controls in the bar. Keep placeholder copy as a job, not a slogan.
Steal this
- Ask anything, or task an agent as placeholder copy that names both jobs
- Outcome pills under the bar that rewrite the composer into a job workspace
- Instant / K3 / K3 Swarm with one-line job copy and thinking effort in the same menu
- Attach limits (format, count, size) in the + tooltip before the file picker
- Web search as Auto vs Off with outcome subtext
- + and / as two doors into the same plugin list
- Mode-specific controls (Adaptive aspect, Context Length) that Instant chat does not show
- Upload-or-create placeholders and featured cases for Docs and Sheets
- Websites templates under the composer, not only after generate
Skip this
- Naming Swarm as both a home pill and a model tier
- Instant High as a mashed label with no cost or latency preview
- A skills toast that blocks Instant without a one-click switch to Agent mode
- Slogan placeholders like Creation is born free in a job-specific workspace
- Three uncoordinated doors into skills (+, slash, home Docs/Sheets)
- Sibling Doc/Sheet workspaces that look identical except for the chip label
How others design the composer
Same job, different product bets, and what each tradeoff reveals.
Compare composer UX across products
ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini side by side: default bar, tools, cost, and what to steal.
ManusManus assigns a task with connector cards and Lite/Pro/Max in the header. Kimi uses home pills that fully rewrite the bar, plus Instant/K3/Swarm on the right.
Read teardown
DeepSeekDeepSeek keeps Instant/Expert and DeepThink on one card. Kimi hides search and skills behind + and spends the home row on artifact jobs (Slides, Sheets, Design).
Read teardown
ChatGPTChatGPT keeps a calm bar and parks tools in +. Kimi’s + looks similar, but the pills under the bar turn the page into separate products.
Read teardownOriginal gallery pages: Tool Switching in Composer