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AI tools: read / edit / create / delete / search + diff + accept / reject
Last updated May 15, 2026 · 4 min read
The AI Coach doesn't only suggest text — it has a toolset to read, write, create, delete files directly. Every change passes through a diff view before landing.
What the AI can do
| Tool | What |
|---|---|
| Read file | Coach decides which files to consult |
| Edit file | Modify part of a file |
| Create file | Add a chapter / note |
| Delete file | Move to trash (not permanent) |
| Search | Full-book search ("every sentence with 'lighthouse'") |
| List files | Tree of files (e.g. "list Notes folder") |
| Stats | Word counts, chapter counts, entity occurrences |
Two ways the AI responds: suggest vs edit
How the Coach responds depends on what you ask it to do — it's not a setting you toggle first:
Just suggests
The Coach replies in the chat only — says "I'd revise it like this: …" and you decide whether to paste it back. Common when you ask for opinions, have it look at a passage, or discuss direction.
Actually edits the draft
When you ask it to act (e.g. "Smooth out this chapter"), the Coach uses an edit tool on the file — but before it does:
- Auto-versions: see Auto-version rules
- Writes into the draft
- Opens Change Review: see Change Review to accept / reject per passage
In other words: whenever the AI actually edits a file, it always goes through the diff review — it never silently overwrites your draft.
Diff view
After the Coach writes, the editor switches to diff:
- Green background = passages added by the AI
- Red background + strikethrough = passages removed
- Each block has ✓ "Accept" / ✗ "Reject" on the right
Four ways to accept / reject
| Action | What |
|---|---|
| Per-block ✓ / ✗ | Review each |
| Edit the block directly | Accept the direction, refine yourself |
| Accept all | Trust the AI direction |
| Reject all | Revert the whole chapter |
Cross-file diff
If you ask "switch the whole book from first to third person", the AI edits many files. Diff view walks file by file — the file tree marks which files still need review.
How to see what tools the AI used
Each message header shows "AI used N tools: read(Chapter 3) / edit(Protagonist.md) / search('lighthouse')" — transparent record of what happened.