> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.hexgate.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Which path do I pick?

> Local-only chat REPL vs. platform-backed serve — choose the right shape.

The two quickstarts aren't competing — they answer different questions.

## Inner loop — `hexgate chat`

A single-process REPL against a local or registered agent. No platform, no Docker,
no browser. The chat command sets `HEXGATE_LOCAL_MODE=1` automatically so audit
stays on your machine even if `HEXGATE_API_KEY` lives in your `.env` from an earlier
session. Denies and approval-required calls render as inline panels in the
terminal — same `Decision` data the platform would log, surfaced where you're
iterating.

**Reach for `chat` when** you're authoring a policy YAML, tweaking a tool, or
shaping a system prompt.

## Team loop — `hexgate serve` + dashboard Playground

Same agent code, but the policy + decisions round-trip through the platform.
You get auditable decisions in ClickHouse, the shared Playground UI, and live
policy edits via the dashboard. The platform is [Hexgate Cloud](/platform/hosted)
by default (set `HEXGATE_API_KEY`, no infra) or [self-hosted](/platform/control-plane).

**Reach for `serve` when** you're collaborating on an agent's behaviour,
debugging a production-like trace, or demoing.

## At a glance

| Path                                          | Needs platform? | Audit destination                    | Policy edits visible at                                             | Best for                                |
| --------------------------------------------- | --------------- | ------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `hexgate chat --agent ...`                    | No              | Local terminal panel                 | Edit + restart (hot-reload only when `HEXGATE_LOCAL_POLICY` is set) | Inner loop, policy authoring            |
| `hexgate serve module.path:attr` + Playground | Yes             | ClickHouse via `/v1/audit/decisions` | Per-turn fetch from dashboard                                       | Team review, demos, integration testing |

`hexgate chat` takes `--agent`, accepting either a plain agent id
(`--agent example_agent`) or a uvicorn-style `module.path:attr` spec
(`--agent my_app.agents:my_agent`). `hexgate serve` takes the spec as a
positional argument (`hexgate serve my_app.agents:my_agent`) — there's no
`--agent` flag on `serve`. The same `module.path:attr` entry-point works in both.