How do I use Ghostty split panes to watch several coding agents?
When several coding agents run at once, the question I need answered all day is which one needs me. My answer is a layout rule for Ghostty: I split terminal panes side by side only, using the new split right action, which is cmd+d on a Mac. I never split one pane above another.
Each agent gets its own column, and every column keeps the full height of the window. There is no plugin, status bar or script. The rule works because of how terminals print text.
Why does a row of columns work?
A terminal pane writes its newest output at the bottom and pushes older lines upward. With full-height columns, the bottom edge of every pane sits at the same height on the screen. The last few lines of all agents therefore line up in a single row along the bottom of the window.
I read that row from left to right, and each column tells me one of three things:
- A column that ends in a summary is finished.
- A column that ends in a question or a permission prompt is waiting for me.
- A column that is still scrolling needs nothing from me.
That is a few seconds of reading for the whole window, and I do not have to click into anything to do it.
What happens with a stacked layout?
In a stacked layout the same last lines sit at different heights. The top pane’s final line is in the middle of the screen, the next pane’s is lower, and the one at the bottom ends where the window ends. To learn the state of each agent I have to find its last line first, and then read it. The information is all there, but the position changes with every split, so my eyes have to search each time.
The difference is small per glance, and I have not measured it. With several agents running, though, the glance happens often, so a layout that removes the search is worth a trial.
Where does it break, and what does it cost?
Width is the limit. Columns share the horizontal space, so each added agent makes every column narrower, and at some point the lines wrap or get cut and the last line stops being readable. My rule for that case is one row of columns per window. When the columns get too narrow to read, I open a second window instead of a second row. A second window means one more place to look, but it keeps the property that makes the layout useful.
The other cost is that I have no data on the benefit. I have no timing for how long it takes me to spot a waiting agent with the row layout against a stacked layout, no count of missed prompts and no comparison across weeks. So I call it a layout habit and claim nothing more. The cost of testing it is one keyboard shortcut, which is why it is worth a trial before anyone needs numbers.
The practice also sits low on the measurement scale of the Compounding CEO playbook. The suggested metrics there are task completion time, errors and window switches on matched work, and I have not collected any of them for this layout.
Who is this for?
It fits anyone who runs more than one terminal-based coding agent at a time and needs to know quickly which of them is waiting. With a single agent there is nothing to compare, so a split layout would not tell you anything.
It also depends on the terminal. The rule assumes a terminal where new output appears at the bottom of the pane, which is the normal behavior, and one where you can split panes and keep them full height. I use Ghostty, and the shortcut above is the one I use on a Mac. Ghostty’s Linux default for the same action is ctrl+shift+o, and the keybind reference documents new_split with its directions. If you use another terminal, check its split actions before copying the keys.
How can I try it in 15 minutes?
Open Ghostty and start your first agent in the window. Press cmd+d for a new split right and start the second agent in the new column. Repeat for as many agents as you actually run, and stop adding columns when the last lines stop being readable.
Give each agent a task and then leave the keyboard alone for a few minutes. Look along the bottom row and say out loud what each column is doing: finished, waiting, working. If you can do that without clicking into any pane, the layout works for you. If you cannot, try the same agents stacked for an equal stretch of time and compare how often you had to click to find out.
Write down the number of columns where reading became hard. That number is your own version of my rule, and it depends on the width of your screen and the size of your font.
Where does this fit in the series?
This setup is one entry in the Compounding CEO playbook, listed under the idea of giving each screen a fixed job. The practice card is Give each screen a fixed job. How I dictate prompts into those columns is covered in the voice input setup.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I split a Ghostty pane to the right?
Use the new split right action. On a Mac the shortcut is cmd+d. Repeating it adds another full-height column next to the current one.
Why split panes side by side and not stacked?
A terminal pane writes its newest output at the bottom. In side-by-side columns that bottom edge is at the same height for every pane, so the latest lines of all agents form one readable row. Stacked panes put those lines at different heights, and you have to look into each pane to see its state.
How many columns fit in one Ghostty window?
It depends on your screen width and how wide a line must be to stay readable. My rule is one row of columns per window. When the columns get too narrow to read, I open a second window instead of adding a second row.
Does this layout make you faster?
I have no timing data, so I cannot say. It is a layout habit that makes the state of each agent visible at a glance. Trying it costs one keyboard shortcut, and a fair test would time how long it takes to spot a waiting agent in each layout.
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