Remote Agents
Remote agents are cloud-hosted AI agents maintained by the TeXRA team that extend your extension's capabilities with specialized functionality. They're automatically updated with the latest improvements and optimizations without requiring extension updates.
What Are Remote Agents?
Remote agents are pre-configured AI assistants hosted in the cloud that you can access directly from TeXRA. Unlike built-in agents, they:
- Receive updates automatically without requiring extension updates
- Provide specialized capabilities for specific research domains
- Load on-demand to keep your extension lightweight
Getting Started
1. Sign In to TeXRA
To access remote agents, you need a TeXRA account:
- Open the Command Palette (
Ctrl+Shift+P/Cmd+Shift+P) - Run the command: TeXRA: Sign In
- Choose your preferred sign-in method (GitHub, Google, or GitLab)
- Complete the authentication flow in your browser
- Return to VS Code once authenticated
TIP
You can check your authentication status anytime by running TeXRA: View Profile from the Command Palette.
2. Browse Available Agents
Once signed in, you can explore remote agents from your profile:
- Open the Command Palette
- Run: TeXRA: View Profile
- Browse the Remote Agents table showing all available agents
- Click Use on any agent to add it to your agent selector
The Profile panel shows your account at a glance — your email, user ID, and access level — above the table of remote agents you can pull in:
| Agent | What it does | Action |
|---|---|---|
search | Literature discovery | Use |
discuss | Academic brainstorming with literature | In use |
simplifier | Code & writing simplification | Use |
The View Profile panel: your access level sits above the Remote Agents table — click Use on any cloud agent to add it to your selector.
The selected agent will appear in your main TeXRA view alongside your built-in agents.
3. Use Remote Agents
Remote agents work just like built-in agents:
- Open the TeXRA view (click the TeXRA icon in the Activity Bar)
- Select your remote agent from the agent dropdown
- Choose your input file and model
- Click Run to execute the agent
INFO
Remote agents are marked with a cloud icon (☁️) in the agent selector to distinguish them from local agents.
In the agent dropdown, your local agents sit above a Remote group whose entries each carry a cloud marker:
The agent dropdown: remote agents (search, discuss, simplifier) carry a cloud marker that sets them apart from local agents like polish and correct.
None of this is VS Code-only — the whole loop works from a terminal too:
Sign in once and remote agents resolve by name everywhere: agents show reports source: remote, and texra chat --agent search runs it like any local agent.
Researcher Access Program
The Researcher Access Program provides access to specialized remote agents designed for academic research and professional writing. Program members get access to:
- Specialized domain agents: Agents tailored for specific research fields (mathematics, computer science, physics, etc.)
- Advanced reasoning capabilities: Multi-step analysis and complex document processing
- Beta features: Early access to experimental agents and capabilities
- Priority improvements: Your feedback directly influences agent development
Agents tailored for specific research fields.
Multi-step analysis and complex document processing.
Early access to experimental agents and capabilities.
Your feedback directly influences agent development.
What Researcher Access Program members get: domain-specific agents, advanced multi-step reasoning, early access to beta agents, and a direct line into how agents evolve.
Current remote agents include search (literature discovery), discuss (academic brainstorming with literature), and simplifier (code and writing simplification). See Built-in Agents — Remote Agents for details on each.
Different agents may be available to different research groups based on their domain and needs.
Joining the Program
The Researcher Access Program is available to active researchers, academics, and technical writers. To join:
- Sign in to TeXRA using your institutional or professional email
- Contact us at contact@texra.ai with:
- Your name and affiliation
- Brief description of your research area
- How you plan to use remote agents
We'll review your application and grant appropriate access within 1-2 business days.
Free for Researchers
TeXRA is committed to supporting academic research. The Researcher Access Program is free for qualifying researchers and students. We do not charge for remote agent access.
Managing Your Account
View Your Profile
Check your account status and available agents:
- Open Command Palette
- Run: TeXRA: View Profile
- View your email, user ID, and access level
- Browse remote agents available to you
Sign Out
To sign out of your TeXRA account:
- Open Command Palette
- Run: TeXRA: Sign Out
- Confirm sign out
Your local agents will continue to work normally after signing out. You'll only lose access to remote agents until you sign in again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to sign in to use TeXRA?
No. TeXRA works fully offline with built-in agents. You only need to sign in if you want access to remote agents from the cloud.
Are remote agents slower than built-in agents?
Remote agents perform similarly to built-in agents. The agent configuration is loaded from the cloud, but the actual AI model execution happens using your configured API keys just like with built-in agents.
Can I use remote agents offline?
No. Remote agents require an internet connection to load their configurations. If you need offline access, use built-in agents instead.
What happens to my documents?
Your documents are never uploaded to TeXRA servers. Remote agents only load their configuration (prompts and settings) from the cloud. All document processing happens locally using your own API keys.
Can I create my own remote agents?
Currently, remote agents are maintained by the TeXRA team. If you have ideas for new agents or want to share your custom agents with the community, contact us at contact@texra.ai.
How do I disable remote agents?
Remote agents are available only while you're signed in. To stop using them, simply sign out — your built-in agents keep working. (In the CLI, run texra auth logout; in the VS Code extension, use the sign-out action in the account menu.)
Need Help?
If you encounter any issues with remote agents or have questions about the Researcher Access Program:
- Email: contact@texra.ai
- Documentation: texra.ai/guide
We typically respond to inquiries within 24-48 hours.