Desktop App Overview

The Workjet desktop app is a native cross-platform application built with Tauri v2 and React 19. It provides a fast, lightweight workspace for all your AI interactions — chat, assistants, automations, skills, and tool connections — in a single tabbed interface.

Tauri 2 Architecture

Workjet uses Tauri v2, which leverages your operating system's native webview (WebKit on macOS, WebView2 on Windows, WebKitGTK on Linux) rather than bundling a full browser engine like Electron. This results in:

Small binary size: ~15 MB installer vs. 200+ MB for Electron apps
Fast startup: Sub-second launch time
Low memory footprint: Uses the system webview, not a bundled Chromium
Native OS integration: System tray, file dialogs, notifications, keychain access

The frontend is built with React 19 and TypeScript, styled with Tailwind CSS, and uses Zustand for state management. The Rust backend handles native operations like file I/O, keychain access, and IPC with the frontend.

Workspace Layout

The workspace is organized into four main areas:

Tabbed Workspace

The main content area uses a multi-tab interface for parallel workflows. Each tab can contain a different view — chat, document, skill, assistant, automation, tools, settings, webview, marketplace, or inbox. You can:

Open multiple tabs for simultaneous work
Pin important tabs so they're always accessible
Drag tabs to reorder them
Right-click a tab for a context menu (close, close others, pin/unpin)

Collapsible Sidebar

The left sidebar is a 44px icon strip that expands on hover to reveal labels and sub-items. Navigation sections include:

Weblinks: Bookmarked URLs that open in embedded webview tabs
Connectors: MCP tool connections with status indicators
Assistants: Background agents with active/paused status
Engines: Scheduled automations with next-run times
Skills: Quick access to your skill library
Settings: App configuration

Each section is collapsible, and sub-items are listed directly under their navigation icons for fast access.

Chat Panel

The chat panel is docked at the bottom of the workspace. It provides conversational AI access from any tab. The panel includes a message input, model selector, file attachment button, and streaming response area.

Status Bar

The bottom status bar displays:

Current zoom level
Connection status (gateway reachability)
Active model name
Token count for the current conversation

Embedded Web Views

Workjet can open any URL in a native webview tab. This is useful for accessing internal dashboards, documentation, or authenticated web tools without leaving the workspace. Webview tabs support full browser-grade navigation including cookies, JavaScript, and form submissions.

Local-First Design

Workjet follows a local-first architecture:

Credentials: Stored in the OS keychain, never sent to third parties
Conversation history: Persisted on the local filesystem
Settings: Saved in localStorage
Offline support: Cached content is accessible offline; syncs when reconnected

Zoom and Accessibility

The UI zoom level is adjustable from 50% to 200% using keyboard shortcuts or the Settings panel. Workjet supports high-contrast themes via CSS custom properties for users who need enhanced visual accessibility.

See Configuration for zoom keyboard shortcuts.