---
title: Choose an Agent surface
description: Use the TUI, headless CLI, Web surface, or chat channels without creating a second composition authority.
---

Surfaces own how a person or system exchanges Turns with the Agent. Product
behavior still comes from the Host-selected Plugin inventory.

| Surface | Best for | Interaction boundary |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **TUI** | Interactive local work | Supports reviewed commands, Skills, and bounded `ask_user` questions. |
| **Headless CLI** | One-shot automation and tests | Returns immediately when interactive input is unavailable. |
| **Web** | Embedding the Agent in another product | The embedding Host owns authorization and selected Plugins. |
| **Channel** | Telegram or Discord entry points | Uses explicit chat/channel allowlists and environment-held tokens. |

## TUI and headless

```sh
cargo run -p lenso-agent-tui
cargo run -p lenso-agent-cli -- "Summarize this workspace README."
```

The TUI can pause a Turn for bounded questions. Headless and channel surfaces
do not pretend to be interactive unless the embedding surface supplies a User
Interaction Adapter.

## Standalone Web surface

```sh
LENSO_AGENT_CONTROL_TOKEN=replace-with-a-local-control-token \
  cargo run -p lenso-agent-web -- \
  --listen 127.0.0.1:8788 \
  --tool-policy ~/.lenso/agent/console-agent-tool-policy.json
```

The control route accepts the matching bearer token. Tool policy updates are
revisioned, validated against the active Plan-bound catalog, persisted before
activation, and affect only later admitted Turns.

## Chat channels

The channel distribution supports reviewed Telegram and Discord configuration.
Installing the CLI does not install every surface; each executable links only
the surface Plugin inventory it needs.

Choose a surface after the user workflow is clear. Adding a Web shell or chat
transport does not create another composition authority or move Plugin
selection out of the Host.