MiniMax Code glossary

No procedures. These names collide. Pick a door on the learning map.

Everything named MiniMax

Name	What it is	Where
MiniMax Code	First-party coding agent. Desktop app + CLI mcode	welcome, download, CLI
MiniMax Agent	Web general agent. Desktop was renamed to Code; the web product is still Agent	agent.minimax.io, site issue #73
MiniMax Design	Commercial content agent platform	design.minimax.io
MiniMax Hub	Name still used on the CN About nav	about. Same family as Design; no second tutorial
MiniMax Audio	Speech and music	minimax.io/audio
Hailuo / MiniMax H3	Video brand and model	hailuoai.video
Talkie	International character product on the Product nav	minimax.io
星野 (Xingye)	CN character community	xingyeai.com
MiniMax M3	Coding / agentic model, 1M context	models-intro
Token Plan	Open Platform subscription	platform
AI coding tools guide	Point M3 at Claude Code / Cursor	text-ai-coding-tools

Do not write as fact:

• MiniMax Code is "just the M3 API wrapper".
• The CLI command is minimax. Official CLI command is mcode. Changelog v3.0.33's "minimax CLI shortcut" has no standalone flag page.
• An official npm package name. None found on 2026-08-19.
• GitHub MiniMax-AI/Mini-Agent is MiniMax Code.
• An official VS Code plugin. Official editor integration is ACP plus a Zed example.

One product, two faces

Official: "MiniMax Code CLI is the terminal entry for MiniMax Code developer workflows. It complements the desktop client."

Face	Entry	Typical use
Desktop	Downloadable installer	Graphical tasks, browser, schedules, Remote Control
CLI TUI	mcode	Humans editing a repo in a terminal
CLI Headless	mcode exec	CI and scripts
CLI ACP	mcode acp	Embed in an editor

The CLI does not depend on desktop Electron / IPC. Do not assume Browser or Computer Use exist in the CLI.

Two orthogonal mode axes

Desktop Coding / Work: same agent, different tool exposure. Use Coding to change a repo.

CLI Plan Mode: plan the next message or act now. Shift+Tab / /plan.

CLI permission mode: whether tools ask you. Alt+M / /permission → Ask / Auto / Full access.

mcode exec --permission uses ask / smart / full / off. That is not the same enum as the TUI labels.

Agent Team

Official: extra specialist agents appear when the task is complex. You describe the goal; the product splits, assigns, tracks, and summarizes.

This is a MiniMax Code capability, not a separate product, and not the web MiniMax Agent.

Workspace, skills, memory

• Workspace: a local project directory. The agent reads, runs commands, and reports changes there.
• Skills: reusable workflows. The first-task page says you can invoke them with /.
• Memory: preferences, project conventions, long-term patterns (standalone desktop docs page).
• AGENTS.md: project instructions that mcode init creates or updates.

Accounts and quotas

Sign in with a MiniMax account on the desktop or via mcode login. Your own MiniMax API key goes through in-product settings or mcode provider.

Token Plan is an Open Platform subscription. The M3 post says Code can use Token Plan. Do not treat desktop Plus / Max / Ultra list prices and Token Plan USD tiers as one price list. Usage page: follow the in-product display.