Introduction
Imagine handing off complex coding tasks to a team of AI agents that keep working even after you shut down your laptop. That's the promise of Conductor Cloud, a new service from AI coding startup Conductor. Following a $22 million Series A round, Conductor has evolved from a popular Mac app that orchestrates local coding agents into a hosted platform that extends agent sessions into persistent cloud environments. This shift mirrors a broader industry move toward remote coding agents—Anthropic's Claude Managed Agents, Mistral's cloud Vibe agent, and Roo Code's Roomote all point in the same direction. In this guide, you'll learn how to set up and use Conductor Cloud to run multiple AI coding agents—including Claude Code and OpenAI Codex—in parallel across isolated workspaces, review their work, and merge results—all from a single interface.
What You Need
- Conductor Mac app (free download from conductor.dev)
- A Conductor Cloud invitation (early access, email sign-up required)
- Anthropic Claude Code or OpenAI Codex agent access (API keys)
- GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket repository access
- macOS 12+ (for local app)
- Stable internet connection
- Developer account for code review
Step-by-Step Guide to Using Conductor Cloud
Step 1: Install and Launch the Conductor Mac App
Download the Conductor Mac app from the official website. Open the app and sign in using your Conductor account. Grant necessary permissions for file access and local environment setup. The app serves as your primary interface for managing both local and cloud-based coding agents.
Step 2: Create Workspaces for Your Repositories
Inside the app, create separate workspaces for each coding task or repository. Each workspace is an isolated copy of your codebase where agents can operate without interference. Name workspaces clearly (e.g., "feature-x-login" or "bugfix-auth") to stay organized. For cloud usage, ensure your repositories are connected via Git.
Step 3: Configure AI Coding Agents
Link your agent services—Anthropic Claude Code or OpenAI Codex—by entering API keys in the Conductor settings. You can run multiple instances of the same agent or mix different agents across workspaces. Conductor supports running up to three to five agents simultaneously in the local Mac app, as co-founder Charlie Holtz notes: “In my head, I can only really manage like three to five agents at once.”
Step 4: Run Agents Locally for Small Tasks
Start by running one or two agents on a simple task to verify setup. Use the Conductor interface to assign tasks, such as “refactor this function” or “add unit tests.” Agents will execute within their workspace and produce code changes. Review the diff directly in the app’s side pane. Merge changes into your main branch when satisfied.
Step 5: Enable Conductor Cloud for Persistent Sessions
If you have early access to Conductor Cloud, toggle the cloud mode for any workspace. This moves the agent session from your local machine to a hosted environment. The agent continues running even after you close your Mac app. You can check progress from any device (web or mobile) and reconnect to inspect results. This feature solves the “interface challenge” described by Holtz—running more than five agents requires a cloud-based orchestration layer.
Step 6: Launch Multiple Parallel Cloud Agents
Create additional cloud workspaces and assign different agents to each. For example, run three Claude Code agents on separate feature branches simultaneously. Conductor Cloud handles isolation and resource allocation. From the main dashboard, you can see the status of each agent—running, blocked, or completed. Use the side pane to review code changes without switching contexts.
Step 7: Review and Merge Results Efficiently
As agents finish their work, inspect each change set in the Conductor interface. The app shows diffs, allows commenting, and integrates with your Git workflow. Merge changes individually or batch them. For complex multi-agent projects, use the orchestration view to see all pending changes at a glance. After merging, you can redeploy agents for follow-up tasks.
Step 8: Scale Beyond Five Agents with Cloud Orchestration
Conductor Cloud is designed to scale. Once comfortable, increase the number of concurrent agents. The cloud environment removes local compute limits. Use naming conventions and tags to manage larger fleets. Holtz recommends starting small: “I think to get to the next level, where you run more than three to five agents, it’s an interface challenge.” The Conductor Cloud interface is built to meet that challenge.
Tips for Success
- Start small: Begin with 2–3 agents to understand the orchestration patterns before scaling.
- Use descriptive workspace names: Makes it easy to track which agent is working on what across cloud sessions.
- Monitor resource usage: Cloud agents consume credits; check your Conductor Cloud dashboard for usage metrics.
- Combine with version control: Always commit changes before starting new agent sessions to avoid conflicts.
- Leverage side pane reviews: The interface lets you inspect diffs without leaving the agent management view—use it to speed up review.
- Plan for agent failures: If an agent times out, you can restart it in the cloud without losing other workspaces.
- Stay updated: Conductor is rapidly evolving; follow their changelog for new features like web and mobile control (similar to Anthropic’s remote capabilities).
By following these steps, you can transform your development workflow from single-session coding to a multi-agent cloud operation. Conductor Cloud represents the next phase of AI-assisted development—where your coding agents never sleep.