Datasette Agent 0.5a0 adds a chat panel beside database pages
On 3rd November 2026 a post on simonwillison.net announced a new release of Datasette Agent, titled 0.5a0. The post's author calls it a significant release.
The most notable new feature is called the panel. It lets the agent chat open and then sit next to pages from Datasette, for example a table or query page. So the conversation with the agent no longer lives apart from the data: it stays alongside the page you are looking at.
The post also describes what happens when the panel is combined with datasette-apps. In that setup you can prompt a database-backed app into existence and then modify it from the chat that sits next to that app. The same panel serves for both creating the app and changing it afterwards.
You can try it by signing in with a GitHub account at agent.datasette.io.
The post is short and covers only these points: the panel, its pairing with datasette-apps, and where to try it.
Key facts
- Datasette Agent 0.5a0 was announced on 3rd November 2026 and described by the post's author as a significant release.
- The headline feature is the panel, which lets the agent chat open and sit next to Datasette pages such as a table or query page.
- Combined with datasette-apps, you can prompt a database-backed app into existence and then modify it from the chat beside that app.
- You can try it by signing in with a GitHub account at agent.datasette.io.
Why it matters
The panel moves the agent chat from a separate place to the side of the Datasette page you are working on, such as a table or a query. With datasette-apps, the post describes a loop where one chat both creates a database-backed app from a prompt and then changes it. That is the main idea of the release.
Who it affects
People who use Datasette to browse tables and run queries, and those who build apps on top of it with datasette-apps. Anyone curious about the agent can try it at agent.datasette.io with a GitHub account.
How to use it
Sign in with your GitHub account at agent.datasette.io. To get the app workflow the post describes, use the panel together with datasette-apps: prompt a database-backed app into existence, then keep editing it from the chat that sits next to it.
How solid is it
The source is a short first-party post by the tool's author, Simon Willison, on simonwillison.net. The version in the title is 0.5a0, so this is an alpha. The post gives no changelog or list of other changes beyond the panel, no details of how the panel is implemented or configured, and no timescale for a stable release.
Risks and caveats
This is an alpha, and the post is a brief announcement rather than documentation. It does not say which model the agent uses. It gives no pricing, availability limits or user numbers for agent.datasette.io. The app-building claim is the author's description and is not backed by examples or measurements in the post.
“This is a significant release of Datasette Agent.”
— Simon Willison, simonwillison.net