Cortex Code Desktop v1.21.3 release notes

v1.21.3 isolates the Snowflake session that agent SQL runs in, adds full-text search across your past sessions, and lets you choose how much reasoning a response gets without switching models. The redesigned dbt workspace is now the standard dbt experience, and PowerShell launching on Windows is hardened against untrusted executables.

What’s new

  • Isolated Snowflake sessions for agent SQL: SQL the agent runs now uses a separate Snowflake session for each chat, so its role, temporary tables, and session variables stay apart from the SQL you run yourself. In Plan mode, that session is read-only automatically.

  • Search your past sessions: Press Cmd/Ctrl+K in Agent Manager to search previous sessions by title, project, or conversation text, then reopen a result in its workspace.

  • Choose how much reasoning a response needs: Set thinking effort from the model picker to favor a quicker answer or deeper reasoning, without changing models.

  • The redesigned dbt workspace is now standard: Run dbt from the Project Action Bar and review command output, query results, compiled SQL, and lineage in the main workbench. dbt show opens in SQL Results, run and build open Lineage, and other commands open Current Project Output.

  • Retry failed dbt models from Lineage: Retry all failed models in a local project, or select individual models, while keeping the original command’s options. You can also open an existing compiled SQL file in a split editor beside your model without recompiling.

  • Per-project Python interpreter for dbt: Local dbt projects expose interpreter selection next to their run controls in the Project Action Bar.

  • dbt projects survive folder changes: Renaming or moving a dbt project folder preserves its selection, preferences, Snowflake workspace, and sync state. Projects in approved folders now appear and disappear as folders are created, copied, moved, or project settings change.

  • Clearer package setup for managed dbt projects: Commands that need packages stay unavailable until dependencies are installed, with guidance on the required next step.

  • App Runtime v2 projects appear in the Apps panel: Projects that use app.yml are discovered correctly, with one card per deployment target.

  • New SQL File from the empty editor: The welcome area now includes a New SQL File action.

  • More useful starter suggestions: New chats rotate through practical starting points for learning Cortex Code, creating skills, building apps, and working with Snowflake data.

  • Account-provided skills load on demand: Skills supplied through the account’s default agent profile become available when the agent first uses them.

  • Cleaner automation run history: Previous Runs lists executions that have started, so future queued runs no longer appear in the history.

Security and trust

  • Hardened PowerShell launching on Windows: Cortex Code now starts PowerShell only from trusted system locations, so an untrusted workspace can’t substitute its own executable.

  • Consistent managed SQL permissions: Administrative policies that use the documented SQL permission name no longer remove Desktop’s SQL tool unexpectedly.

  • Clearer catalog links for personal databases: Ambiguous links involving email-style personal database names are now rejected with a correctly quoted suggestion, instead of resolving to the wrong object.

Reliability and fixes

  • Fixed: blank window after a catalog update: A startup regression could leave Desktop opening to an empty workbench.
  • Fixed: runaway memory from long-running terminals: Terminal output no longer accumulates unused data in the main process.
  • Faster chat in long sessions: Chat rendering does less repeated work as a conversation grows, improving responsiveness.
  • Prompts stay in the right conversation turn: Messages sent while a tool is still running remain their own turn instead of being folded into the tool result.
  • Cleaner recovery after an interruption: Reopening a session abandons interrupted tool calls cleanly and preserves the rest of the conversation.
  • Clearer explanation for blocked extension downloads: Downloads blocked by an organization’s network policy now say so.
  • Fixed: /wipe-session leaving backup files behind: Timestamped backups are now removed, as documented.
  • More reliable Lineage views: Run status stays visible when you switch panels, managed runs report model outcomes, and Lineage no longer flashes or opens blank after a tab change. Windows checkouts with Windows-style line endings render correctly.
  • More accurate agent usage attribution: Work done by subagents is grouped with the main agent instead of appearing as extra user conversations.