---
title: "New Task Attempts"
description: "Understand when and why to create multiple task attempts for fresh restarts with different configurations."
sidebarTitle: "New Task Attempts"
---

<Frame>
<img src="/images/vk-create-new-attempt.png" alt="Create new task attempt dialog showing configuration options" />
</Frame>

A task attempt represents a single session with a coding agent against a task. Most tasks only need one attempt, but you may need additional attempts for fresh restarts.

## When to Create New Task Attempts

Create a new task attempt when you want to:

- **Start from scratch** with a different approach after an unsuccessful attempt
- **Try a different coding agent** (e.g., switching from Claude to Codex)
- **Use a different agent profile or variant** for specialised behaviour
- **Work from a different base branch** to incorporate recent changes
- **Reset the conversation context** for a completely fresh start

<Tip>
Most users will only need one attempt per task. Only create additional attempts if the first approach didn't work as expected.
</Tip>

## Creating Additional Attempts

To create a new task attempt for an existing task:

<Steps>
<Step title="Navigate to the task">
  Open the task that needs a fresh attempt.
</Step>

<Step title="Click Create New Attempt">
  Click the triple dot icon in the top right of the task, then select **Create New Attempt**.
</Step>

<Step title="Configure the attempt">
  Choose your agent profile, variant, and base branch. These can be different from previous attempts.
</Step>

<Step title="Start execution">
  Click **Create Attempt** to begin a fresh execution with the new configuration.
</Step>
</Steps>

## Impact on Subtasks

<Warning>
Creating new task attempts affects subtasks. Subtasks are linked to specific task attempts, not tasks themselves.
</Warning>

When you create a new task attempt:

- **Existing subtasks** remain linked to their original parent attempt
- **New subtasks** created from the new attempt will use the new attempt's branch as their base

<Info>
For more details about how subtasks work with task attempts, see [Creating Subtasks](/core-features/subtasks).
</Info>