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Branch from any message so you can explore a new path without overwriting the current one. Each split appears on the canvas as a .

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When to fork

Get a second opinion

Ask another model the same question before you commit to a decision.

Chase a tangent

Explore a side question without polluting the branch you still care about.

Compare prompts

Send two different follow-ups from the same point and see which framing works better.

Preserve a checkpoint

Split before a risky change so the original path stays intact.

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How branching works

Pick the source node

Right-click the node that represents the context you want to preserve.

Branch from here

Choose Branch from here. NodePad creates a new draft connected to that source node.

Send a new follow-up

The new draft starts from the same history up to that point, then diverges from what you send next.

Compare results

Both branches stay visible on the canvas, so you can compare results without losing provenance.

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Patterns that work well

Branch from a user message, keep the wording the same, and route the branch to another model. This is useful when you want a true second read on the same prompt.
Branch from a broad response and ask one narrower question in the new branch. The main branch stays high level while the new one goes deep.
Re-run is useful when you want to try the same message again. Branching is better when you want an alternate path you plan to keep around.
If you know a branch is going to become source material for another message later, branching early keeps those sources cleaner and easier to reference.
Branches are explicit graph structure. They are not just copied text in a new chat window.

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Continue

Merging

Combine messages from different branches into one new draft.

References

Cross-link across branches with @.