Using Chat¶

Complete guide to the chat interface for testing and interacting with your assistants.

The Chat page lets you test your assistant with connected knowledge stores and see RAG-powered responses.

Accessing Chat¶

Click Chat in the sidebar
The chat interface opens with three panels

Left Panel: Assistants & Threads¶

Selecting an Assistant¶

View your assistants in the left panel
Click on an assistant to select it
The assistant's threads appear below

Managing Threads¶

Each assistant can have multiple conversation threads:

Click New Thread to start a fresh conversation
Click on an existing thread to continue it
Threads preserve message history

Middle Panel: Resources¶

Connected Stores¶

View and manage knowledge bases:

See currently connected stores
Click Add Store to connect additional stores
Click the disconnect icon to remove a store

Connected Templates¶

View and manage function templates:

See active templates
Add or remove templates as needed

Temporary Changes

Changes made in the middle panel during chat are for testing. To make permanent changes, use the assistant's management page.

Collapsing the Panel¶

Click the collapse icon to hide the middle panel and expand the chat area.

Right Panel: Conversation¶

Sending Messages¶

Type your message in the input field
Press Enter or click the send button
Wait for the assistant's response

Message Display¶

User messages appear on the right with your avatar.

Assistant messages appear on the left with: - The assistant's avatar - Formatted response (markdown supported) - Message metadata (model, tokens used)

Message Formatting¶

The assistant can use rich formatting:

Bold and italic text
Code snippets
Code blocks with syntax highlighting
Lists and tables
Links

Testing Scenarios¶

Basic Conversation Test¶

You: Hello, who are you?
Assistant: [Should introduce itself based on instructions]

You: What can you help me with?
Assistant: [Should describe its capabilities]

Knowledge Base Test¶

You: [Ask something specific from your uploaded documents]
Assistant: [Should provide accurate information from the knowledge base]

You: Where did you find that information?
Assistant: [May reference the source or context]

Boundary Test¶

You: [Ask about something outside the assistant's scope]
Assistant: [Should handle gracefully per instructions]

You: [Ask something inappropriate]
Assistant: [Should decline appropriately if SafeGuard is on]

Tips for Effective Testing¶

Simulate Real Users¶

Think like your actual users: - Use natural language, not technical terms - Try common misspellings - Ask incomplete questions - Test follow-up questions

Test Edge Cases¶

Very short messages: "Hi"
Very long messages: Multi-paragraph questions
Multiple questions at once
Rapid successive messages

Verify Knowledge Retrieval¶

Upload a document with unique information
Ask about that specific information
Verify the response includes the correct details
Try rephrasing the question differently

Track What Works¶

Note which types of: - Instructions produce best results - Questions the assistant handles well - Scenarios need improvement

Mobile Responsiveness¶

The chat interface adapts to smaller screens:

Panels collapse into a menu
Swipe to switch between panels
Full-screen conversation view

Troubleshooting¶

Messages not sending¶

Check your internet connection
Refresh the page
Try a different browser

Slow responses¶

Large knowledge bases may slow retrieval
Complex queries take longer
Check for rate limiting on your tier

Assistant not using knowledge base¶

Verify the store is connected (check middle panel)
Ensure documents were processed (Finish Upload)
Try more specific questions

Unexpected responses¶

Review assistant instructions
Check temperature setting
Test with simpler questions first

Keyboard Shortcuts¶

Shortcut	Action
Enter	Send message
Shift + Enter	New line (without sending)
Escape	Clear input