The assistant starts each conversation knowing nothing about what you are looking at. It can find anything in your workspace on its own, and you can hand it exactly what matters up front with an `@` mention or an attachment.

## What it sees without being told

| It has | It does not have |
|---|---|
| The whole conversation you are in, including earlier turns | Your other conversations |
| Tools to list, read, search and grep your workspace files | Any file preloaded into the prompt |
| The current date and time | Your open tab, your cursor, or your text selection |
| The workspace the conversation was started in | Files from your other workspaces, or anyone else's private files |

> [!NOTE]
> So "fix the typo in this paragraph" will not work in the chat panel, because it cannot see the paragraph. Either mention the file, or use [[The Inline Composer]], which does work from your selection.

## Mentioning files with `@`

Type `@` in the composer and a file picker opens, matched fuzzily as you type. Move with the arrow keys, pick with <kbd>Enter</kbd> or <kbd>Tab</kbd>, dismiss with <kbd>Esc</kbd>. Monofile attaches the mentioned file's **content** to that message, so the assistant starts with it instead of searching for it.

- Mentions work on text-like files. For images and other binaries, use the paperclip.
- Monofile trims a long file at 50,000 characters and adds a note telling the assistant to read the rest with its tools if it needs to.
- Delete the `@name` text from your message to remove the mention before you send it.
- Mentioned content goes with that one message only. Mention the file again in a later message when it matters again.
- The inline composer accepts `@` mentions too.

## Attaching images and PDFs

Attach with the paperclip in the composer, by pasting into the message box, or by dropping a file anywhere onto the chat panel.

| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Types | PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP and PDF |
| Size | 10 MB per file |
| Count | 5 files per message |

The assistant reads attachments directly, so a screenshot of a broken layout or a PDF spec is a good way to start a task. Attachments stay with the message in the conversation, and Monofile deletes them when you delete the chat. Attaching does not upload the file to your workspace. If you want the file to live in Monofile, add it there. See [[Uploads and Media]].

## Steering what it looks at

- **Name the two or three files that matter.** Mentioning beats describing. It also saves the credits the assistant would have spent searching.
- **Name the path.** "In `notes/2026/q3.md`" removes a round of exploration.
- **Use Read mode to scope things out** before switching to Write+Read for the change itself.
- **Start a new conversation for a new job.** Long conversations carry their whole history into every task, which costs credits and dilutes focus.

## Surface differences

Mentions and attachments are available in the web app, in the panel and in the home composer. The desktop app's chat panel does not support them yet, and the inline composer takes mentions but not attachments.

## Next steps

:::cards
- [[The AI Assistant]] — What the built-in assistant is, what it can touch, and the two modes.
- [[AI Credits and Usage]] — How AI usage is metered, the effort presets, and where to see spend.
- [[The Inline Composer]] — Generate or rewrite text in place with the editor composer.
- [[Wiki-Links]] — Links between files: autocomplete, aliases, and links that survive renames.
:::