> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://cortex-foundation-add13747-droid-1a2462c9-cor-444-sanitize.mintlify.site/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Overview
> What Cortex Chat is for, how the sidebar is organised, what a thread offers, and when to switch to Code or Bot.
Cortex Chat is the assistant for research, writing, and everyday questions. It streams answers as they are written, keeps documents and threads together in projects, and hands off to Code or Bot when the job is a repository or a computer rather than a conversation.
## The sidebar
| Entry | What it opens |
| ------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Chat · Code · Bot** | The product switcher. Chat is the default; Code and Bot need a signed-in account. |
| **New chat** | Starts a thread. It is an action, not a selected row. |
| **Projects** | Standing instructions plus the chats and files that belong together. See [Projects](/chat/projects). |
| **Artifacts** | Opens the [Library](/chat/library) — your uploads and everything the assistant produced. |
| **Customize** | **Connectors**: connect apps and choose whether each reaches Chat, Bot, or both. See [Tools](/chat/tools). |
| **Pinned** | Projects you pinned for quick access. |
| **Recents** | Your latest conversations. Guests see the current session only. |
| **Guest / your account** | Sign in, or open [Settings](/getting-started/settings). |
## The composer
* **+** opens **Attach file**, **Image**, and **Check origin**.
* The **model chip** (for example *Cortex 1 Mini · Preview · Thinking Low*) switches model, sets the Thinking level, and toggles **Deep Research**.
* **Enter** sends; **Shift + Enter** adds a line; **Esc** stops a response.
* While a turn runs, the placeholder reads **Cortex is responding…** and the send button becomes a stop control.
## Home starting points
The four cards on Chat home are shortcuts, not separate products:
| Card | What it does |
| ------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| **Code** — *The Cortex agent working inside your repos* | Opens Cortex Code |
| **Research** — *Cited answers from live sources* | Prefills the composer and turns on Deep Research |
| **Docs** — *Drafts that structure themselves* | Opens a new chat with a document canvas beside it |
| **Agents** — *Background runs on schedules* | Opens Cortex Bot |
## A thread
Every reply carries **Copy**, **Listen** (when voice is available), and thumbs up / down. The thread header offers **Start a plan** — turn this conversation into a task list — and **Move to project**. Replies render markdown: headings, tables, and syntax-highlighted code blocks with their own **Copy** button. A small line under the composer reminds you that Cortex is an AI and can make mistakes.
## When to switch
| Stay in Chat | Open Code | Open Bot |
| ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| Questions, writing, research, pictures, origin checks, documents, plans | A repository, an isolated Cloud guest, diffs, a pull request | An always-on teammate with a computer, routines, approvals |
Chat does not run Code's workspace shell or Bot's computer. Chat's Python tool is a snippet sandbox with no workspace; it cannot see a repository. How the loop runs: [How Chat works](/chat/how-it-works).
## Next
* [Chat quickstart](/chat/quickstart) — from open to a useful first conversation.
* [Projects](/chat/projects) · [Library](/chat/library) · [Plans](/chat/plans)
* [Models](/chat/models) · [Tools and connectors](/chat/tools)