> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://fusiondocs.finchai.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Chat Interface

> How to interact with the AI assistant in Finch Fusion

# Chat Interface

The chat interface is your primary way to interact with the AI assistant. Ask questions about your documents, request analyses, and generate reports through natural conversation.

## Accessing the Chat

The chat panel is located on the right side of your workspace. It's always available when you're in a project.

### Chat Panel Layout

| Area               | Purpose                               |
| ------------------ | ------------------------------------- |
| **Header**         | Mode selector and settings            |
| **Chat History**   | Previous messages and responses       |
| **Input Area**     | Where you type messages               |
| **Action Buttons** | Generate, mode selection, attachments |

## Starting a Conversation

To begin chatting with the AI:

1. Click in the text input area at the bottom of the chat panel
2. Type your question or request
3. Press **Enter** or click the **Send** button
4. Wait for the AI response

<Tip>
  Be specific in your questions. The more context you provide, the better the AI can assist you.
</Tip>

## Types of Interactions

### Asking Questions

Get answers about your uploaded documents:

* "What are the key risk factors mentioned in the 10-K filing?"
* "How much revenue did the company generate in 2025?"
* "What does the CEO say about future growth prospects?"

The AI searches your documents and provides answers with citations.

### Requesting Analysis

Ask for deeper analysis of your content:

* "Compare the profit margins across the last three years"
* "Summarize the competitive advantages discussed in the document"
* "Identify the main challenges facing this company"

### Generating Reports

Initiate report generation through chat:

* "Generate a company analysis for Apple"
* "Create an investment recommendation based on these financials"
* "Build an industry overview of the semiconductor sector"

### Follow-Up Questions

Continue conversations to dig deeper:

* **Initial:** "What was the revenue last year?"
* **Follow-up:** "How does that compare to competitors?"
* **Follow-up:** "What factors drove the growth?"

The AI maintains context throughout the conversation.

## Chat Features

### Citations and Sources

When the AI references your documents:

* Citations appear linked to specific documents
* Click citations to view the source
* Verify information against original documents

### Real-Time Responses

For complex queries:

* Responses stream in real-time
* Watch as the AI processes your request
* Results appear progressively

### Response Formatting

AI responses include:

* Structured text with headings
* Bullet points and lists
* Tables when appropriate
* Highlighted key information

### Chat Feedback

After receiving a response, you can provide feedback:

* Click the **thumbs up** button if the response was helpful
* Click the **thumbs down** button if it needs improvement
* Feedback helps improve the AI's performance over time

## Chat Input Options

### Text Input

Type naturally as you would ask a colleague:

* Complete sentences work best
* Include relevant context
* Be specific about what you need

### Uploading Documents from Chat

You can upload documents directly from the chat panel:

1. Click the **Upload** icon in the chat input area
2. Select files from your computer
3. Documents are added to your project and processed

This is a convenient alternative to using the sidebar upload.

### Adding Web Sources from Chat

To add web content as a research source:

1. Click the **Add Web Source** button in the chat input area
2. Paste the URL you want to include
3. Click **Add** to confirm
4. The web content is fetched, processed, and added to your project

See [Web Sources](/documents/web-sources) for more details.

### Additional Inputs

Depending on the mode and context:

* **Report Type** - Select when generating reports
* **Company Search** - Find specific companies
* **Graph Mode Toggle** - Enable knowledge graph queries

## Chat History

### Viewing History

Scroll up in the chat panel to see previous messages and responses.

### Chat Persistence

Your chat history is automatically saved and linked to your project:

* Return to previous conversations later
* Review past analyses and findings
* Reference earlier responses
* Chat messages are preserved across sessions

### Clearing Chat

To start fresh:

1. Look for the clear/reset option in chat settings
2. Confirm you want to clear history
3. Begin a new conversation

<Warning>
  Cleared chat history cannot be recovered. Important insights should be saved or exported before clearing.
</Warning>

## Chat Modes

The chat supports different modes for different needs:

| Mode          | Best For                       |
| ------------- | ------------------------------ |
| Chat          | Quick questions and answers    |
| Graph         | Exploring entity relationships |
| Deep Research | Comprehensive analysis         |

Learn more about modes in [Research Modes](/ai-assistant/research-modes).

## Best Practices

### Effective Prompting

Write prompts that get good results:

**Be specific:**

* Good: "What was Apple's services revenue in Q4 2025?"
* Poor: "Tell me about revenue"

**Provide context:**

* Good: "Based on the 10-K filing, what are the main risk factors related to supply chain?"
* Poor: "What are the risks?"

**Ask one thing at a time:**

* Good: "What was the gross margin?" followed by "How did it change from last year?"
* Poor: "What was the gross margin and how did it change and what caused the change?"

### Interpreting Responses

When reviewing AI answers:

1. **Check citations** - Verify sources are relevant
2. **Confirm accuracy** - Cross-reference key facts
3. **Ask follow-ups** - Clarify unclear points
4. **Request alternatives** - Ask for different perspectives

### Handling Limitations

The AI may not always have perfect answers:

* If information isn't in your documents, the AI can't find it
* Complex calculations may need verification
* Recent events may not be reflected in older documents

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="AI isn't finding information I know is in my documents">
    Rephrase your question using terms that appear in the documents. Verify documents are fully processed (Ready status). Try more specific queries.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Responses are too long or too short">
    Specify the length you want: "Give me a brief summary" or "Provide a detailed analysis with examples."
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="AI seems confused about context">
    Start a new chat if context has become muddled. Be explicit about which documents or topics you're asking about.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Response is taking too long">
    Complex queries over large document sets may take time. If response exceeds 2 minutes without progress, try refreshing and asking again.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>