Ask the agent
The agent works beside your documents. Ask it questions about your files, or ask it to edit or create Word, PowerPoint, Excel, LaTeX and Markdown files.
Open the agent#
The Nebula Agent pane is on the right of the window.
- Press Cmd/Ctrl+L while you're not typing in a document, or choose View → Toggle Assistant.
- Type in the Ask me anything... box and press Enter. Shift+Enter adds a new line.
- In a Markdown, LaTeX or text file, select some text and choose Ask Nebula (or press Cmd/Ctrl+K) to send that passage with your question.
Give it the right context#
| To include | Do this |
|---|---|
| The open document | Nothing to do: it's included by default. To change that, set Active Document to Only when attached in Settings → Data & Privacy. |
| Other files or folders in the project | Type @ and pick a file or folder, or drag a file from the project tree onto the agent pane. |
| Files from elsewhere, or images | Choose Attach file (the paperclip). You can pick several. |
| One passage | Select it and choose Ask Nebula. |
A good request names the source, the result you want, and what must not change:
Use @research/market-notes.pdf and the Summary sheet in @data/forecast.xlsx. Update only the Evidence section of this document, and say which source supports each number.
Plans and questions#
- Planning Mode (off by default, in Settings → AI) makes the agent write a plan for larger tasks and wait. Choose Run Plan to go ahead or Cancel to stop. You can also write "Plan first and wait for my approval" in any request.
- When a request is unclear, the agent may stop and ask a question, sometimes with options. Pick one or type your own answer, and it carries on.
What the agent can do#
- Edit and create files: Word, PowerPoint, Excel, LaTeX, Markdown and text.
- Check its work visually: it can look at the saved page, slide or sheet as an image, shown under Preview in its reply. For PowerPoint slides this needs LibreOffice installed.
- Search PDFs: it indexes the PDFs you point it to and cites pages, and can review a batch of PDFs into a spreadsheet. See Markdown and PDF.
- Search the web and academic papers: these need a Pro plan. See Plans and sign-in.
- Analyze data: it runs Python to calculate figures and make charts. See Data and charts.
- Compile and export: it compiles LaTeX and exports Word and LaTeX files to PDF.
- Manage files: it can save an exact copy of a file before editing, and rename or move files.
- Delete files: deleted files go to your system Trash, and the review bar offers Restore file or Keep deleted. The agent can't delete or move folders.
Review what it changed#
Every edit is written to the file while the agent works, and a restore point is kept. When it finishes, its reply lists the changed files. Choose Review changes, then Keep edit, or Discard edit to put the previous version back. Word, PowerPoint and Excel edits are one decision each; Markdown, LaTeX and text edits can also be accepted or rejected one change at a time. See Review and undo.
Check the file itself, not only the agent's summary: facts, layout, formulas, citations and links.
Conversations#
The buttons at the top of the agent pane:
- Open conversation history lists past chats, with Search conversations... and a delete button for each.
- File changes lists the files the agent changed, for This chat or the whole Project (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+H).
- Start a new conversation opens a fresh chat, so earlier messages don't steer the next task.
- Open artifacts shows figures and files from Python runs, when there are any.
Conversations are saved inside the project.
Start fresh when a conversation goes off track#
- Choose Start a new conversation and open the file that holds the facts.
- Add only the files the task needs, and say what must not change.
- Begin with a small request, such as an outline or a list of problems.
If you've used your monthly AI allowance, the agent says so and offers Upgrade to Pro. See Plans and sign-in.