Chatting with Agents

Starting conversations, selecting models, using skills, conversation history, switching between agents, and sharing conversations

Chatting with Agents

Start conversations with your agents, manage history, switch between agents, and share conversations. This page covers the chat workflow and tips for effective use.

Navigation

Starting Conversations

Open an agent from the Agents list and click into the chat area. Type your question or request in the input box and send. The agent responds using its system prompt and attached tools. You can ask follow-up questions in the same thread — the agent keeps context from the conversation.

When you open the Orchestrator chat, a brief "Loading workspace context..." indicator appears while your subagents, workflows, and tool configurations are fetched. Once loading completes, the subagent and workflow switchers appear and the chat input is ready.

Selecting the Model

When you create an agent, you choose its default model. Some plans let you override the model per conversation. If available, use the model selector in the chat header to switch. Different models suit different tasks: faster models for quick answers, more capable models for complex reasoning.

Conversation History

Conversations are saved automatically. You see past threads in the sidebar or history panel. Click a thread to resume it. The agent remembers the full context of that conversation. You can start new threads when you want a fresh context or a different topic.

Switching Between Agents

You can switch between agents without losing your place. Each agent has its own conversation list. Open another agent from the sidebar or Agents list. When you return to an agent, your previous conversations are still there. Use different agents for different tasks — Search Ninja for SPL, Splunk Sensei for learning, BOTS Hunter for investigations, and so on.

Using Skills in Chat

You can attach skills to individual messages using slash commands. Type / in the chat input to open the skills menu. Filter by name and select a skill — a pill badge appears above the input showing the attached skill. The skill applies to that single message only. For example, type /search-splunk before asking a Splunk question to activate the structured SPL workflow, or use /concise for a brief answer. See Agent Skills for the full list of available skills and details on permanent attachment.

Sharing Conversations

You can share conversations with teammates. Use the share option in the conversation header to generate a link or invite. Shared links let others view the thread (and optionally continue it, depending on permissions). Sharing helps with handoffs, training, and documenting how you solved a problem.

Web Search

When you enable web search on an agent, it can look up current information from the internet during conversations. Deslicer uses provider-native web search tools when the selected model supports them — OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and xAI models each have built-in web search capabilities. If you enable web search on an agent using a model that does not support it, the agent operates without web access for that conversation.

You enable web search in the agent's settings. Once enabled, the agent decides when to search the web based on your question. You do not need to trigger web search manually — the agent uses it automatically when current information would improve its answer.

Tips for Effective Chatting

  • Be specific — "Find failed logins in the last 24 hours from index main" works better than "show me errors."
  • Ask for reasoning — Request explanations before running queries. Agents can show their logic and help you learn.
  • Use follow-ups — Refine with "narrow that to source IP X" or "add a timechart." The agent uses prior context.
  • Attach skills for specialized behavior — Use /deep-research for in-depth reports or /concise for quick answers. Skills guide how the agent uses its tools.
  • Enable web search — Turn on web search in agent settings when your questions need current, live information from the internet.
  • Switch agents when needed — If an agent isn't the right fit, try a purpose-built agent or a different custom agent.
Chatting with Agents | Deslicer AI Docs