Using Sands
Chat and the composer
Everything in Sands starts in the composer. This page covers writing requests, attaching files, the controls beside the send button, and what you can do with a reply.
Writing requests
Write the way you would brief a colleague. Name the project, the people and the dates when they matter. You do not need special commands: Sands works out whether you want an answer, a plan, a report or a change.
Try asking
Create a task in WEB to fix the checkout bug and assign it to Dana
On the home screen, suggested prompts appear under the composer. Clicking one loads it with blanks to fill in, shown as highlighted slots. It never sends on its own; an unfilled blank sends as its placeholder text.
Keyboard
- Enter sends, Shift + Enter adds a new line.
- ⌘ + , opens Settings from anywhere.
- Keys you type while a page is still loading are kept and land in the composer.
The + menu
The + button holds two things: Add files, and your connectors. A connector row shows its state and the one action it needs: Connect, Reconnect when access has expired, or nothing when it is connected. Managing a connection opens Settings in place, so your draft and attachments stay put.
Attaching files
Attach a brief, a statement of work or meeting notes and Sands reads it as context for your request. Plans, specs and requirements drafted from a file are grounded in what the file says.
- Documents: PDF, Word (.docx), plain text and Markdown.
- Images: drag an image onto the composer and Sands can read it. It shows as a thumbnail in your message.
- Drag files onto the composer, or use + then Add files for documents.
Where files go
Uploaded files are stored privately and only you can open them. Their text is given to Sands as context; it is not shown in your message bubble.
The approval control
Next to + is the approval control. It sets whether Sands asks before changing your tools: Manually approve, Automatically approve or Skip all approvals. The choice applies to every chat and to Sands in Slack. See Approvals.
While Sands works
When you send, your message moves to the top of the view and the reply fills in below it. The line at the top of the reply updates with each step. Scroll up at any time and Sands stops following; Jump to latest brings you back.
The send button turns into a stop button while Sands is working. Stopping ends the run on the server. If Sands had not replied or used a tool yet, the run is free.
Working with replies
- Copy: the button under each reply copies it. Tables copy as real tables that paste into Docs, Pages, Gmail and spreadsheets.
- Rate: thumbs up or down tells the Sands team whether the reply worked.
- Follow-up suggestions: after a reply, Sands may suggest next steps based on what it found. Click one to send it, or ignore them. When nothing useful fits, none appear.
- The run: expand the line at the top of a reply to see every step and its evidence.
Sending feedback
The megaphone button at the bottom of the sidebar opens a feedback box. Write what you noticed and send; the chat you have open is attached so the team can see what happened.