> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://support.incidentlake.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://support.incidentlake.com/everyday-tools/chat.md).

# Chat

Talk with the AI assistant and keep the conversation tied to an incident.

**Chat** is a conversation with Incident Lake’s assistant. Use it to think through a situation, draft updates, or pull in similar past work — without leaving the product.

## Start a chat

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

## Open Chat

Choose **Chat** in the sidebar, then **New Chat**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Describe the situation

Write the way you would brief a colleague: what you see, what is affected, and when it started.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

## Link an incident when you have one

If an incident already exists, attach it so the assistant can use that record. You can also create an incident from the conversation when you are ready to declare.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

## What the assistant can help with

* Finding similar past incidents and knowledge
* Drafting a summary, timeline, or stakeholder update for you to edit
* Suggesting next steps based on how your team handled similar cases

Treat every reply as a draft. You decide what gets saved on the incident.

## Manage conversations

Each chat has a title you can rename. You can delete a chat you no longer need — that removes its messages and cannot be undone.

{% hint style="info" %}
Chat is more useful after your team has a few resolved incidents and approved knowledge items. If answers feel thin, add a knowledge entry for the playbook you expected it to use.
{% endhint %}


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://support.incidentlake.com/everyday-tools/chat.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.