> For clean Markdown of any page, append .md to the page URL.
> For a complete documentation index, see https://docs.alpha.openantares.com/llms.txt.
> For AI client integration (Claude Code, Cursor, etc.), connect to the MCP server at https://docs.alpha.openantares.com/_mcp/server.

# Search and chat

Alpha answers from source-backed knowledge inside the vaults you are allowed to use. The active surface and conversation context determine how it chooses scope.

![Alpha chat answering a source-backed question about the Northstar pilot](https://fdr-prod-docs-files-public.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/alpha-506400.docs.buildwithfern.com/fa0f145e50f751f49a3a7d86677b4f07e1266710502ad9feedd2019a38dd9147/docs/assets/screenshots/chat-answer.jpg?X-Amz-Algorithm=AWS4-HMAC-SHA256&X-Amz-Content-Sha256=UNSIGNED-PAYLOAD&X-Amz-Credential=AKIA6KXJSKKNFOCF7G4B%2F20260903%2Fus-east-1%2Fs3%2Faws4_request&X-Amz-Date=20260903T012350Z&X-Amz-Expires=604800&X-Amz-Signature=134281bf3a20bba099eb3b8556c9e0331fc44cd02568046a39c6f79289f55314&X-Amz-SignedHeaders=host&x-amz-checksum-mode=ENABLED&x-id=GetObject)

## Start a conversation

Open **Chat** from the left navigation. You can ask about a person, process, decision, risk, task, system, or recent change.

Useful questions include:

* What is blocking the Northstar pilot?
* Who owns the carrier credential checklist?
* Which source changed the launch date?
* What did Eduardo say about the delivery plan?
* Show the evidence behind the same-day dispatch target.

You do not need to write search syntax. Include the client or project name when the same term could exist in several vaults.

## Understand scope

### Vault chat

A chat opened inside a vault stays inside that vault. Use it for client work, project decisions, and any question where crossing a boundary would be unsafe.

### General chat

General chat can inspect the names and summaries of vaults you can access, choose the relevant scope, and run searches inside that explicit selection. It should not run an unfiltered search across unrelated client vaults.

Alpha may use more than one accessible vault when your request clearly requires combined context. For example, an internal consulting vault and its client-facing vault may both contain relevant information about the same engagement. The answer should label which vault supports each claim.

### Slack channels

A Slack channel is assigned to a vault. Alpha answers from that channel's vault and does not silently fetch private context from another client vault.

If the question belongs to another vault you can access, Alpha can acknowledge that it exists and suggest continuing in an Alpha chat, email, or direct message where the wider context is appropriate.

### Direct message, email, MCP, and API

These surfaces identify the requesting person, list only the vaults they can access, and choose a deliberate vault scope before searching. A credential never expands the person's underlying access.

## Ask follow-up questions

Alpha keeps the current conversation context, so a follow-up such as “Which one changed?” should resolve the subject from the previous answer. You should not need to repeat the vault name when the thread already established it.

If the subject remains genuinely ambiguous, Alpha should explain the competing interpretations in plain language and ask only for the missing distinction.

## Read an answer

A trustworthy answer separates:

* Confirmed source-backed facts
* Inferences drawn from several sources
* Missing information
* Unresolved contradictions
* The vault supporting each claim when more than one vault is used

Ask “show me the sources” or “what supports that?” to inspect the evidence. Open a source before acting on a sensitive claim, changed date, or client commitment.

## Create work from chat

After the facts are clear, ask Alpha to:

* Create an assigned task with a due date
* Draft a brief or report
* Build a workbook or chart
* Summarize changes since a previous meeting
* Compare an internal decision with the client-facing record

Write actions still require your role to allow the change inside the chosen vault.

Do not ask Alpha to combine unrelated clients in one answer. Start separate vault chats or name the exact accessible vaults when a legitimate comparison is required.

#### [Knowledge graph](/knowledge-graph)

Explore the entities and relationships behind an answer.

#### [Review evidence](/review-evidence)

Resolve two sources that disagree before using the claim.