Chat node

A chat node is where you talk to AI on the canvas. Unlike a chat app, each chat sees only the context you connect to it, and any answer can be forked into a new branch, so a side question never buries the thread you care about.

The message box

A new chat node is an empty message box with the placeholder "Type / for commands or @ to mention nodes". Once the chat has messages, the box sits under the node and appears when you click it.

• Enter sends. Shift+Enter adds a new line.
• While the AI answers, Send turns into Stop. Sub-agents it starts have their own Cancel button (see Sub-agents).
• Submit in new branch sends your message into a new connected chat instead: click the split-arrows button next to Send, or press ⌘⇧Enter (Ctrl+Shift+Enter on Windows and Linux). See Branching.
• The microphone button dictates, and so does pressing Space twice in an empty box. See Voice input.

Slash commands and mentions

• Type / to add a skill, a saved prompt or a persona, switch a connector on or off, or set the reasoning level. See Slash commands, skills and prompts.
• Type @ to mention another node or group on this canvas. The mention connects it to the chat as context, and the connection stays after you send. See Connections and context.

Modes

The mode button in the message box sets what the AI can do in this chat. New chats start in Agent. The mode is saved with the node and applies from your next message. Shortcuts act on the active chat (the one you last clicked).

Mode	Mac	Windows and Linux	What it does
Agent	⌘1	Ctrl+1	The default. The AI can work in several steps and use tools: your connectors, sub-agents, and reading other nodes on the canvas. See Agent mode and tools.
Chat	⌘2	Ctrl+2	A plain conversation with no tools.
Image	⌘3	Ctrl+3	Generates images from your prompt, each in its own connected Image node. See Image generation.
Orchestrator	⌘4	Ctrl+4	Give it a goal and it builds on the canvas for you, adding, connecting and editing nodes. See Orchestrator mode.

Video also appears in the menu, marked "Soon".

Choosing a model

The model button, next to the microphone, picks the model that answers in this chat, and your choice is saved with the node. New chats start on your default model (Auto unless you change it); see Choosing a model for what's in the menu.

In Image mode the button lists image models. Orchestrator mode hides it, because it runs on a model Slashspace manages.

The Tools menu

Click + (tooltip "Tools") at the left of the message box. These settings apply to this chat only.

• Connectors: all your connected connectors are on by default; uncheck one to turn it off here. Manage connectors opens Settings. Agent mode only; in other modes the entry reads "Available in Agent mode".
• Personalities: apply one of your personas, or choose Add New to write one. Click the active persona again to turn it off. Orchestrator mode ignores personas.
• Reasoning: Low, Medium (the default), High or Max. Higher levels let models that support reasoning think longer before answering.

Context

A chat's left handle is where context comes in. Hover it to see how many connections feed the chat. With nothing connected, click it to switch between Summarized context (the chat gets a short summary of the canvas) and Isolated context (it works only from its own conversation). See Connections and context.

Message actions

Hover a message to show its actions. On your messages:

• Copy copies the text.
• Rerun sends the same message again. Everything after it is removed and the AI answers afresh.
• Edit opens Edit Message. Save changes the text and keeps the rest of the conversation. Save & Rerun (⌘Enter, Ctrl+Enter on Windows and Linux) also removes everything after it and gets a new answer.

On AI answers:

• Copy copies the answer's text.
• Regenerate gets a new answer in its place and removes any messages after it.

Tip: Rerun, Edit and Regenerate rewrite the thread. To try a different angle and keep what you have, send it with Submit in new branch instead.

Tool calls and approvals

In Agent mode, each tool the AI uses appears in its answer as a row you can open. When a tool needs permission, the row asks "Allow this tool to run?" with Approve and Reject, and the AI waits. Proposals to switch this chat's mode or model work the same way. See Agent mode and tools and Sub-agents.

The node header

Hover a chat's header to show its controls.

Control	What it does
Change Color	Tints the node.
Duplicate Node	Adds a copy with the same conversation and settings to the right, without its connections.
Collapse	Folds the chat into a card with your last question and answer. Click See More or Collapse again to expand it.
Open in sidebar	Opens the chat in the side view.
Delete Node	Deletes the chat. The "Node Deleted" message offers Restore.

An untitled chat names itself after its first answer, using the Title Generation Model from Settings > Default Models. Click the title to rename it, or hover it and click Generate Title (the sparkles button) for a fresh one.

When something goes wrong

Errors appear as a banner at the bottom of the conversation.

• The hosted wallet is empty. Slashspace's hosted models (including Auto) and hosted tools such as image generation draw from your hosted wallet. When it runs dry, you see "Your hosted wallet has insufficient funds for the Slashspace provider. Add funds or switch to BYOK, a subscription provider, or a local model. Your license is unchanged." Click Add funds to top up, or switch to a model that doesn't use the wallet (your own API key, Claude Code, Codex or Ollama). During the free trial the banner offers Upgrade instead.
• A plan is required. If your trial or subscription has ended, or a feature isn't in your plan, the banner says so (for example "Your trial has ended. Your canvases are still here. Subscribe to keep using Slashspace.") and Upgrade shows your options. In Image mode without a plan that includes image generation, sending opens the "Upgrade to generate images" window. See Plans and billing.
• Anything else. A red banner shows the error with Retry, which asks for the answer again.

When a Slashspace model is selected and less than $1.50 is left, the model button shows the balance (for example "$1.20 left") so you can act before a reply fails.

For more fixes and how to reach support, see Troubleshooting and support.