Usage

Usage

Starting a Chat

1. Click New Chat (plus icon in the sidebar)
2. Select a provider and model
3. Type your message and press Enter

Responses are streamed in real time.

Switching Providers

You can switch AI providers at any time:

• In chat: Click the provider name at the top of the chat window
• New chat: Choose a different provider when creating a conversation
• Default provider: Set in Settings under General

Managing Conversations

Sidebar

The sidebar lists all conversations chronologically:

• Click a conversation to open it
• Start a new conversation with the plus icon
• Conversations are saved automatically

Titles

Conversations are automatically titled based on their content. You can change the title at any time.

Using the Knowledge Base

When the knowledge base is enabled:

1. Ask questions about your documents
2. Mingly automatically searches for relevant content
3. Responses include source citations

Example:

"What does our project plan say about Q2 goals?"

Mingly finds relevant sections in your indexed documents and provides a grounded answer.

Tracking Costs

Mingly automatically tracks your API usage:

• Analytics tab in Settings shows costs per provider
• Token counter for each message
• Budget settings for monthly limits

Setting a Budget

1. Open Settings > Budget
2. Set a monthly limit
3. Mingly warns you before the limit is reached

Keyboard Shortcuts

Action	Shortcut
Send message	Enter
New line	Shift + Enter
New chat	Ctrl/Cmd + N
Settings	Ctrl/Cmd + ,

Tips for Better Results

Clear Instructions

The more specific your prompt, the better the response:

• Good: "Explain the benefits of TypeScript over JavaScript for large projects"
• Better: "List 5 specific benefits of TypeScript over JavaScript for a team of 10 developers"

Use Context

Mingly remembers the conversation history. You can reference previous messages:

"Explain the third point in more detail"

Model Selection

• Quick questions: Haiku / GPT-3.5 (affordable, fast)
• Complex tasks: Claude Opus / GPT-4o (precise, detailed)
• Local use: Ollama (free, no cloud)

Troubleshooting

"No API key configured"

Go to Settings > General and add at least one API key.

"Connection to provider failed"

• Check your internet connection
• Make sure the API key is valid
• Some providers have regional restrictions

"Model not available"

• Check if your API plan supports the model
• Some models require separate access approval

Next: FAQ