# Chats and projects

> A chat is a conversation with TulipFarm's AI. A project is a shared space where a team keeps its chats, files, and instructions together.

Source: https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/chats-and-projects/

A chat is a conversation with TulipFarm's AI. A project is a shared space for a team's chats, files, and instructions.

## Chats

You start a chat with **New chat** at the top of the sidebar. Type what you want to get done, and the AI answers.

A chat can do more than answer questions. You can ask it to create things for you:

- [Agents](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/agents-skills-and-workflows/)
- [Tables](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/tables-and-rows/) and rows
- [Skills](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/agents-skills-and-workflows/)
- [Workflows](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/agents-skills-and-workflows/)

Buttons such as **Create in chat** and **Ask chat to make a skill** open a new chat for that job.

When a chat wants to change your data or an outside app, it asks first. Nothing changes until you approve. See [Approvals](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/approvals/).

### Parts of the chat box

| Item | What it is |
| --- | --- |
| **Attach files** | Adds files from your device to your message. |
| **Skills** | Adds a saved procedure. You can also type `/` to see skills. |
| Model picker | Chooses the AI model. The choices depend on your workspace settings. |
| **Send message** | Sends your message. You can also press Enter. |
| **Stop reply** | Stops the AI while it answers. |

### Personal chats

A personal chat is private to you. Other members cannot see it. Admins cannot see it either.

### Long and inactive chats

- When a chat gets long, TulipFarm shrinks its working context so the chat can continue. This is called compaction. The original messages stay readable.
- After a chat is inactive for some time, TulipFarm closes it and saves a recap. The recap lists the decisions and the unfinished work.

### Archive and delete

- **Archive** hides a chat from your active list. Archived chats stay saved.
- **Delete** removes a chat. TulipFarm keeps deleted chats for 30 days before it removes them permanently.

## Projects

A project is a shared space for a team. Only project members can open it.

Each project holds:

- Project chats, which every project member can read and reply to.
- Project files, which every project member can see.
- Project instructions, which apply to every chat in the project.

You open projects from **Projects** in the sidebar. The person who creates a project becomes its Manager.

| Project role | What it can do |
| --- | --- |
| **Manager** | Edits the project, manages members, and archives or restores the project. |
| **Member** | Reads and replies in project chats. |

You can move a personal chat into a project. Open the chat and select **Move to project**. After the move, project members can read the chat.

> **Note:** Shared project chats cannot use Google file references. Start a personal chat when you need a Google file.

When a Manager archives a project, it stays readable. Nobody can send messages or change files in it until a Manager restores it.

## Related

- [Use chat](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/guides/use-chat/)
- [Work in a project](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/guides/work-in-a-project/)
- [Meet Bud](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/getting-started/meet-bud/)
- [Files and Knowledge](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/concepts/files-and-knowledge/)
- [Data retention and deletion](https://docs.tulipfarm.ai/security/data-retention-and-deletion/)