Chat is where you talk to one of your Hercules Agents directly, without waiting for a trigger to start it. Every Agent has a Chat tab that lists your conversations with it beside the one you have open.
Chat does not build apps. To build or edit an app, use the Hercules App Builder.
How do I start a chat?
Open the Agent's Chat tab
Go to Agent → open an Agent → Chat. It's the first item in the Agent's sidebar.
Type what you need
Send your message, or tap one of the Agent's example questions under the box to start.
Keep going
Every reply stays in the conversation, so you can follow up without repeating yourself.
Start another conversation with + above your chats, or press Cmd + Shift + O / Ctrl + Shift + O.
To attach a file, drag it onto the message box, paste it, or click + → Attach files.
What's different about a chat with an Agent?
A chat is a real run of the published Agent, the same as a scheduled run or a reply in Slack:
- The Agent uses its own instructions and integrations, not your personal Chat Integrations
- The Agent runs on the model it is set to, so there is no model selector
- The conversation shows up in the Agent's Runs and counts toward its costs like any other run
- You can keep replying to it from Chat or from Runs
To try changes you haven't published yet, use the test chat on any Build page instead. See Instructions.
What can I see in an open chat?
An open chat shows the conversation and nothing else:
- Its title is at the top, next to a ... menu to rename it, delete it, or open it in Runs
- Your messages and the Agent's replies are in one column, with the message box under them
- When the Agent uses a tool, such as searching the web, a short line above its reply says so
- If a reply was stopped, failed, or ran out of credits, a note under it says what happened
To see what a chat spent, which version answered, every step the Agent took, and its scores, click ... → Open in Runs. See Run history for what each part does.
How do I find an old conversation?
Your conversations with an Agent are listed on its Chat tab, grouped by when they were last active. Type in the search box at the top to match conversation titles.
Your teammates' conversations with the Agent aren't listed there. Find them in the Agent's Runs.
Additional FAQ
What does Chat cost?
A chat uses AI credits, the same as any other run of the Agent. See Costs and limits.
How do I rename or delete a chat?
Click ... at the top of an open chat, or hover a conversation in the list and click .... Titles are written for you from the first message, so rename it to whatever you want. Deleting cannot be undone, and it also removes the conversation from the Agent's Runs.
Can I change the model?
Not from the chat. The Agent runs on the model it is set to, which you change in Build → Instructions. See Instructions.
Can my teammates see my chats?
Yes. A conversation with an Agent belongs to the Organization, so anyone in it can read it in the Agent's Runs. Only you can reply to it.
Why can't I send a message?
The Agent is turned off. Click Turn on agent on the Chat tab, or see Organize your Agents. If a conversation has no message box, a teammate or a trigger started it, and you can only read it. A line under the conversation says which.
Where did the Default assistant go?
Chat used to have a general assistant that wasn't tied to an Agent. It has been retired, so every chat is now with one of your Agents.
I can't see the Chat tab
Agents are switched on one Organization at a time. If Agent is missing at the top of the Dashboard sidebar, contact hello@hercules.app.