Chats

A chat is a conversation with Ren in a project, including your requests, Ren’s replies, and its actions. Ren uses the project’s instructions, repositories, apps, skills, storage, and permissions.

Chats can start in the web app or from a channel, schedule, or task. All appear in the sidebar’s chat list, which you can filter by source, creator, space, project, or status.

Everyone in a project’s space can see the project’s chats. Chats in your personal space are visible only to you.

In the API and CLI, a chat is a session.

Start a chat

1. Select New chat in the sidebar.
2. Check Working in below the composer. It shows the space and project the chat runs in. Select it to choose another project.
3. Type your request and press Enter.

Choose a model and reasoning effort

Select the model picker in the composer to choose a model. For models that support it, the same picker sets the reasoning effort: higher effort spends more time thinking before answering.

If you don’t pick a model, Ren uses the first available default: project, space, organization, then Ren. Select the default entry in the model picker to restore this behavior.

You can change the model between messages, and the new choice applies from your next message.

Mention apps, skills, and more

Type @ in the composer to mention an item. Ren adds it to the message as context.

Mention	What it tells Ren
An app	Use this app. If it isn’t connected yet, Ren shows a card to connect it.
A skill	Use this skill’s instructions.
A custom MCP	Use this custom MCP’s tools.
A repository	Work in this repository from the project.
A project	The request is about this project.

Mentions apply to one message. Attach an app, skill, or custom MCP to the project to make it available in every chat. See Projects.

Attach files

Drag files onto the composer, or select + and then Upload attachment. Each file can be up to 100 MB.

Ren reads images, text files, and PDFs up to 10 MB directly. It saves larger files and other formats to the space’s machine and opens them with its tools.

Repositories and permissions

Select + in the composer to reach two project settings without leaving the chat:

• Repositories adds or removes the project’s repositories and sets the branch Ren uses for each.
• Permissions changes what Ren can do without asking.

Both settings apply to every chat in the project. See Repositories and Permissions.

FAQ

What happens when Ren asks a question or needs permission?

Ren pauses and shows questions or permission requests above the composer. For a question, select an answer or enter your own, then select Continue. For permissions, choose Allow once, Always allow, or Deny. You can also type what Ren should do instead. Channel and scheduled chats deny actions that need approval.

How do I see what Ren did?

Select the Worked for line above Ren’s reply. It expands to show each step and tool call Ren made, with its input and result.