# Your first conversation Open WebUI is the AI chat interface inside GLBNXT Workspace. This guide shows how to start your first AI conversation. You will create a chat, choose an LLM, and send your first prompt. #### Common keywords you may search for * Start a new chat in Open WebUI * Choose an AI model / LLM * Write a prompt and get a response * Regenerate response and edit prompt ### Starting a New Chat Starting a conversation in Open WebUI is as simple as clicking a button. **To begin:** 1. Look at the left sidebar 2. Click the **"+ New Chat"** button (usually at the top) 3. A fresh chat window opens in the center That's it! You now have a blank canvas ready for your conversation. **When to start a new chat:** * You're changing topics completely * You want a fresh start without previous context * You're working on a different project or task **Tip**: You don't need to start a new chat for every question. If your questions are related, keep using the same chat - the AI will remember the context and give better answers. ### Selecting an AI Model At the top of your chat window, you'll see the selected AI model (LLM). This model generates the responses to your prompts. **To change models:** 1. Click on the model name at the top of the chat window 2. A dropdown list appears showing available models 3. Click on the model you want to use 4. The model switches immediately **Which model should you choose?** For most everyday tasks, the default model works perfectly fine. You don't need to overthink this when you're starting out. Different models have different strengths: * Some are faster but simpler * Others are more powerful but take a bit longer * Some excel at coding, others at creative writing **Our recommendation**: Start with the default model. As you get more comfortable, you can experiment with different models to find which ones you prefer for specific tasks. **Note**: Model choice is saved per conversation. You can switch models if you need to. Start a new chat when you want a clean comparison. ### Writing prompts and getting responses Now for the fun part. Send a prompt and get an answer back. #### How to send a prompt 1. **Type your question** in the text field at the bottom of the screen 2. **Press Enter** or click the **send button** (arrow icon) 3. **Wait a few seconds** - you'll see the AI is "thinking" 4. **Read the response** - it appears in the chat window #### Writing good prompts The AI understands natural language. Write like you would to a helpful colleague. **Good examples:** * "Can you explain what blockchain is in simple terms?" * "I need to write an email to a client about a project delay. Can you help me draft it?" * "What are the main differences between Python and JavaScript?" **You don't need to:** * Use special commands or formal language * Be overly polite (though it doesn't hurt!) * Worry about spelling mistakes - the AI understands **Tips for better answers:** * **Be specific**: "How do I create a pivot table in Excel?" is better than "Help with Excel" * **Give context**: "I'm preparing a presentation for executives about our Q4 results" helps the AI tailor its response * **Ask follow-ups**: If the answer isn't quite what you need, just ask the AI to clarify or expand #### Continuing the Conversation The magic of Open WebUI is that each chat remembers your conversation history. You can ask follow-up questions naturally: **Example conversation:** * You: "What is machine learning?" * AI: \[Explains machine learning] * You: "Can you give me a simple example?" * AI: \[Provides an example based on the previous explanation] * You: "How would I use this in marketing?" * AI: \[Gives marketing-specific applications, remembering the context] Notice how you didn't need to repeat "machine learning" in every question - the AI remembers what you're discussing. #### While the AI is Responding When you send a message, you'll see the AI typing its response in real-time. You can: * **Read along** as it writes * **Stop the response** if you've got enough information (click the stop button) * **Wait for it to finish** before asking your next question ### Basic Chat Actions Open WebUI gives you simple tools to manage the conversation. You'll find these by hovering over or clicking on messages. #### Copy a Response Found something useful you want to save or use elsewhere? 1. **Hover over the AI's response** 2. **Click the copy icon** (usually looks like two overlapping squares) 3. The text is now copied to your clipboard 4. Paste it wherever you need it (email, document, notes) **Use this when:** * You want to save the AI's answer to a document * You need to share the response with a colleague * You're collecting research or information #### Regenerate an Answer Not satisfied with the response? Want a different take on the answer? 1. **Look for the regenerate icon** (usually a circular arrow) below the AI's message 2. **Click it** 3. The AI will generate a completely new response to your same question **Use this when:** * The answer wasn't quite what you were looking for * You want a different perspective or approach * The response was too technical (or not technical enough) **Note**: Each regeneration is different. The AI doesn't just rephrase - it genuinely rethinks the answer. #### Edit Your Question Realized you could have asked your question better? Made a typo? Want to refine what you asked? 1. **Hover over your own message** 2. **Click the edit icon** (usually a pencil) 3. **Modify your question** 4. **Press Enter or click save** 5. The AI generates a new response based on your edited question **Use this when:** * You made a typo or mistake * You want to clarify or improve your question * You realize you need to add important context **Important**: Editing a question removes all the responses that came after it in the conversation. Use this feature carefully if you've had a long discussion. #### Delete Messages Want to remove a message from the conversation? 1. **Hover over the message** (yours or the AI's) 2. **Click the delete icon** (usually a trash can) 3. **Confirm** if prompted 4. The message disappears from the chat **Use this when:** * You asked something by mistake * You want to clean up the conversation * You pasted sensitive information you didn't mean to share **Tip**: Be careful with deleting - this action usually can't be undone. ### Your Conversation Flow Here's what a typical session might look like: 1. **Start**: Click "New Chat" 2. **Select**: Choose your model (or stick with the default) 3. **Ask**: Type your first question 4. **Read**: Review the AI's response 5. **Continue**: Ask follow-ups, request clarification, or go deeper 6. **Use**: Copy useful responses, regenerate if needed 7. **Refine**: Edit questions if you want to improve them 8. **Finish**: Simply move on - your chat auto-saves in the sidebar ### Common Beginner Questions **Q: How long should I wait for a response?** A: Usually just a few seconds. Complex questions might take 10-20 seconds. If it takes longer than a minute, something might be wrong - try refreshing the page. **Q: Can I have multiple chats open at once?** A: You can have many chats saved in your sidebar, but you work in one at a time. Click between them to switch conversations. **Q: What happens if I close my browser?** A: Your chat is automatically saved. Just come back to Open WebUI and click on the chat in your sidebar to continue where you left off. **Q: Can I ask anything?** A: Almost! The AI can help with a huge range of topics, but it has limitations - it can't access external websites (unless you provide them), doesn't know real-time information, and won't help with harmful requests. **Q: Does the AI remember everything I say?** A: Within a single chat, yes - the AI remembers the entire conversation. But each new chat starts fresh with no memory of other conversations. ### Practice Exercise Try this simple exercise to get comfortable: 1. Start a new chat 2. Ask: "Can you help me write a professional out-of-office email message?" 3. Read the response 4. Click regenerate to see a different version 5. Ask a follow-up: "Can you make it more casual?" 6. Copy the response you like best 7. Try editing your original question to specify your industry or situation By the end of this exercise, you'll have used most of the basic features! *** **You're now ready to have real conversations with Open WebUI.** Next, go deeper: * [Working with documents](/workspace/guides/open-webui/working-with-documents.md) * [Organising your chats](/workspace/guides/open-webui/organising-your-chats.md) * [What is Open WebUI](/workspace/guides/open-webui/what-is-open-webui.md) --- # Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.glbnxt.com/workspace/guides/open-webui/your-first-conversation.md?ask= ``` The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.