When to use chat
Use chat when you need to:- Ask a question or compare options.
- Summarize a document, meeting, spreadsheet, or Workspace.
- Draft text before moving it into CoDraft.
- Analyze a file before creating a CoSheet.
- Start or run an Orchestration.
- Ask Sofie to inspect the page you are viewing with Sofie Everywhere.
| Need | Use |
|---|---|
| Document editing, comments, suggestions, revisions, export | CoDraft |
| Tables, formulas, analysis, charts, Excel export | CoSheet |
| Transcript, notes, summary, meeting search | CoMeeting |
| Shared files, related artifacts, team access | Workspace |
| Repeatable workflow with agents, tasks, tools, and review | Orchestrate |
Chat input controls
The chat input includes several controls.| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| Model selector | Choose the AI model and set a default with the star. |
| + | Add context, insert a Saved prompt, or attach files. |
| Microphone | Start Voice Mode for transcription and text-to-speech. |
| Sliders | Turn on Web search, Deep research, Workspace search, or Plan Mode. |
| Arrow | Send the message. |
| Square | Stop generation while Sofie is responding. |
Start a useful chat
State the job
Tell Sofie what you want done. Use a verb such as
review, compare, draft, extract, summarize, convert, or analyze.Name the source
Attach a file, add a Workspace, select a CoDraft, choose a CoMeeting, or reference a CoSheet.
Set the output
Ask for a table, checklist, outline, brief, report section, risk table, or action list.
Add context from Sofie
Click + and choose Add context when the context already exists in Sofie. You can add:- CoDrafts for documents.
- Orchestrations for repeatable workflows.
- CoSheets for spreadsheets.
- CoMeetings for transcripts, notes, and summaries.
- Workspaces for project context.
- Plans for plan work created in the current conversation.
Attach files
Click +, then Attach when the source is a file on your computer. You can attach up to five files in one message. Use attachments for:- PDFs, Word files, PowerPoint files, text files, images, JSON files, Excel files, and CSV files.
- One-time review work.
- Files that are not ready to be shared in a Workspace.
- Importing a DOCX or DOC into CoDraft.
- Importing XLSX or CSV data into CoSheet.
- Using File Studio for generated Office files, JSON or CSV transformations, or code-based analysis.
Choose a model
The model selector groups models by provider and includes a Recommended section. Your organization decides which models appear. Use the star to set a default model. Change models for a specific chat when the task needs a different balance of speed, context, or reasoning. For detailed guidance on defaults, provider groups, context tradeoffs, Plan Mode, and Orchestrations, see Model selection. General guidance:| Task | Model choice |
|---|---|
| Quick rewrite, summary, or classification | Use your default recommended model. |
| Complex investigation, CAPA, validation, or regulatory drafting | Use a stronger reasoning model and provide sources. |
| Long document comparison | Choose a model suited to long context and keep sources focused. |
| First pass brainstorming | Use a faster model, then switch if deeper review is needed. |
Use search and planning
Open the sliders menu to control extra capabilities.- Web search lets Sofie use current public web information.
- Deep research is slower and broader. Use it when source gathering matters more than speed.
- Workspace search lets Sofie search selected Workspace files.
- Plan Mode asks Sofie to plan complex work before executing it.
- Building a validation protocol outline from many sources.
- Comparing several regulatory or pharmacopoeia sources.
- Preparing an investigation work plan.
- Designing an Orchestration before creating it.
Use voice input
Click the microphone to open Voice Mode. Voice Mode can:- Convert speech to text with Transcription.
- Read responses aloud with Text-to-Speech.
- Let you dictate longer instructions, then edit before sending.
| Say | Result |
|---|---|
send | Submit the current message. |
clear | Erase the input. |
stop | Stop voice mode. |
new line | Add a line break. |
undo | Undo recent speech. |
enable web search | Turn on Web search. |
enable workspace search | Turn on Workspace search. |
Continue and organize chats
Use Chat History to reopen conversations. A chat may include references to Workspaces, CoDrafts, CoSheets, CoMeetings, Orchestrations, files, and plans. Good chat hygiene:- Rename important chats.
- Pin chats you revisit often.
- Start a new chat when the topic changes.
- Keep sensitive source material in the right Workspace.
- Ask Sofie to summarize long conversations before continuing with a new task.
- Watch the context indicator when you add large sources or continue a long thread.
Use Sofie Everywhere
Sofie Everywhere lets you chat while viewing another Sofie page. Use it when the page itself is the context. Examples:- In a CoDraft: “Rewrite the selected section for QA review and flag unsupported claims.”
- In a CoSheet: “Explain the outliers in the selected cells and suggest a chart.”
- In a Workspace: “Search this Workspace for files related to release assay readiness.”
- In a CoMeeting: “Turn this meeting into action items with owners and unresolved questions.”
- In Orchestrate: “Help me refine the inputs for this workflow before I run it.”