Overview
Flow ID: new-chat-empty
Category: Chat Interactions
Estimated Duration: 1-2 minutes
User Role: All Users
Complexity: Simple
Purpose: This flow allows users to start a fresh conversation with the AI without any predefined templates or settings. It creates a blank slate for free-form conversation where users can ask any questions or have any type of discussion with the AI model.
Related Flows
- Create New Chat from Template - Use predefined settings
- Chat with Dataset Query Enabled - Include dataset information
- Conduct Multi-Turn Conversation - Continue the conversation
- Upload Document to Chat Context - Add file references
- Entourage Mode Manage Chat Personas - Customize AI behavior
- Edit Chat Name Manually - Rename this chat
- Select Active Chat Model - Change which AI model is used
Prerequisites
Before starting, users must have:
- Application installed and running
- At least one AI language model uploaded and available
- Optionally: A dataset uploaded if they plan to use dataset query features
- The model has finished loading (if it was just started)
Step-by-Step Flow
Main Path (Happy Path)
Step 1: Navigate to Chat Page
- User Action: Click "Chat" in the main navigation menu
- System Response: The chat page loads and displays
- UI Elements Visible:
- Navigation menu with "Chat" highlighted
- Chat sidebar on the left showing previous conversations (if any exist)
- Main chat area in the center
- New chat interface in the center (if no chat is currently open)
- Visual Cues: Chat icon in navigation, clean interface with input area prominently displayed
Step 2: View New Chat Options
- User Action: User observes the new chat creation interface in the center of the screen
- System Response: System displays the new chat creation screen with available options
- UI Elements Visible:
- Large text input box for entering first message
- Prompt placeholder text (e.g., "What would you like to know?" or similar rotating prompts)
- Dataset toggle control (icon showing dataset on/off status)
- Upload file button (paperclip or upload icon)
- Send button (typically an arrow or send icon)
- Template selection buttons below the input (if any templates are configured)
- Application disclaimer text at the bottom
- Visual Cues:
- Centered layout draws attention to input area
- Placeholder text provides guidance
- Send button may be disabled until text is entered
Step 3: Begin Typing Message
- User Action: Click into the large text input area and begin typing a question or message
- System Response:
- Cursor appears in text box
- Text appears as user types
- Placeholder text disappears
- Send button becomes enabled (changes color, typically to blue)
- Character count may appear (if limits exist)
- UI Elements Visible:
- Active text input with cursor
- Typed text
- Enabled send button
- Optional: Character counter
- Optional: Settings gear icon to access advanced options
- Visual Cues:
- Text input has focus (may have border highlight)
- Send button color change indicates it's now clickable
- Text box expands vertically if message is long
Step 4: Optional - Enable Dataset Query
- User Action: If user wants to query a dataset, click the dataset toggle/selector
- System Response:
- Dataset selector expands (if collapsed)
- Dropdown menu shows available datasets
- Currently selected dataset is highlighted
- Toggle switches to "ON" state
- UI Elements Visible:
- Dataset selector dropdown
- List of available datasets with names
- ON/OFF toggle state indicator
- Visual indication of which dataset is active
- Visual Cues:
- Toggle color changes (typically gray for OFF, blue for ON)
- Dataset icon changes to indicate active state
- Note: This step can be skipped if dataset query is not needed
Step 5: Optional - Upload Supporting Documents
- User Action: If user wants to include documents for context, click the upload/paperclip icon
- System Response: File browser dialog opens
- UI Elements Visible:
- Operating system file browser
- File type filters (PDF, TXT, DOCX, CSV)
- Visual Cues: Native file browser appearance
- Note: This step can be skipped if no documents are needed
Step 6: Send First Message
- User Action: Click the send button (arrow icon) or press Enter on keyboard (depending on settings)
- System Response:
- Input text is submitted
- Text input area clears
- Loading indicator appears in the chat area
- Message appears in the conversation area with user name/icon
- System begins generating response
- UI Elements Visible:
- User's message displayed in chat bubble (typically on the right side)
- Loading indicator or "thinking" animation below the user's message
- Progress message (e.g., "AI is thinking..." or "Generating response...")
- Estimated time remaining (if available based on message length)
- Visual Cues:
- Animated thinking indicator (dots bouncing, spinner, or progress bar)
- User message appears in distinct bubble or format
- Chat interface scrolls to show the latest message
Step 7: AI Response Generation
- User Action: Wait for AI to generate response (no action required)
- System Response:
- AI generates response word by word (streaming)
- Text appears progressively in the chat area
- Response builds in real-time
- UI Elements Visible:
- AI response bubble appearing below user message
- Text streaming in character by character or word by word
- AI persona name/icon
- Response area expanding as text fills in
- Visual Cues:
- Smooth text streaming animation
- AI message appears in different format/color than user message (typically on the left side)
- Cursor or typing indicator shows generation is in progress
Step 8: Response Completes
- User Action: Read the AI's complete response
- System Response:
- Streaming stops
- Complete message is displayed
- Action buttons appear below the message
- UI Elements Visible:
- Full AI response text
- Action buttons below message: Copy, Edit, Redo, Like/Dislike icons
- Text input becomes available again for next message
- Message timestamp or metadata
- Visual Cues:
- Streaming animation stops
- Response is fully rendered
- Action buttons appear (may be subtle until hover)
Step 9: Continue Conversation
- User Action: Type another message in the text input to continue the conversation
- System Response: Same as Steps 3-8, maintaining conversation context
- UI Elements Visible: Same as before, with conversation history now visible above
- Visual Cues: Conversation flows naturally from previous messages
Final Step: Chat Created and Active
- Success Indicator:
- Conversation is visible in the chat area with user messages and AI responses
- Chat appears in the left sidebar conversation list (may be titled "New Chat" or timestamped)
- Can continue conversation with full history maintained
- System State Change:
- New chat record created in the database
- Chat ID assigned
- Conversation history begins accumulating
- Chat appears in chat list for future access
- Next Possible Actions:
- Continue the conversation with additional messages
- Edit chat settings (temperature, persona, etc.) via settings gear
- Rename the chat to something more descriptive
- Export the chat conversation
- Start another new chat
- Return to this chat later from the sidebar
Alternative Paths & Strategies
Strategy A: Send Message Immediately
When to use: User knows exactly what they want to ask and doesn't need to adjust any settings
Steps:
- Navigate to Chat page
- Type message directly into input box
- Press Enter or click Send
- Proceed directly to response generation (skipping all optional steps)
Strategy B: Configure Settings Before Sending
When to use: User wants to customize AI behavior (temperature, personas, context) before starting conversation
Steps:
- Navigate to Chat page
- Click settings gear icon before typing
- Advanced settings panel expands
- Adjust desired settings (temperature, frequency penalty, personas, etc.)
- Close or collapse settings panel
- Type and send first message
Strategy C: Start with Template
When to use: User wants to use a predefined conversation template (covered in separate flow: new-chat-template.md)
Steps:
- Navigate to Chat page
- Click one of the template buttons (e.g., "Sales Proposal", "Legal Review")
- Template pre-fills settings and may provide initial context
- Type first message in context of template
- Send and proceed
Strategy D: Type and Enable Dataset Mid-Message
When to use: User starts typing, then realizes they need dataset information
Steps:
- Start typing message
- Mid-typing, click dataset toggle to enable
- Select appropriate dataset from dropdown
- Continue typing or send as-is
Error States & Recovery
Error 1: No Model Selected/Available
Cause: No AI language model has been uploaded or selected as active
User Experience:
- Error message appears: "No AI model available" or "Please select a model"
- Send button may be disabled
- May see warning banner at top of chat
Recovery Steps:
- Navigate to Settings page
- Go to Chat AI Models or Chat Options tab
- Upload a model if none exist (see llm-model-upload.md)
- OR select an existing model as the active chat model
- Return to Chat page and try again
Error 2: Model Still Loading
Cause: Model is in the process of initializing (can take 30 seconds to 2 minutes)
User Experience:
- Loading overlay or splash screen shows "Loading model..."
- Progress bar or percentage indicator
- Cannot interact with chat interface yet
Recovery Steps:
- Wait for model loading to complete
- Progress indicator will show when ready
- Chat interface will become available automatically when ready
- No user action required beyond waiting
Error 3: AI Response Generation Fails
Cause: Technical error during response generation
User Experience:
- Loading indicator stops
- Error message appears: "Failed to generate response" or similar
- Response bubble may show error state
Recovery Steps:
- Click "Retry" or "Redo" button if available
- OR send message again
- If error persists, check system resources (RAM, disk space)
- May need to restart application if model crashed
Error 4: Message Too Long
Cause: User typed a message that exceeds character limit
User Experience:
- Error message: "Message exceeds maximum length"
- Character counter turns red
- Send button may become disabled
Recovery Steps:
- Shorten your message
- Split into multiple messages
- OR upload long text as a document instead of typing directly
Error 5: Network Connection Lost (if using remote models)
Cause: Connection to remote AI service interrupted
User Experience:
- Error message: "Connection lost" or "Cannot reach AI service"
- Response generation stops
Recovery Steps:
- Check internet connection
- Verify remote service is online
- Try sending message again once connection is restored
- Consider switching to local model if available
QA Note: This error only applies if user is using distributed/remote inference. For local-only setups, this error cannot occur.
Version History
| Date | Version | Author | Changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-10-04 | 1.1 | Iternal Technologies | Initial comprehensive documentation |
Notes
Important Considerations:
- The first message in a chat may take slightly longer as the system initializes conversation context
- Chats are automatically saved as you converse; there is no manual save required
- Chat history is maintained locally in your device
- You can have multiple chats open in different browser tabs if needed
- The AI maintains conversation context only within a single chat; starting a new chat means the AI won't remember previous conversations
Common User Questions:
- "Does the AI remember previous chats?" - No, each chat is independent. Start a new message within the same chat to maintain context.
- "How long can my messages be?" - Typically several thousand characters, but shorter messages often get better responses.
- "Can I edit a message after sending?" - Not the sent message itself, but you can use the "Redo" button to regenerate the AI's response or edit the chat settings and resend.
- "What's the difference between this and templates?" - Empty chat is free-form; templates pre-configure settings and sometimes provide initial prompts.
Trigger
What initiates this flow:
- User manually initiates
Specific trigger: User wants to start a new conversation with the AI, typically because:
- They want to discuss a new topic unrelated to previous conversations
- They want to start fresh without conversation history
- They're trying the AI for the first time
- They finished a previous conversation and want to begin another
User Intent Analysis
Primary Intent
Start a new, blank conversation with the AI to ask questions, get information, or have a discussion without any preset constraints or templates.
Secondary Intents
- Organize conversations by topic (keeping different subjects in separate chats)
- Maintain conversation history for future reference
- Test AI capabilities with different prompts
- Have multiple concurrent conversations on different topics
Subintents
- Ensure the AI is ready and responsive
- Begin with a clear context (no residual history from previous chats)
- Have the ability to customize chat settings if needed later