> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.mesolab.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# MESO Assist

> The chat surface — ask a question, think a problem through, or draft something quickly.

**MESO Assist** is the chat. It is where you ask rather than configure: a
question about a specification, a second opinion on a sequence, a quick draft of
something you have not planned formally.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Assist is the **chat**. [MESO Canvas](https://docs.mesolab.ai/teachers/canvas.md) is the **editor**. They
> are different products and are easily confused. If you are typing a question,
> that is Assist.

## Conversations

Each conversation is kept, so you can come back to a line of thinking rather
than starting over. Start a new one when you change subject — a conversation
that has wandered gives worse answers than a fresh one.

Replies **stream** as they are generated, so you can start reading before the
answer is finished.

## What it is good for

* Asking what a specification outcome actually requires
* Sanity-checking a sequence before you commit to it
* Drafting something small — a starter, a set of questions, an explanation
* Rephrasing something for a different ability level

## What to use instead

| If you want | Use |
| - | - |
| A sequenced unit against outcomes | [Create a unit](https://docs.mesolab.ai/teachers/create-a-unit.md) |
| A worksheet, quiz or activity to keep | [Create a resource](https://docs.mesolab.ai/teachers/create-a-resource.md) |
| To revise a plan you already have | [MESO Canvas](https://docs.mesolab.ai/teachers/canvas.md) |

Assist is for thinking. The planning surfaces are for producing things that
persist and stay tied to your curriculum.

## What it can see

Assist works from what you tell it in the conversation. It is not a search over
everything you have ever planned, so give it the context it needs rather than
assuming it already knows the unit you are thinking about.

## The rules still apply

> [!WARNING]
>
> **Never type a student's name, results or personal circumstances into Assist.**
> Describe the situation instead — "a mixed-ability 2nd Year group".
>
> Everything you type is sent to a generation service in the United States. It is
> not used to train third-party models, and you can delete your conversations, but
> it does leave the EU.

And as everywhere else: it can be confidently wrong. Check anything factual
before you rely on it.


This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.