Chat Input

The chat box understands a few symbols. Type one and a picker opens; choose an entry, or keep typing and filter it. A symbol only counts at the start of a word, and a command has to start the message.

Type	Picks	Works at
/	a command	the very start of the message
$	a skill	anywhere
#	a snippet	anywhere
@	a file or an agent	anywhere

A symbol that names nothing you have stays ordinary text: $5 is just money, and a/b is just a path.

Commands

A command is a saved prompt you run with a slash, like /review. Manage them at Settings → Commands.

1. Open Settings → Commands and create a command.
2. Give it a name, a description, and the prompt text it should send.
3. Optionally pin it to a specific agent or model.
4. Choose personal or project scope.

In chat, type / as the first character of the message to bring up commands, then pick one. Your text can use placeholders:

• $ARGUMENTS: whatever you type after the command
• @filename: drops in the contents of a file
• !`command`: drops in the output of a shell command

The built-in init and review commands can be reset but not deleted. OpenChamber also ships commands such as /explore and /summary; see Magic Prompts for the full list.

Skills

Type $ anywhere in a message to bring up the skill picker, then choose one. The agent loads that skill’s instructions for the response. See Skills to write your own.

Commands and skills have separate pickers, so a / at the start never lists skills and a $ never lists commands.

Snippets

A snippet is reusable text you reference inline with a hashtag, like #signoff. Manage them at Settings → Snippets.

1. Open Settings → Snippets and create a snippet.
2. Give it a name and the text it stands for. Add aliases if you want more than one trigger.
3. Choose personal or project scope.

In chat, type # and pick a snippet. OpenChamber swaps in the full text before sending.

Files and agents

Type @ to attach a file or run the message with a different agent.

• A file, like @src/index.ts, is attached to the message the same way as picking it from the + menu. Images and documents are read and sent with it.
• An agent, like @build, runs this message with that agent. Without a mention, the composer’s selected agent runs it.

Attach files and context

The + menu next to the chat box attaches more than a file:

• files from your computer
• issues and pull requests from your repository (GitHub, GitLab, Gitea, Forgejo or Gerrit, whichever hosts the project)
• Linear issues, when Linear is connected
• tasks from installed extensions that offer to attach

Each one rides along with your next message as context; your message says what to do with it. You can also paste an image or drop a file straight onto the chat box.

Run a shell command

Start the message with ! and OpenChamber runs it as a shell command, sending nothing to the agent. Press Esc, or delete back to an empty box, to leave shell mode.

Keyboard

• Enter sends, and Shift+Enter starts a new line. In Settings → Chat you can swap them, so Enter breaks the line and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter sends. Ctrl/Cmd+Enter always sends.
• ArrowUp and ArrowDown recall your earlier messages.
• With a picker open, Ctrl+N and Ctrl+P move through it, Enter or Tab picks, and Esc closes it.

In the expanded composer, Enter always starts a new line and Ctrl/Cmd+Enter sends.

On a phone, Enter always starts a new line. The send button or Ctrl/Cmd+Enter sends.

Related

• Skills: load larger instruction sets on demand
• Magic Prompts: the built-in commands and where each one runs
• Git hosts: attach issues and pull requests