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Tasks

What Are Tasks?

Tasks are customizable workflows that help you interact with AI assistants to accomplish specific goals. Think of them as specialized mini-applications designed to handle particular types of work consistently and effectively.

How Tasks Work

  1. Starting a Task

    • Select a task from the available list
    • The assistant will begin with an initial prompt specific to that task
    • Follow the assistant's questions and instructions to proceed

  2. Task Components

    • Name: Identifies the task's purpose
    • Description: Brief overview of what the task does
    • Goal: Detailed instructions guiding the assistant's behavior
    • Initial Prompt: The first message you'll see when starting the task
    • Schedule (optional): For tasks that need to run at specific times

Available Capabilities

Tasks can utilize various capabilities:

  • Base: Core assistant functionality — always on, required for all tasks
  • Memory: Retains context throughout conversations
  • Multimodality: Handles different types of inputs (text, files, etc.)
  • Memo: Stores and tracks information during the task
  • Goal: Manages complex objectives and multi-step processes
  • RAG: Analyzes documents and provides relevant information
  • Subchats: Creates subtasks for complex workflows
  • Web Search: Retrieves information from the internet
  • Scheduled Tasks: Runs tasks at specified times

Common Task Types

  1. Document Analysis

    • Upload documents for review
    • Get structured analysis and insights
    • Compare multiple documents

  2. Information Processing

    • Organize and summarize information
    • Extract key details
    • Generate reports

  3. Scheduled Operations

    • Set up recurring tasks
    • Get regular updates or reports
    • Automate routine processes

Best Practices

  1. Clear Communication

    • Provide specific information when requested
    • Ask for clarification if unsure
    • Review summaries when provided

  2. Document Handling

    • Ensure documents are in readable formats
    • Provide context about uploaded files
    • Verify all required documents are included

  3. Task Selection

    • Choose the most specific task for your needs
    • Read the task description carefully
    • Use scheduled tasks for recurring needs

Archiving Tasks and Live Apps

A task or Live App that has served its purpose can be archived rather than deleted. An archived task keeps its goal, documents, schedule, and history, and can be brought back at any time.

Archived tasks and Live Apps are left out of the task list by default, so an archived workflow stops cluttering the list without anyone losing it. Ask for them explicitly to see them — through the app's archived filter, or by passing archived=true when listing tasks through the API, which returns active and archived entries together.

In the app, Archive and Unarchive sit on the item's own menu and ask you to confirm before acting. The archived filter shows archived items in place of the active ones, and it is mutually exclusive with the catalog view: turning one on turns the other off.

Archiving a task requires permission to edit it, which covers both your own private tasks and the group tasks you are allowed to edit.

Creating Custom Tasks

Need a specific workflow? You can create custom tasks tailored to your exact requirements. For a comprehensive guide covering goal writing, task patterns, capabilities configuration, and best practices, see Creating Tasks.

In summary:

  1. Define your objective and choose a task pattern
  2. Write the Goal (the AI's instruction set) and Initial Prompt
  3. Configure capabilities and attach collections if needed
  4. Test thoroughly and iterate

Getting Help

  • Review task descriptions for specific guidance
  • Ask the assistant for clarification at any point
  • Use the help command for general assistance

Tips for Success

  • Be specific in your requests
  • Provide all relevant information upfront
  • Follow the assistant's structured approach
  • Review generated outputs carefully
  • Save important information when suggested

Remember: Tasks are designed to make complex workflows simpler and more consistent. They work best when you follow the established process and provide clear information.