mintlify__docs/assistant/use.mdx

---
title: "Use the assistant"
description: "Open the assistant with keyboard shortcuts, highlighted text, code blocks, file attachments, or URL parameters. Test assistant behavior in local preview."
keywords: ["assistant", "keyboard shortcut", "file attachments", "local preview", "URL parameters"]
---

You have multiple ways to start a conversation with the assistant. Each method opens a chat panel on the right side of your docs. You can ask any question and the assistant searches your documentation for an answer. If the assistant cannot retrieve relevant information, it responds that it cannot answer the question.

## Use the assistant in local preview

The assistant is available in your local preview when you log in with the CLI. This lets you test assistant behavior, custom instructions in `Assistant.md`, and responses while developing documentation locally.

1. If you haven't already, install the CLI with `npm i -g mint`.
2. Run `mint login` to authenticate.
3. Run `mint dev` to start the local preview.

The assistant in local preview uses the same indexed content as your deployed documentation site.

## UI placement

The assistant appears in two locations: as a button next to the search bar and as a bar at the bottom of the page.

<Columns cols={2}>
  <Frame caption="Assistant button next to the search bar.">
    <img
  src="/images/assistant/assistant-button-light.png"
  className="block dark:hidden"
  style={{
    width: '268px',
    height: 'auto',
  }}
  alt="Search bar and assistant button in light mode."
/>
<img
  src="/images/assistant/assistant-button-dark.png"
  className="hidden dark:block"
  style={{
    width: '268px',
    height: 'auto',
  }}
  alt="Search bar and assistant button in dark mode."
/>
</Frame>
<Frame caption="Assistant button at the bottom of the page.">
<img
  src="/images/assistant/assistant-bar-light.png"
  className="block dark:hidden"
  style={{
    width: '268px',
    height: 'auto',
  }}
  alt="Assistant bar in light mode."
/>
<img
  src="/images/assistant/assistant-bar-dark.png"
  className="hidden dark:block"
  style={{
    width: '268px',
    height: 'auto',
  }}
  alt="Assistant bar in dark mode."
/>
</Frame>
</Columns>

## Keyboard shortcut

Open the assistant chat panel with the keyboard shortcut <kbd>Command</kbd> + <kbd>I</kbd> on macOS and <kbd>Ctrl</kbd> + <kbd>I</kbd> on Windows.

## URL parameters

Open the assistant from any page on your documentation site by adding the `?assistant` query parameter to the URL. Use this to deep-link to the assistant from external content like emails, support replies, in-app banners, or onboarding flows.

- `?assistant`: Open the assistant chat panel without sending a message.
- `?assistant=<message>`: Open the assistant chat panel and submit `<message>` as the user's first message. URL-encode the value so spaces and special characters survive the request.

```text Examples
https://yourdocs.mintlify.app/quickstart?assistant
https://yourdocs.mintlify.app/quickstart?assistant=How%20do%20I%20get%20started%3F
```

## Highlight text

Highlight text on a page and click the **Add to assistant** button to open the assistant chat panel and add the highlighted text as context. You can add multiple text snippets or code blocks to the assistant's context.

<Frame>
<img src="/images/assistant/highlight-light.png" alt="The Add to assistant button above highlighted text in light mode." className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/assistant/highlight-dark.png" alt="The Add to assistant button above highlighted text in dark mode." className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

## Code blocks

Click the **Ask Assistant** button in a code block to open the assistant chat panel and add the code block as context. You can add multiple code blocks or text snippets to the assistant's context.

<Frame>
<img src="/images/assistant/code-block-light.png" alt="The Ask Assistant button in a code block in light mode." className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/assistant/code-block-dark.png" alt="The Ask Assistant button in a code block in dark mode." className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

## File attachments

Attach files to assistant messages to provide additional context.

Supported file types:
- **Images**: JPEG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG
- **Documents**: PDF
- **Code and text files**: JavaScript (`.js`, `.jsx`, `.mjs`, `.cjs`), TypeScript (`.ts`, `.tsx`), Python, HTML, CSS, Markdown, MDX, JSON, YAML, XML, SQL, CSV, plain text, shell scripts (`.sh`, `.bash`, `.env`), GraphQL, TOML, Go, Rust, Ruby, Java, Kotlin, Swift, C (`.c`, `.h`), C++ (`.cpp`, `.hpp`), C#, PHP, Lua, R, Scala

Limits:
- Maximum file size: 5 MB per attachment
- Maximum attachments per message: 10

<Frame>
<img src="/images/assistant/image-attach-light.png" alt="An image added as context in the assistant chat panel." className="block dark:hidden" />
<img src="/images/assistant/image-attach-dark.png" alt="An image added as context in the assistant chat panel." className="hidden dark:block" />
</Frame>

## Troubleshooting

<Accordion title="Assistant chat bar not visible">
  If the assistant UI is not visible in specific browsers, you may need to submit a false positive report to [EasyList](https://easylist.to). Browsers that use the EasyList Cookies List like Brave and Comet sometimes block the assistant or other UI elements. The EasyList Cookies List includes a domain-specific rule that hides fixed elements on certain domains to block cookie banners. This rule inadvertently affects legitimate UI components.

  Submit a false positive report to [EasyList](https://github.com/easylist/easylist) to request removal of the rule. This resolves the issue for all users once the filter list updates.

</Accordion>