AI Chat is your intelligent assistant for working with books, documents, and publishing tasks. Whether you’re drafting marketing copy, researching your catalog, or generating images, AI Chat provides powerful tools in a conversational interface.
Accessing AI Chat
There are several ways to start chatting:
- Sidebar: Click AI Chat in the left menu
- Dashboard: Click AI Chat in the Quick Links section
- From a document: Click the blue AI Chat button to chat with that specific document
- From a collection: Click Actions > AI Chat to chat with all documents in the collection
You can also set AI Chat as your default landing page in Account Settings.
The Chat Interface
Message Area
Type your prompt in the message field at the bottom. Press Enter or click Send message to submit.
Tip: You can change the send shortcut in Account Settings:
- Enter to send (Shift+Enter for line breaks)
- Ctrl+Enter to send (Enter for line breaks)
LLM Selector
Choose which AI model to use. You can switch models mid-conversation to compare results.
New in 2.0: All models now have access to all tools. Previously, only GPT models could use chat tools, and image generation required switching to a separate model. Now you can use any model with any tool—no switching required.
Tool Toggles
The row of icons next to the LLM selector controls which tools are active:
- Blue background = Tool is ON
- White background = Tool is OFF
Click any icon to toggle it. You can enable multiple tools at once.
Tip: Disable tools you don’t need. Having unnecessary tools active can slow responses or cause the AI to use tools when a simple text response would work better.
AI Chat Tools
Web Search
Search the internet for current information.
How to use:
- Enable the Web Search tool
- Ask a question or use phrases like “Search the web for…”
- AI returns a summarized answer with source links
Example prompts:
- “Search the web for recent trends in YA fantasy publishing”
- “What are the current bestsellers in historical fiction?”
Viewing sources: Click the Sources bar below the response to see the websites used.
URL Analysis
Analyze content from specific web pages.
How to use:
- Enable the URL Analysis tool
- Include a URL in your prompt with instructions
Example prompts:
- “Summarize this article:
https://example.com/publishing-trends“ - “What are the key points from this page:
https://example.com/guide“
Image Generation
Create images from text descriptions or modify existing images.
New in 2.0: You no longer need to switch to a special image generation model. All models now have access to the Image Generation tool—just enable it and start creating.
How to use:
- Enable the Image Generation tool
- Describe the image you want, or add an image and ask for modifications
Saving images:
- Download: Hover over the image, click the download icon
- Save to My Images: Click Save Image below the image
- Save to document: If chatting with a document, click Save to My Document
See some sample prompts to generate images here.
Code Interpreter
Generate documents like Excel files, Word documents, and PowerPoint presentations.
How to use:
- Enable Code Interpreter
- Ask AI to create a document based on information in your conversation
Example prompts:
- “Create an Excel spreadsheet with this comparison data”
- “Generate a PowerPoint presentation from this outline”
- “Export this table as a Word document”
Downloading: Click the file link in the response to download.
Internal Document Search
Search across your entire Insight library using AI.
How to use:
- Enable Internal Document Search
- Ask about your library using phrases like:
- “Search my library for…”
- “Which books do I have that…”
- “Find documents about…”
Example prompts:
- “Which novels in my library feature time travel?”
- “Search my documents for books set in Victorian England”
- “Find my documents about climate change”
Viewing results: Click the Internal sources box below the response to see the documents found. Click any source to open it in Insight.
Book Keyword Research
Research Amazon keywords to help market your books.
How to use:
- Enable the Book Keyword Research tool
- Add your book as a source (via Manage Sources)
- Ask for keyword recommendations
Example prompts:
- “Recommend Amazon keywords for my book”
- “Research UK keywords for this novel”
Results include:
- Top 10 keywords displayed in chat
- Full data available as CSV download
- Follow-up prompts for deeper analysis
Managing Sources
Sources are documents, files, or content that AI can reference when answering your questions.
Adding Sources
Method 1: Drag and drop (fastest)
Drag files directly into the chat window—they’ll be added as sources immediately. This is the quickest way to add documents, images, or other files to your conversation.
Method 2: Manage Sources button (paperclip icon)
Click the paperclip to access more options:
- Upload file: Drag and drop files here, or click to browse your computer
- Images: Search for images already in Insight
- Enter text: Paste text directly (saved as .txt)
- Search: Find documents already uploaded to Insight
Supported File Types
| Category | Formats |
|---|---|
| Documents | .pdf, .doc, .docx, .txt, .rtf, .csv, .xlsx, .xls, .pptx, .epub, .html, .xml, .ods, .odt |
| Images | .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif, .webp |
| Audio | .mp3, .m4a, .wav, .webm, .ogg, .flac (max 100 MB) |
| Video | .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv (max 100 MB) |
Managing Active Sources
Click the Sources button (paperclip) to:
- Select/deselect sources — Check which sources AI should use
- Download sources — Click the download icon
- View internal sources — Click the view icon to open in Insight
- Remove sources — Click the trash icon
Important: For books and long documents, use Insight’s main document upload first, then add them as sources via Search. This ensures optimal AI processing.
AI Styles
AI Styles are custom instructions that influence how AI generates content—like tone, vocabulary, or brand voice.
Applying a Style
- Click the Style button (above the message box on the right)
- Select a style from your list
- The style name appears in the button
Creating Styles
- Click your avatar > AI Styles
- Click New Style
- Enter a name and style instructions
- Optionally upload sample documents to generate instructions
- Click Save
Tips for writing style prompts:
- Define the role (e.g., “literary editor,” “marketing expert”)
- Specify tone and target audience
- Include grammar rules or words to avoid
- Test and refine with sample content
Chat History
Your conversations are saved in the Chat History panel on the right side of the screen.
Accessing History
- Click the arrow on the right to expand/collapse the panel
- Use Search Chats to find specific conversations
- Recent conversations appear in the History section
Managing Conversations
Rename: Click the three-dot menu > Rename
Delete: Click the three-dot menu > Delete
Download as Word: Click the three-dot menu > Export to Word to download the entire conversation—all prompts and responses—as a Word document. This is great for sharing conversations with colleagues, archiving important chats, or referencing offline.
Move to notebook: Drag the conversation onto a notebook name
Notebooks
Notebooks organize related chats and documents in one place—perfect for ongoing projects or collaboration.
What’s a Notebook?
- A collection of chats and source documents
- Can be private or shared with your team
- Each uploaded document automatically has an associated notebook
Creating a Notebook
- In AI Chat, expand the Chat History panel
- Click Create Notebook
- Enter a name and click Create
Notebook Ideas
- Book project: All chats, notes, and files for one manuscript
- Seasonal list: Compare and position multiple titles
- Rights materials: Pitch documents and sales talking points
- AI Style development: Test and refine custom styles
Sharing Notebooks
- Click the Private/Shared toggle at the top of the notebook
- Click Share link to copy a direct link for team members
Chats in Notebooks
- All chats in notebooks are private by default, even in shared notebooks
- Toggle individual chats to Shared to let others view them
- Shared chats are read-only for other users
Favorite Prompts
Save prompts you use frequently for quick access.
Saving a Prompt
From your favorites library:
- Click the Favorites (heart) icon
- Click Add to Favorite
- Enter title, prompt, and tag
- Choose Private or Shared
- Click Save
From a conversation:
- Hover over your prompt and click the heart icon
Using Saved Prompts
- Click the Favorites icon
- Find your prompt:
- Search: Enter a term into the search bar
- Tags: Click a tag to filter prompts
- Browse: Scroll through the list
- Click any prompt to insert it into the message box
- Edit if needed and send
Working with Responses
Response Options
Below each AI response, you’ll find:
| Button | Action |
|---|---|
| Copy | Copy to clipboard |
| Export to Word | Download as Word document |
| Thumbs up/down | Send feedback to Veristage |
| Delete | Remove from conversation |
Editing and Regenerating
- Hover over your prompt and click the Edit (pencil) icon
- Modify your prompt and click Send to get a new response
Why Delete a Response?
AI uses previous messages as context. If a response contains errors or unhelpful information, deleting it prevents it from influencing future responses in that conversation.
Best Practices
Start New Chats When Needed
Begin a new conversation when:
- The conversation goes off track
- You’re changing topics
- The chat becomes very long
- You want fresh context
Choose the Right Tools
| If You Need To… | Enable These Tools |
|---|---|
| Get current information | Web Search |
| Analyze a webpage | URL Analysis |
| Create images | Image Generation |
| Export data as a file | Code Interpreter |
| Search your library | Internal Document Search |
| Research keywords | Book Keyword Research |
Use Specific Prompts
Less effective: “Tell me about my book”
More effective: “Write a 100-word marketing description for social media, emphasizing the romantic subplot and small-town setting”
Leverage Your Documents
Add books and documents as sources to:
- Get summaries and analysis
- Generate marketing copy based on actual content
- Compare multiple titles
- Answer specific questions about the text
Quick Reference
| Task | How To |
|---|---|
| Toggle a tool | Click the tool icon |
| Add a source | Drag and drop into chat, or click paperclip |
| Apply an AI Style | Click Style button > select style |
| Save a prompt | Hover over prompt > click heart |
| Start new chat | Click New Chat |
| Search history | Expand history panel > Search Chats |
| Create notebook | History panel > Create Notebook |
| Download full conversation | Three-dot menu > Export to Word |
Need Help?
For questions about AI Chat, contact us at support@veristage.com.
Explore our chat prompts for publishers for inspiration and ideas.