# Build with Vera (/docs/analytical-apps/build-with-vera)



**Vera** is the AI assistant built into Ovidens. Describe what you want to create,
change or understand in plain language. Vera chooses the available tools needed
for your request across the **Data Pipeline**, **Visualisation** and
**Knowledge Base**. You do not need to prepare a knowledge base before you start.

## How to start [#how-to-start]

1. Open your app, click **Open editor**, and open the **Vera** panel.
2. Send a request, such as "Import this orders file, calculate monthly revenue,
   and show it as a line chart". Attach the file if needed.
3. Answer any question Vera asks about missing details.

Vera shows progress while working and gives a short reply when it finishes. If a
step cannot be completed, it explains the limitation and any work already done.
The **Details** button opens tokens, one steps timeline and recorded times, without
repeating your input or Vera's reply. Conversation history shows start/opening
times and first-request app context, and searches saved titles across the archive.
The compact autonomy menu beside the attachment button inside the composer offers levels 0 to 9; 4 is the balanced default.
Documentation links open in a new tab. Shared app changes pause Visualisation editing
until the current state is loaded, and stale saves are refused.
Pipeline results remain available through the app's pipeline and history controls.

## Keep the conversation going [#keep-the-conversation-going]

Send follow-ups in the same panel: "Use the order date for the month", "Make that
chart blue", or "Explain how the revenue is calculated". Vera uses your recent
conversation to understand references to earlier requests and replies.

Your conversations belong to you within the workspace. Use **Conversation history**
to reopen an earlier thread, or **New conversation** to start a separate named
thread. You can rename it later. Full history is saved; **Load earlier messages**
opens older turns. Other users have their own conversations.

Vera automatically restores your last conversation only in the same app and within
6 hours of your last interaction. Otherwise it opens a blank chat, saved when you
send the first message. **Conversation history** opens a centered, searchable table
with page controls; you can manually reopen older conversations or a thread from
another app. Each message shows the app it started from, and the current page
provides context for your next request. Vera can work across apps your permissions
allow. **Stop this request** ends the current task; changing conversations alone
leaves its work running on the server.

## Give Vera the details it needs [#give-vera-the-details-it-needs]

* **Describe the goal and business rules.** For example, say whether revenue
  includes tax and which date determines the reporting month.
* **Attach useful files.** Ask Vera to read or summarise a document, or explain
  which data to import. Reading a file leaves the app unchanged; Vera asks if its
  purpose is unclear.
* **Use the knowledge base when it helps.** Existing documentation can supply
  context, and you can ask Vera to write or update it. A conversation answer is
  not automatically saved as business documentation.
* **Ask how Ovidens works.** Vera can consult the user documentation and link you
  to a relevant guide, such as uploading data or publishing an app.

Vera asks focused questions when an important detail is missing. Clear requests
can proceed straight away. It does not always read every document, rebuild the
whole pipeline, add example data or run the pipeline for every message.

## Who can use Vera [#who-can-use-vera]

Chatting with Vera requires AI access on the app. You can ask questions without
permission to change the app's configuration. Each editing tool still requires
its own permissions, so Vera can change only what you are allowed to change and
what your enabled AI tools allow. See [roles](../administration/index.mdx).

You answer questions in your own conversation. Other people's requests and
replies are not part of your chat.

## Changes and publication [#changes-and-publication]

Vera creates or reuses the app's draft when a requested change needs one. Asking
for an explanation or help does not create a draft. A pipeline run Vera starts
for authoring is a preview, so viewers keep seeing the published app.

Review changes before publishing them. You can click **Publish**, or explicitly
ask Vera to publish if that tool is enabled for you. Without such a request, Vera
leaves its edits in the draft. **Discard** removes all changes in that draft,
including data uploaded while it was open. See
[Draft and publish](../overview/apps.mdx#draft-and-publish).

An [AI widget](./skills.mdx) is a separate read-only use of Vera. Running it gives
an answer without changing data, editing configuration or putting the app into
draft mode.

See [Interact with Vera](../tips/interact-with-vera.mdx) for outcomes, recovery and
AI usage.