Mission folders and proof
On Mac beta 1.0.5, a mission keeps its work in a private folder, can attach proof files to completed criteria and can be resumed from another chat.
Read about missions ↗→
Start here
Start with one real task. You do not need to learn the systems below first.
- Choose one task. Give the outcome, relevant context and any deadline.
- Connect only what it needs. Upload a document if you want to start without connecting an account.
- Run it once. Ask for a small result you can review.
- Check and correct it. Verify sources, missing details and proposed actions.
- Repeat only if useful. Ask to save the method or put it on a schedule.
Try saying
Every weekday at 9, review my email and WhatsApp for messages that need a reply. Draft responses using the relevant conversation history, and show me only what needs my attention. Do not send anything.
Open in idemTry saying
Prepare me for tomorrow’s meetings using my calendar, recent messages and previous meeting notes. Include outstanding commitments and decisions to make, with source links.
Open in idemTry saying
Keep track of the supplier delivery I’m waiting for. Check the email thread each weekday, flag any missed delivery date, and draft a follow-up when needed. Stop once delivery is confirmed. Ask before sending anything.
Open in idemOpen in idem starts a new conversation with the request ready to review. Connect the relevant accounts or share the sources, and identify the delivery you want tracked before sending.
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Connect a service
Connections give idem bounded access to services such as email, Calendar, Slack, Notion, Linear, Granola, and Stripe.
WhereConnections shows linked services. Each connection can also have a readable policy controlling how idem uses it.
Change itAsk to connect a service, use a particular account, change its policy, restrict access, or disconnect it.
Use it forReading authoritative data and taking bounded actions inside your existing tools.
Try saying
connect my Notion, then use my work account by default. ask before creating or deleting pages.
Open in idem→
Connect your ChatGPT account
Link your ChatGPT subscription through the ChatGPT connection control in your idem account settings. This is separate from connecting a service such as email or Notion.
- Start in idem. Open the ChatGPT connection control in account settings. idem displays a one-time code and an Open ChatGPT button.
- Authorize with ChatGPT. Select Open ChatGPT, sign in to the intended account and workspace, and enter the code when asked. Only approve a connection you just started yourself.
- Return to idem. Wait for ChatGPT connected. If the attempt expires, start again to get a fresh code.
Using a managed ChatGPT workspace?
Your workspace may block device-code sign-in. A workspace administrator can open ChatGPT workspace settings, go to General and enable Enable device code sign-in for Codex, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word. Then retry the connection in idem. The label mentions other products, but it is the device-code permission used by this sign-in flow.
Not a workspace administrator? Ask your administrator to review and enable that permission if it fits your organization’s policy. It changes a workspace sign-in permission, not an idem-only setting. Do not bypass your organization’s controls or share passwords or authentication files.
For a personal ChatGPT account, check the device-code sign-in option in ChatGPT’s Security settings instead. Menu wording can change; see OpenAI’s device-code sign-in instructions.
Connection help in the app: Mac beta 1.0.5 shows this workspace and personal-account guidance inside “Need help signing in?” on the connection and failure screens. Other installed versions may require this guide.
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Approvals
Sensitive actions can pause for your approval. Review the recipient, content and effect before approving. Standing permissions may change which actions ask first.
WhereApproval cards appear in the conversation with the recipient, content, attachment, or action being proposed.
Change itSet rules per service or capability. A specific scheduled job can also be pre-authorized without opening everything else.
Use it forSending messages, publishing, deleting records, phone calls, and other consequential actions.
Narrow exception
let this one morning-report job send its email automatically, but keep every other email send behind approval
Open in idem→
Change or stop what idem does
Use plain language to inspect automatic work, change its instructions or stop it. Name the task when more than one could match.
Try saying
Show me everything you are checking automatically, including schedules, notifications and anything waiting for approval.
Open in idemTry saying
Pause the job I name until next Monday. Show me the exact date and confirm the change.
Open in idemTry saying
Stop tracking the outcome I name and cancel its future checks. Confirm what you stopped.
Open in idemTry saying
Show me what you remember about me. I want to correct a detail and see where the correction is saved.
Open in idem→
Troubleshooting
Missing recent messages?
Check the connected account, permitted chats and the newest source message idem can actually read. Older history may not be synced; a reconnect may be needed. An empty result is not proof that nobody replied.
Try saying
Check why you cannot see the latest messages in this chat. Verify the account, access and freshness, and give me the exact recovery step.
Open in idemA scheduled task did not run?
Ask for its schedule, timezone, latest run result and pending approvals. Cloud jobs do not require your device to stay awake, but a step needing a local file or human sign-in may still be blocked.
Try saying
Inspect the scheduled task I name. Show its timezone, next run, last result and any blocker or pending approval.
Open in idemAsked to sign in again?
Sessions can expire. A website may require a new-device check, passkey or human verification. Use the secure sign-in flow, not a password pasted into chat.
Where is the result?
Read the completion message for the file link or external confirmation. Ask whether idem only prepared a draft or actually completed the action.
Try saying
Show me the result of the task I name: the file or draft, where it was saved, and evidence of any external action completed.
Open in idemThe same mistake keeps happening?
Ask idem to change the saved instruction controlling the behavior, not just rewrite this answer.
Try saying
Find the saved instruction causing this repeated mistake, correct it, and show me the changed file.
Open in idemBrowser work in an incognito chat?
Use a regular chat for browser and Live View work for now. Incognito browser sessions and app switching have known reliability problems. Some bot-sensitive sites can also block the cloud browser completely; a blocked page is not evidence about the account or task.
Try saying
Retry this browser task in a regular chat. If the site blocks the cloud browser or its sign-in handoff, stop and give me the smallest reliable alternative.
Open in idem→
Passwords and Vault
Do not paste passwords, API keys, authenticator setup keys or payment details into chat. Use the secure input card when idem needs a credential.
Approve a specific use
The access request names the saved value and where it will be used. Review both. Prefer one-time access when you do not want a continuing permission.
Save or use temporarily
The secure card can offer saving in Vault or using the value only for the current task. The assistant uses a protected reference rather than seeing the secret.
Update a login
Ask to update the saved login, then enter the new value through the secure card. Never include it in your request.
Revoke access
Ask to revoke standing approval for a saved value. Revoking future access is different from deleting the value or undoing an action already completed.
Use a passkey
idem can use a passkey saved in Vault to sign in to its own site, without seeing or typing the private key. Where supported, idem can also add its own passkey after you sign in; your existing passkeys keep working.
Save a sign-in code
For an authenticator-app login, Vault can keep the site’s setup key and generate future codes. Enter the setup key through the secure card, not a current six-digit code and never ordinary chat.
Try saying
Show me which saved login is used for this service and help me update it securely.
Open in idem08
Websites and sign-in
When no connection exists, idem can operate a cloud browser or call a service's API. Credentials stay outside chat and model context.
BrowserUseful for websites without an API. Sessions persist in the cloud, not on your local computer. idem can follow a new tab a page opens, switch between tabs and close one when it is finished.
Sign-inUse a saved Vault login, saved passkey or the secure input card. If a site offers password, passkey, Google or SSO, idem chooses from your saved preference or asks which route and account to use. A passkey is site-bound and never typed as text.
Multi-step workFor a task that needs several actions, idem can inspect the visible browser or cloud-computer screen and run one bounded task. It stops before send, pay, publish or delete unless you asked for that exact final action.
Your MacWhen local-computer access is available, idem can use Mac-only files, the screen or an installed app. App control requires a per-app idem grant and may also trigger the normal macOS Automation prompt.
Human stepUse the live view for a captcha, passkey, device confirmation or other step that only you can complete. The browser and cloud-computer screen show the same task session when that capability is available.
Try saying
can you check this admin panel every morning? first find out whether it has an integration or API. use the browser only if neither works.
Open in idem→
Meeting notes
On current iPhone and Mac releases, idem can transcribe a meeting without joining the call as a participant. Android availability depends on the installed version.
StartChoose Take notes or the meeting-notes control shown on your device. On Mac, Settings › Meetings chooses whether controls appear in the notch or menu bar. Mac can capture call audio and your microphone; phones record an in-room meeting through the microphone.
DuringYou can pause, resume or stop. A long silence may show a warning before recording stops automatically. Microphone features such as dictation or live voice are unavailable while notes are recording.
Screen sharingOn Mac stable 1.0.4, Settings › Meetings includes Hide when sharing your screen. It keeps the card and notch controls out of many shares and hides status marks from the menu item, but the capturing app decides whether to honor it.
Resultidem saves the transcript in Files and opens a conversation for the recap, decisions and follow-up. You can correct speaker names when you know them.
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Missions and parallel work
Most requests should remain ordinary conversations. idem can use longer-running structures when the volume genuinely requires them.
Mission
For work that needs hours, idem can propose an objective, checkable completion criteria and a live plan. You approve the mission before it starts. While it runs, the mission status replaces the composer; open the mission sheet to inspect progress or stop it. It continues until the criteria are met, it is blocked or you stop it. On Mac beta 1.0.5, each mission also has a private folder, proof files and a review flow for resuming it from another chat.
Subagents
idem can delegate independent parts of one request to parallel workers. The parent conversation remains responsible for user questions, permissions and consequential external actions. There is no fixed child-count cap, but idem should create only the independent workers the task actually needs.
Try saying
Audit the records I provide against these criteria. If the volume genuinely needs hours, propose a mission with checkable completion criteria first. Use parallel workers only for independent parts, and keep approvals in this conversation.
Open in idem09
Find and edit your results
idem can create reports, dashboards, plans, documents, spreadsheets, images, and interactive pages.
WhereThe Files view. Artifacts stay private unless you explicitly ask to share them.
Change itOpen it, point to what is wrong, and ask idem to edit the same file.
Download itUse the Download or Save action shown in chat, Files, search results or the file viewer. Several selected files can be downloaded together where supported.
Use it forDecision documents, trip plans, customer reviews, dashboards, presentations, and exports.
Try saying
turn this research into a private one-page dashboard. make the options easy to compare and keep the source links.
Open in idem→
Share a file
Private file
A file created in your private workspace is not automatically public. Files created in an already-shared folder follow that folder’s access.
Public link
Anyone with the link can open it. Check the contents for personal or confidential information before asking for a public link.
Share with a person
Ask to share a specific file with an idem user by email, with read-only or edit access. Sharing one file does not share its surrounding folder.
Review access
Name the file and ask who can access it or how to stop sharing. Do not assume deleting a chat removes a public link or a recipient’s copy.
Try saying
Help me share this file with a specific person. Ask for their email and whether they need read-only or edit access. Do not make it public.
Open in idem01
Files & memory
The visible layer that makes idem personal. Durable facts, preferences, instructions, plans, and work products live in files you can inspect.
WhereFiles view. Core personal context lives in memory; deeper material lives in folders.
Change itCorrect idem in chat, edit the file directly, or ask what source controls a behavior.
Use it forYour voice, recurring preferences, company context, projects, reports, and shared work.
Try saying
remember that investor emails use standard capitalization, and show me where you saved that
Open in idemReported pricing direction: baseline 30 with no inference usage included; users can connect a GPT account or pay for idem inference with a spending cap. Currency, billing period, effective date, existing-customer terms and rollout are unconfirmed. Check Manage account before relying on current terms.
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Pricing and usage
Check Manage account for the price, billing period and usage options that apply to your account. Subscription access and AI usage are separate costs under the announced pricing model; do not assume usage is included.
Check before connecting an account
Use the ChatGPT connection instructions, including the workspace administrator step if device-code sign-in is blocked. Confirm your account’s supported plan and limits before relying on it.
Control paid usage
Where idem-provided inference is available, review its charges and spending-cap settings in account management. Availability and existing-account terms may vary.
Try saying
Explain the subscription and AI usage options available in my account, including limits and spending caps. Flag anything you cannot verify.
Open in idem→
Advanced reference
Optional detail about the systems idem chooses for you.
Schedules, ongoing work, reusable methods and technical terms
02
Jobs
Scheduled work. A job wakes idem at a fixed time or cadence in the cloud, even when your phone and computer are asleep.
WhereThe Jobs section and readable files under
/jobs/.Change itAsk in chat to change its instructions, schedule, notification behavior, model, or approval scope.
Use it forMorning briefs, recurring reports, inbox checks, weekly reviews, reminders, and monitoring.
Create one
every two hours, check my WhatsApp for messages that need my reply. stay silent if there are none.
Open in idemChange one
run that only between 8am and 8pm, and show me the job file after you update it
Open in idem03
Heartbeat
idem's recurring operating cycle. It notices credible loose ends, prepares safe work, checks active outcomes when due, and interrupts you only when something changed or needs you.
WhereA system job, customizable through your own
/jobs/heartbeat.md.Change itTell idem what to notice, what to prepare automatically, and what deserves a notification.
Use it forMeeting prep, inbox triage, proactive drafts, deadline detection, and advancing owned work.
Try saying
when an external meeting is coming up, prepare me with the latest email, meeting notes, and open commitments. notify me 30 minutes before.
Open in idem04
Loops
Durable ownership for an outcome that unfolds over time. A loop remembers what done means, watches the real source, and survives across conversations.
WhereActive work under
/loops/, with its latest decision, blocker, next check, and completion condition.Change itTell idem the decision, priority, dependency, or when to check again. It updates the existing loop.
Use it forWaiting for a reply, completing a filing, receiving an order, booking a trip, or chasing a vendor.
The ownership phrase
keep on top of this until we have the signed agreement. check the email thread, prepare the next step, and stop once receipt is verified.
Open in idem05
Skills
Reusable know-how. A skill captures how you want a repeated workflow performed, including its inputs, sequence, constraints, and tools.
WhereThe Skills section and readable instructions under
/skills/.Change itCorrect the workflow in chat once and ask idem to update the skill for next time.
Use it forInvestor updates, customer onboarding, invoice recovery, research formats, and repeatable drafting.
Create one
whenever i ask for an investor update, use the previous update's structure, pull current metrics, and flag anything you couldn't verify. make this a skill.
Open in idem→
Which system should I use?
You can skip this decision and describe the result. If you want the mental model, use this.
At a time
Use a job
Every weekday at 8, or in two hours.
Until done
Use a loop
Keep checking until they reply or the booking is confirmed.
Repeat on demand
Use a skill
Whenever I ask for this, follow the same method.
Always true
Use memory or policy
Use this account, or never send without asking.
Service access
Use a connection
Read my Notion, or create the issue in Linear.
No integration
Use API or browser
Ask idem to find the safest stable route.
i
Small glossary
The words you will see in the product and what they mean.
tool callOne bounded action, such as reading Calendar or creating a draft.
policyStanding instructions for how a connection or capability should behave.
heartbeatThe recurring cycle that notices and advances work.
subagentA background worker delegated by your single idem for an independent part of a larger request. The parent conversation owns questions and approvals.
missionLong-running work with an approved objective, checkable completion criteria and a live plan.
authoritative sourceThe real system that proves current state, such as the live email thread or bank record.
approval gateA checkpoint that blocks a sensitive action until you decide.
Custom connections
MCP is a standard that lets services expose tools to an assistant.
Hosted MCP
Usually connects through a link and OAuth. A custom server needs a reachable remote URL and compatible authentication.
Local MCP
A server running only on your laptop cannot be reached by cloud idem. Host it remotely or use another supported route.
