Interactions
Mentions, file attachments, session management, and keyboard shortcuts
Beyond typing messages, xiantong supports several ways to interact with your conversations — from mentioning sources to attaching files and managing sessions.
Mentions#
Use @ mentions in your messages to activate sources and skills inline.
Source Mentions#
Type @ followed by a source name to tell the agent to use that source:
"Check @linear for my open issues"
"Search @slack for messages about the deployment"
"Read my latest emails from @gmail"
When you mention a source, it’s automatically activated for the conversation — the agent gets access to that source’s tools without you needing to configure anything.
Skill Mentions#
Similarly, mention skills with @ to invoke them:
"Run @daily-standup"
"Use the @code-review skill on this PR"
As you type @, an autocomplete menu appears showing available sources and skills. Select one to insert the mention.
File Attachments#
You can share files with the agent by:
- Drag and drop — Drag files directly into the chat input
- Paste — Paste images or files from your clipboard
- File picker — Click the attachment icon to browse and select files
The agent can read and process most common file types:
| Type | Examples | What the agent can do |
|---|---|---|
| Code | .py, .ts, .js, .go, .rs | Read, review, refactor, explain |
| Documents | .pdf, .docx, .xlsx, .pptx | Extract text, summarise, convert |
| Images | .png, .jpg, .svg, .webp | View, describe, resize, convert |
| Data | .json, .csv, .xml, .yaml | Parse, analyse, transform |
| Notebooks | .ipynb | Read cells, outputs, visualisations |
Session Management#
Every conversation in xiantong is a session. You can manage sessions from the sidebar:
Flagging#
Flag important sessions to mark them for follow-up. Flagged sessions appear with a flag icon and can be filtered in the sidebar.
Archiving#
Archive completed or inactive sessions to keep your sidebar clean. Archived sessions are hidden from the default view but can be accessed via the filter.
Batch Operations#
Select multiple sessions to perform bulk actions:
- Archive multiple sessions at once
- Delete sessions you no longer need
- Apply labels across sessions
Read / Unread#
Sessions are marked as unread when the agent produces new output. Click a session to mark it as read.
Keyboard Shortcuts#
xiantong includes keyboard shortcuts for common actions. Open the shortcuts reference with:
- macOS:
Cmd + / - Or click the ? icon in the bottom corner
Key shortcuts include:
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
Cmd + N | New conversation |
Cmd + K | Quick search / command palette |
Shift + Tab | Cycle permission modes |
Cmd + Enter | Send message |
Escape | Stop the agent’s current response |
Cmd + / | Show keyboard shortcuts |
Keyboard shortcuts can be customised. Ask the agent: “Help me customise my keyboard shortcuts” to modify bindings.