Ask with sources

Ask a question

Open Threads and start a Question. Choose one paper, selected papers, a folder, a writing context or the whole project as the scope. A narrow scope is useful when you want a precise answer; the whole project helps you connect work across papers.

Distari retrieves passages before it generates an answer. A supported answer includes numbered citations that open its source evidence. You can inspect what was retrieved, compare answer versions, stop a running answer or continue with a follow-up. When the sources do not support an answer, the thread should say so instead of filling the gap with an invented citation.

Threads uses your plan’s usage (the project owner’s, in a shared project) on Free and Pro. It counts only when the answer has at least one valid citation. See Plans and credits.

Retry loading thread history

If the Threads list cannot load questions or saved comparisons, it shows an error with a Retry button for that list. Choose Retry to load it again without reloading the page. You can keep working in the open thread, and history already loaded stays visible if a refresh fails.

If the button shows a countdown, wait until it becomes available. A count shown as a dash means that list has not loaded yet. The empty-state message appears only after the lists load successfully; Recently deleted lists question threads only.

Restore a deleted thread

In the web Threads rail, open Recently deleted and select the thread. Its main pane says This thread is in Recently deleted. If you created the thread and the project is active, choose Restore there to reopen the saved conversation in the active list. If restoration fails, the recovery controls remain available so you can try again.

Deleted question threads are recoverable for 30 days. This differs from deleted papers, which have no time limit. Recently deleted does not include comparisons: deleting a saved comparison is permanent. If a thread is unavailable and has no Restore action, it may be outside your accessible deleted history or belong to another member’s private conversation.

Retry an answer or open an earlier version

Choose Ask again on the latest question’s answer to generate another version. Use Earlier version and Later version beside the version count to move between saved answers. Each version keeps its own text and citations.

If you stop a regeneration before any text appears, the empty version shows STOPPED · NOT CHARGED. Use Earlier version to reopen the previous answer and its sources, or Ask again to retry. The same controls remain available after an empty failed attempt and after reloading the thread. Earlier completed answers keep their original charges; the stopped or failed attempt releases its held credits.

Retry still requires permission to spend the project owner’s plan usage, enough usage left and an available daily allowance. Copy, save and insert actions appear when the displayed answer has text; insertion also needs citations.

Inspect a citation

In the web app, answers typeset inline and display maths. Citation numbers beside a formula open their source passages as usual. Wide display equations scroll horizontally within the answer. An unfinished or unsupported formula stays readable as LaTeX source.

Open a numbered citation in an answer to see its saved evidence in Cited passage. The source panel shows the paper’s title, library membership and the cited text. In the web app, screen readers announce each numbered button with its citation number, paper title and page, or identify an abstract, unknown page or removed source.

• An existing paper without an available PDF, including a manual paper with only an abstract, remains in library and shows PDF unavailable. This does not mean the paper was removed.
• A source that has left the library shows Removed from the library. Its saved evidence remains readable.
• When the source can open in the reader, use Open the paper or the page-number link to check the PDF.

When the PDF is unavailable or the paper was removed, reader links and Highlight it are absent. You can still read the saved citation and neighbouring evidence, and copy the citation key when one is available.

Retrieval lists the passages the answer read. RANK 1 identifies the first retrieved passage; the rank records retrieval order. Read the cited text and its context to judge how well it supports the answer.

Turn an answer into research material

When the PDF is available and you have permission to highlight, Highlight it tries to match the cited passage to the PDF text layer and save a private highlight. If the match is uncertain, the reader still opens at the passage without creating a mark.

In the web app, choose Save as note beneath an answer to keep its text, references and quotations in a private note. The note links each cited paper still available in this project. Open either paper’s Notes tab to find it under Notes linking this paper; editing the note’s text keeps those links. Repeated citations to the same paper create one paper link. Older saved notes are not updated automatically, but you can add paper links by hand.

Copy answer and Save as note keep the original LaTeX source. Insert with citations preserves the formulas while converting source markers into the draft’s citations.

You can also export the conversation as Markdown with its sources. Threads are stored in the project and can be searched, duplicated, deleted and restored.

Ask uses your plan’s usage. Failed and stopped jobs release the usage they held. Answers with no usable source citations are free for the first three per UTC day, then use a small amount of usage each, even if Distari retrieved passages first. Valid abstract citations count as sources. For a free uncited reply, the web shows No cited passages. Nothing was charged. Further uncited replies are counted. Check cited passages for context before relying on the answer.

Daily uncited answer allowance

Your account can receive three uncited or unanswerable answers free per UTC day, across all projects and threads. Cited answers use plan usage and do not consume this allowance. Once all three free answers are used, new questions and regenerations remain available, and further uncited answers use a little usage each. Enough usage must be available for a normal answer, and it is held before generation; the unused part is released afterwards. Threads shows this rule before you ask. Deleting a thread does not reset the allowance. Answers currently running reserve a slot until they finish.