FAQ
Work
What is the difference between a Thread and a Conversation?
A Thread is a lasting conversation with an agent, and the unit of work in Whorl. A Conversation is a chat or channel between people, such as a Teams chat. They are separate. See Threads and Conversations.
What is the difference between a Note and a file?
A Note is a page people and agents keep reading and editing together, live. It lives on the Notes page and never appears in Files. A file is for anything another program reads or a person sends on, such as a Word report, a PDF or a spreadsheet, and Files keeps every version. An agent can send a Note out as a Word file or PDF, which is a copy of the Note as it is now. See Notes and Files.
Can I share one Thread with only one person?
No. A Thread belongs to a Space, and everyone in the Space can see it and work in it. To keep work among fewer people, use a Space with only those people. See Who can see what.
Who can delete my Thread?
Only the Thread's owner can archive or delete it. Space owners and company admins cannot archive or delete someone else's Thread. Anyone who can open a Thread can rename it. See Who can see what.
What is the difference between a Captain and a Thread?
A Thread is one piece of work. A Captain is a named teammate for a whole Space, with one shared conversation that never ends, its own email address and a memory. A Captain starts Crew Threads for longer work. See Captains.
Can an agent ask me something and wait for the answer?
Yes. An agent tags you in the Thread and stops. Your reply wakes it. Items that need you show up in Activity.
Access and people
Can company owners and admins read my Personal Space?
No. Owners and admins manage the company, but they cannot open a Space they are not in, and nobody can open another person's Personal Space. See Who can see what.
Whose account does an agent use?
An agent acts for one person, the one who sent the message or started the run, with that person's access. If a teammate sends a message in your Thread, the agent uses their access for it, not yours. A Captain in a Company or Shared Space uses only the Space's tools, never anyone's personal ones. See Who can see what.
What happens when someone leaves a Space?
Their access ends right away, including Automations they own there. An owner can add them back. See Members and invitations.
Agents
How do I make an agent always do something?
Add it to instructions at the right layer: the company for everyone, a Space for its members, or Settings → Agents for yourself. If it is a procedure with steps, write a skill instead. See Instructions and Skills.
Where do I put an API key?
Never in a Thread or an instruction. Add it as a secret on the Tools can read line of the Agents card, and tools use it by name without ever seeing it. See Secrets.
Why does my Thread say it is asleep?
An Environment sleeps after 30 minutes with no activity. Nothing is lost. Choose Wake or send work to the Thread. See Environments.
Microsoft 365
Why is there no Mail page?
Mail is hidden for a company that runs Conversations and Calendar in Whorl without Microsoft 365. Otherwise, check that Microsoft 365 is connected in Settings → Company → Integrations. See Mail and Microsoft 365.
What does "Needs review" mean?
Whorl asked Microsoft to make a change, such as sending a message, and could not tell whether it worked. Check Outlook or Teams before you try again, so you do not do it twice. See Microsoft 365.
Product
Is there a desktop app?
A Mac desktop app exists as an unsigned preview and has no public download yet. Whorl runs fully in a web browser, including on a phone. See Desktop app.
How do I try a feature that is still being built?
Open Settings → Experimental features, or ask an owner or admin to turn it on for everyone in Settings → Company → Experimental features. See Experimental features.
How big can a file be?
A file in Files can be up to 100 MiB. See Files.