Chats Setup Guide
Install Chats, connect your own Claude Code or Codex CLI, and start chatting with your files and projects. Everything runs locally on your machine.
Getting Started
1. Subscribe
Head to the subscribe page and start your Workautomate subscription ($20/month, covers all apps). You will receive a license key via email.
2. Download Chats
Download Chats for your platform: Mac at downloads.workautomate.net/workautomate-updates/Chats/ChatsMac.zip, Windows at downloads.workautomate.net/workautomate-updates/Chats/ChatsWin.zip. Extract the ZIP file to your preferred location.
3. Install and Launch
Open the app. On Mac, you may need to follow the installation guide to bypass Gatekeeper. On Windows, click "More info" then "Run anyway" if SmartScreen appears.
4. Activate Your License
Enter your license key when prompted. This activates your subscription and unlocks all features.
Install an AI CLI
Overview
Chats runs on the Claude Code or Codex CLI installed on your machine. There are no API keys to paste and no hosted AI servers. AI usage is billed by your own Claude or Codex plan, not by Workautomate. You need at least one of the two CLIs installed and signed in.
Claude Code
Install Claude Code from claude.com/claude-code, then run it once in a terminal and sign in with your Anthropic account.
Codex CLI
Install Codex from chatgpt.com/codex, then run it once in a terminal and sign in with your OpenAI account.
Verify
Open a terminal and run "claude" or "codex". If the CLI starts and responds without asking you to log in, Chats will pick it up automatically.
Using Chats
Pick a Working Folder
Set a working folder for the conversation and the AI answers with your project context. Point it at a codebase, a folder of documents, or your Downloads folder, then ask about the files inside.
Attach Files
Drag files onto the chat or use the file picker to attach them. The AI reads the actual file contents, so you can ask it to summarize a contract, review a report, or explain a script.
Switch Agents
Switch between Claude and Codex at any point, even mid-conversation. Use whichever engine fits the task or whichever plan has spare capacity.
Queue Messages
Send multiple messages while a response is still running. They queue up and process in order, and the queue survives app restarts.
Stop a Response
Press ESC to stop a running response. Useful when the answer is already clear or when you want to redirect the conversation.
Sessions and Titles
Every conversation is a session with persistent history. Close the app and resume any session later. Chats auto-title themselves after the first exchange, so the sidebar stays organized without any effort.
Where Your Data Lives
Local Storage
Sessions and settings are stored locally on your machine. On Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/Workautomate/Chats. On Windows: %LOCALAPPDATA%\Workautomate\Chats. Your license session is shared across Workautomate apps in the Workautomate folder one level up.
Privacy
Conversations go directly from the app to your local Claude or Codex CLI, which talks to your own AI provider. Nothing passes through Workautomate servers. If you cancel your subscription, your local chat history remains untouched.
Troubleshooting
No Agent Found
If Chats reports that no AI agent is available, make sure Claude Code or Codex is installed and runs from a terminal. Launch the CLI once manually to complete sign-in, then restart Chats.
Responses Fail or Hang
Check that your CLI is signed in and your Claude or Codex plan has available usage. Running the CLI directly in a terminal shows the underlying error if there is one.