Write and edit files

Each file in a brain is a markdown document. You can write in a rich editor, or switch to plain markdown.

Create a file

1. Go to Knowledge and open the brain.
2. Select New file.
3. Enter a Name, such as meeting-notes.md. To put it in a new folder, add the folder with a slash: q3/plan.md. New folders are created for you.
4. Choose a Folder, or leave it at Top of the brain.
5. Select Start writing.

Edit a file

1. Open the file and select Edit, or the pencil icon beside the title.
2. Write in the Edit tab. Type / for headings, lists and tables. Use Markdown to see the raw text and Preview to see the result.
3. Optionally say what you changed under What changed. It is kept with the change.
4. Select Save.

Your change shows Saved once it's in. Every save is recorded with your name.

If someone else saved the file while you were editing, ako tells you: "This file changed since you opened it." Select Reload to start again from their version, or Save anyway to keep yours.

When a save becomes a proposal

Some saves wait for approval instead of going straight in:

• On the Draft role, every change is sent for approval. The button reads Send for approval.
• In a protected folder, such as ground-truth/, your save goes straight in only if your role can approve. Otherwise it is sent for approval.

When that happens, ako links you to the proposal under Proposals. The file shows your change once someone approves it. See Review and approve proposals.

File properties

A file can open with a short properties block between --- lines. ako and agents use it to describe the file:

---
type: Decision
title: Move support to a follow-the-sun rota
description: Why we split support hours across three time zones.
tags: [support, decisions]
---

You see the properties under Properties at the top of a file. To change them, edit the file and switch to the Markdown tab. ako fills in the title, timestamp and authors itself when a file is saved.

Ask about a file

Select Ask about this at the bottom of any file. It starts a chat with the assistant in that brain.