# In-app AI chat

Use the **iKanban Agent** panel for a conversation with an AI provider. This is separate from assigning a coding agent to a task and from connecting an external client over MCP.

## Start a chat

1. Select **iKanban Agent** in the lower-right corner.
2. Open the provider menu and choose **Claude**, **Gemini**, **GPT**, **GitHub Models**, or **Support**.

![Provider menu in the iKanban Agent panel](/docs/images/ai-agent-provider-menu.webp)

3. For Claude, Gemini, GPT, and GitHub Models, choose a model from the model menu or leave **Default model** selected. The available models come from the current provider catalog; this guide does not pin model versions.
4. Enter a question in the chat input and send it. Use **New chat** to start a separate conversation or **Chat history** to reopen a previous session.

**Support** switches the panel to the support conversation. It is not an LLM provider and does not have a model picker.

## Provider access

- Manage workspace provider keys in **Settings → AI Provider Keys**. Only add keys that your workspace is authorized to use.
- **GitHub Models** uses the signed-in user's connected GitHub account; it does not use a pasted vendor API key.
- Model availability depends on the selected provider and the models configured in iKanban. Use **Default model** when you do not need to select a specific catalog entry.

The chat panel stores sessions and messages for the active workspace. Do not put secrets or credentials into prompts.

## Choose the right workflow

| Need                                                           | Use                                          |
| -------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Ask a conversational question in iKanban                       | This panel                                   |
| Ask an agent to change code for a task                         | [Coding Agents](/docs/ai-chat/coding-agents) |
| Let an external AI client read or update iKanban through tools | [MCP Usage](/docs/mcp/mcp-usage-from-field)  |

Choosing a provider here does not start a task coding-agent run. Task comments use their own agent mention and dispatch flow.