Working With the AI Agent

The AI Agent is built into your Oncord dashboard and available on every admin page. You can ask it questions about your business, get help with everyday tasks, and have it write or edit content for you. This article explains what the agent can do and how to work with it.

You can also connect a desktop agent such as Claude Code or Codex using Session MCP. This requires a desktop agent with web access.

Opening the Agent

• Click the AI Agent button in the top bar of your dashboard.
• The agent also opens automatically when you are on your main dashboard.

The agent opens as a panel on the right side of the screen. From the top of the panel you can:

• New - start a fresh conversation.
• History - reopen a past conversation.
• Expand - switch to a full-screen view. Press Esc to return to the panel.
• Close - set the agent aside.

You can resize the panel by dragging its left edge. Oncord remembers the width you choose.

Closing the Agent

To set the agent aside, click the Close (X) button at the top of the panel. It then waits behind the AI Agent button in the top bar until you open it again.

When using Session MCP, click Stop to disconnect the desktop agent. Closing the panel alone does not end the remote connection.

Note: The AI Agent is a built-in part of your Oncord dashboard, so there is no setting to turn it off or remove it. To stop it appearing, close the panel. It only opens on its own when you are on your main dashboard.

Asking Questions and Giving Tasks

Type your message in the box at the bottom of the panel and press Enter to send it. Press Shift + Enter to add a new line. The reply appears as the agent writes it.

You can ask about your business in plain language, for example:

• "What were our top selling products this month?"
• "Which pages get the most traffic?"
• "How many new contacts came in last week?"
• "Add a new contact for Jane Smith."

For questions about your data, the agent finds the answer and replies in plain language, often with a comparison to the previous period so you can see the trend.

To get the best results, you can refer to the Agent Prompting Guide.

Pointing at an Element on the Page

Instead of describing something on the page, you can point at it directly.

• Click the Select an element button (the cursor icon) below the message box.
• Click any element on the page, such as a button, heading, table row, or form field.

The agent then uses that element as the subject of your next message. For example, in the Page Editor, select a button and type "make this button stand out more".

Uploading Files and Images

You can attach files to a message and ask the agent about them. Attach a file with the paperclip button, drag it into the panel, or paste an image with Ctrl/Cmd + V.

• You can attach up to 5 files per message, and each file can be up to 10 MB.
• Images and PDFs are read visually. The agent can see what they contain, so you can ask it to pull details from a document, screenshot, or photo.
• Text and CSV files can be read and processed, which is useful for working through a list of data.
• Spreadsheets (.xlsx and .xls) cannot be read directly. Save or export the sheet as a CSV file first, then attach it.

Writing and Editing Content

When you are editing a page or an email, extra buttons appear below the conversation. The agent can:

• Write a paragraph - generate a first draft at your cursor.
• Rewrite - select text, then make it Clearer, Shorter, Longer, Formal, Informal, or Funny. The selected text is replaced in place.
• Translate - translate the selected text into another language.
• Proofread - check the text for clarity and grammar.
• Explain code - explain a block of code when you are working in code view.

You stay in the editor throughout, and every change can be reversed with a single undo.

Recreating a Page from a Link

Give the agent a web address and it can rebuild that page inside Oncord using Oncord building blocks. This gives you a starting point to edit, rather than building the page from scratch.

Making Bulk Changes

The agent can apply the same change across many records at once, such as updating prices on a group of products, tidying a list of contacts, or importing records from a file. Describe the change you want, and the agent prepares it.

Ask the agent to show which records will change before starting a bulk update. Review any approval prompt carefully. Automatic permissions and previously approved, unchanged scripts may allow an action to run without a new prompt.

Reviewing and Approving Changes

Oncord prompts you to approve navigation, form submissions, and scripts that change data, unless an automatic permission applies.

• Confirming changes. Review the affected records before approving a change. An unchanged script that has already been approved can run again under that approval. Ask for a preview whenever you want to review the scope first.
• Automatic navigation and form submission. Letting the agent move between pages or submit forms are separate options, Navigate Automatically and Submit Automatically. Both are off by default. You can turn them on using the permissions button in the message box.
• Undoing changes. After the agent makes a change, you can usually reverse it under Settings > Changes.

Using a Desktop Agent with Session MCP

Session MCP lets you connect a desktop AI agent to your open Oncord admin session. You can continue working in an agent such as Claude Code or Codex, using its conversation and local files to help with tasks in Oncord.

You must use a desktop agent with web access. The agent needs to be able to send HTTP requests to your Oncord website, for example through its terminal or shell tools. A chat that can only answer questions or search the web cannot control the session.

Connecting Your Agent

1. Sign in to your Oncord dashboard and open the AI Agent panel.
2. Click the MCP button below the message box, then click Copy and Connect MCP. Oncord copies the connection instructions to your clipboard.
3. Open your desktop agent, paste the complete instructions into a conversation, and send the message. Allow the agent web or network access if it asks.
4. Wait for Oncord to show that the session is controlled by your agent. Continue the conversation in your desktop agent and describe what you want it to do.
5. Keep the connected Oncord browser tab open and signed in while the agent works. Review its actions and any approval requests in the Oncord panel.

You can connect first and give the agent a task afterwards. There is no plugin to install, permanent MCP server to configure, or app restart required. The copied instructions connect the agent to this temporary session.

How It Works

Your desktop agent decides which Oncord tools to use and sends requests through the temporary connection. Your signed-in browser carries out those requests on the current admin page and sends the results back. As you navigate or open an editor, the available tools change to suit that page.

The agent can read page information, fill forms, edit website or email content, and help with data tasks. It can also upload local images and other supported files to your Oncord media library. For example, you could ask it to update a page using copy and images you have already prepared on your computer.

Continue giving instructions in the desktop conversation. Oncord shows the actions being carried out and replaces its message box with the connected agent's name, a Permissions button, and a Stop button.

Permissions and Ending the Session

Navigation, form submissions, and media uploads pause for approval in Oncord unless you have enabled the corresponding automatic permission. Use the Permissions shield to manage Navigate Automatically, Submit Automatically, and Upload Media Automatically. Scripts that change data require approval before they run.

Keep the copied connection instructions private: they grant access to this live admin session. Only paste them into the agent you intend to use. Information returned by Oncord is sent to that agent, so use an AI service you trust with your business data.

Click Stop in the Oncord panel to disconnect the remote agent and return to the built-in assistant. You can also ask the desktop agent to disconnect. Finishing a task does not automatically end the connection.

Connect your desktop agent within two hours of creating the session. Once connected, the session expires after two hours without authenticated session activity. If it expires or is disconnected, start a new session and paste the new instructions into your desktop agent.

If the Agent Cannot Connect

• Check that you are using a desktop agent such as Claude Code or Codex, with permission to make web requests. Web search alone is not enough.
• Keep the original Oncord tab open and signed in. The connection controls that tab; duplicating it does not transfer the session.
• Paste the complete connection instructions. If needed, use Copy instructions again in the MCP connection panel.
• If the agent is waiting for approval, return to Oncord and review the pending action.
• If the connection has expired or been stopped, create a new session using Copy and Connect MCP.

Conversation History

Your conversations are saved automatically and carry over as you move between pages. Open History at the top of the panel to reopen or delete a past conversation. Click New to start a fresh conversation.

During Session MCP, continue the discussion in your desktop agent. Oncord displays the tool activity from the connected session. Disconnect the remote agent before using New to start another Oncord conversation.

Frequently Asked Questions