You can ask Exa questions about your plans using everyday language. Instead of navigating menus or learning commands, describe what you want to know or do, and Exa will interpret your request and respond accordingly.

Each conversation maintains context from previous messages. You can ask a question, then follow up with related questions without repeating background information. Exa remembers what you discussed and can reference earlier parts of the conversation.

Conversations in a project have access to that project's plans, takeoffs, and estimates. On the home page, conversations are more general and can help you find projects or create new ones.

Your project data: Ask about existing takeoffs, estimates, materials, and vendors in your current project. Exa can look up quantities, summarize totals, or help you find specific items.

Uploaded plans: When you upload a plan image, you can ask Exa to analyze it. The AI-powered takeoff assessment identifies measurable elements and creates colored overlays to highlight different item types.

Project management: Request help creating new projects, organizing files, or navigating to specific features. Exa can create takeoff entries, add line items to estimates, and manage project settings.

Spreadsheet data: If spreadsheet control is enabled (the table icon in the input area), you can ask questions about your spreadsheet data or request changes to cells and formatting.

In the project activity feed, type @Exa to mention the AI assistant in your message. This lets you ask questions or request actions within the activity context where other collaborators can see the conversation.

The mention menu appears when you type @, showing available users and Exa. Select Exa from the list, then continue typing your message.

Be specific about what you need. Instead of asking a vague question, provide context about which plan, area, or measurement you are asking about. If you reference something from an earlier message, Exa will use that context.

When asking about plans you have uploaded, make sure the image is clear and legible. Low-resolution or heavily marked-up drawings may produce less accurate analysis.

For multi-step tasks, break them into individual requests. Ask Exa to do one thing at a time so you can review each result before moving on.

Exa's responses stream in real time, appearing word by word as they generate. If the response is not what you expected, rephrase your question or provide additional context.

When Exa uses a tool to retrieve data or perform an action, you will see the tool name and its inputs displayed in the conversation. This transparency helps you understand what information Exa accessed or what changes it made.

Exa works with the data in your Exayard account. It cannot browse the internet, access files outside Exayard, or retrieve information from external databases. For questions about current material prices, you need vendor pricing configured in your account.

Analysis results depend on the quality of your uploaded images. Handwritten notes, non-standard symbols, or heavily stylized graphics may not be interpreted accurately.