# Threads and folders

Start, find, rename, link, and delete threads, and group a bot's threads into folders.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/bots/threads-and-folders

A **thread** is one conversation with a bot about one piece of work. Each
thread has its own history, its own files, and its own [computer in the
cloud](/docs/desktop/cloud-computer/overview).

**Rule of thumb: one task, one thread.** A fresh thread keeps the bot focused,
and it's faster and cheaper, because the AI re-reads the whole conversation
every time you send a message.

## Start a thread

Any of these works:

- In the sidebar, click the arrow next to a bot to show its threads, then
  click **New thread**.
- Right-click the bot in the sidebar and choose **New thread**.
- In the chat header, click **All threads**, then **New thread**.
- Click **+** on a [folder](#folders) for a new thread inside it.
- Send a message to a bot that doesn't have any threads yet.

A few seconds after your first message, Machine gives the thread a title
based on what you asked. You can rename it any time.

The first message in a new thread can take a little longer, while Machine
sets up the thread's computer.

## Find a thread

### In the sidebar

Click the arrow next to a bot to show its threads. You'll see:

- the six most recent threads,
- plus any thread that's working.

Click **Show all … threads** to see the rest. Threads that are working move
to the top and show a spinner.

If the bot takes part in [group chats](/docs/desktop/bots/group-chats), its
list ends with **In rooms**: the group chat threads it speaks in. Click one
to open that group chat thread.

### In the chat header

Click **All threads** to see every thread for the current bot.

- **Active Threads** at the top lists threads in your *other* bots that are
  working right now, so you can jump across.
- Below that are this bot's threads, grouped under folder headings if it has
  folders. Each row shows its status (**Working**, **Waiting**, or
  **Unread**), when it started, and how many tokens it has used so far.
- Type in **Search threads** to filter. **Enter** opens the first match.
  **Esc** clears the search, and a second **Esc** closes the list.
- Click a thread to switch to it.

Hover a row for quick actions:

| Action | How |
|---|---|
| **Rename** | Click the pencil, double-click the title, or right-click it. Press **Enter** to save or **Esc** to cancel. |
| **Move to folder** | Click the folder icon and pick a folder, or **No folder**. Only shows when the bot has folders. |
| **Delete** | Click the trash icon. |

> **The trash icon in All threads doesn't ask first**
> Deleting from **All threads** happens straight away, with no confirmation.
> It deletes the conversation and its computer, like **Delete thread** in the
> sidebar. You can't delete a thread while the bot is working in it.

### By searching

- Type in the **Search** box at the top of the sidebar to filter by thread
  title. From two letters on, a **Messages** list also finds thread titles
  across all your bots, and messages in conversations the app has loaded.
- Press **Ctrl+K** (**⌘K** on Mac) to jump to a bot or group chat, or to a
  matching thread title or message. See [Command
  palette](/docs/desktop/shortcuts/command-palette).
- Click **Active Threads** at the top of the sidebar to see everything that's
  working or needs you. See [The
  sidebar](/docs/desktop/bots/sidebar#needs-you-and-active-threads).

## The thread menu

![A bot's threads in the sidebar, with one thread's menu open](/images/docs/desktop/thread-menu.webp)

Right-click a thread in the sidebar, or hover it and click **⋯**. (With the
keyboard: select it and press **Shift+F10** or the Menu key.)

| Item | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Copy link** | Copies a link that opens this thread in Machine Desktop. |
| **Rename thread** | Give it a clearer title. You can also double-click the title. |
| **Move to folder** | File it in one of the bot's [folders](#folders), or **No folder**. |
| **Delete thread** | Delete it for good. |

You can't delete a thread while the bot is working in it. Stop it first.

### Thread links

**Copy link** gives you a link to the thread. Paste it in a note, a Slack
message, or an email. Opening it brings Machine Desktop to the front at that
thread, for you or a teammate who can see the same bot.

Paste a thread link into the message box in Machine Desktop and it turns into
a clickable `#Thread title`. The bot can't read the linked thread, though: if
it needs something from there, paste the important part in.

### Delete a thread

> **Deleting a thread can't be undone**
> Deleting a thread deletes its conversation **and its computer**, with every
> file on it. Download anything you want to keep first, from [the bot's
> computer](/docs/desktop/cloud-computer/files). Websites you
> [deployed](/docs/desktop/deployments) from it stay online.

1. Right-click the thread and choose **Delete thread**.
2. Read the warning.
3. Confirm.

## Folders

Folders group a bot's threads, for example by client, project, or month.
Your folders, and which threads are in them, follow you to Machine Desktop on
your other computers and to the Machine phone app. They don't appear on the
Machine website.

### Create a folder

- Click the folder icon on a bot's row in the sidebar, or
- right-click the bot and choose **New folder**.

### Use folders

- **New thread in a folder:** click **+** on the folder.
- **Move a thread into a folder:** right-click the thread, choose **Move to
  folder**, and pick one.
- **Take it out of a folder:** choose **Move to folder → No folder**.

### Change or delete a folder

Click the folder's **⋯**:

- **Folder settings**: rename the folder, or click **Choose folder icon** to
  pick an emoji. **Delete folder…** is here too: it removes the folder but
  **keeps its threads**.
- **Mark folder as read**: clears the unread dot from the folder's threads.
  It's greyed out when nothing in the folder is unread.
- **Move folder up** / **Move folder down**. You can also drag folders.

## Hide thread lists

If you'd rather have one ongoing conversation per bot and never think about
threads, turn off **Settings → Appearance → Threads**. Thread lists disappear
from the sidebar. Any other thread that's active still shows under its bot, and
in an **Other activity** menu in the chat header. Nothing is deleted, and you
can turn thread lists back on any time.

## Common questions

**Can I move a thread to a different bot?**
No. Start a thread with the other bot and give it what it needs: paste in the
important part, or download files from the first thread and attach them.

**Can I bring back a deleted thread?**
No. Deleting is permanent.

**How many threads can a bot have?**
As many as you like. Old threads don't cost anything while their computers
are asleep.

**Why does a new thread take longer to start?**
Machine is setting up the thread's own computer. Later messages are quicker.