> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://oximy.com/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Thread and composer

> The anatomy of a thread and how the composer sends work to it.

A thread holds the conversation, the tool runs, and the outputs for one piece of work. The composer is how you send new work into it. This page covers what the composer can do and what you see while a thread is running.

## Write into the composer

The composer is a plain text box, with two shortcuts that pull in more than text:

* Type `/` to insert a **skill**. A list of the skills available to you appears, and picking one gives the thread reusable instructions for how to approach the task. See [Skills](/docs/sidekick/use/skills).
* Type `@` to insert a **connector or a file**. A connector gives the thread access to a system it needs; a file gives it something to read. See [Tools and connectors](/docs/sidekick/use/tools-connectors) and [Files and artifacts](/docs/sidekick/use/files-artifacts).

You can also paste or drag a file straight into the composer to attach it, without typing `@` first.

## Watch the work happen

<Steps>
  <Step title="The reply streams in">
    Once you send a message, the reply streams in as it is produced. You don't wait for the whole answer before you can start reading it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="The activity ledger fills in">
    Alongside the reply, the thread keeps an activity ledger of what is happening: which tools were called, what they returned, and any approvals that were asked for. This ledger stays in the thread after the work finishes, so you can come back and see exactly what ran.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Stop if you need to">
    If the thread is heading somewhere you don't want, press Stop. This ends the current run. You can then send a new message to redirect the work or pick up where it left off.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Note>
  If a tool call needs your sign-off, the thread pauses on its own and shows an approval card instead of continuing to stream. See [Approvals](/docs/sidekick/use/approvals) for what to do with it.
</Note>

## Where to go next

<CardGroup cols={3}>
  <Card title="Skills" icon="wand-sparkles" href="/docs/sidekick/use/skills">
    Reusable instructions you bring into a thread with `/`.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Tools and connectors" icon="plug" href="/docs/sidekick/use/tools-connectors">
    Give a thread access to the systems it needs.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Files and artifacts" icon="file-stack" href="/docs/sidekick/use/files-artifacts">
    Upload context and collect the outputs a thread produces.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>