Getting Started

This guide walks you through your first time using Cola. After Step 1 through Step 3, you should have Cola installed and open, be signed in, and have asked Cola your first question.

Before You Start

Before you begin, confirm that:

• You are using a Mac.
• Your current network can open a browser and allows Cola to reach login and model services.
• You have a Cola account that can sign in and has available balance.
• If you want voice input, macOS needs to allow Cola to use the microphone.

Step 1: Install Cola

Get the Cola installer from an official channel, then open it and follow the macOS prompts. Do not install packages from unknown sources, and do not run terminal commands from unfamiliar pages.

The first time you open Cola, the app prepares its local runtime, including the local service and speech-recognition resources. This can take a little time; later launches are usually faster.

If macOS asks for microphone permission, allow it if you want voice input. Speech recognition runs locally on your Mac, and microphone access is used only while you actively record. You can still use typed input without microphone access.

Step 2: Sign In

When you open Cola for the first time, the login page shows Sign in with Google and email verification code options. Choose one and follow the browser prompts to finish signing in.

After you sign in to your Cola account, Cola refreshes your account status, model configuration, and available balance. If the login flow asks for an invite code, follow the page instructions to activate it.

Step 3: Ask Your First Question

After entering the main interface, start with a simple question to confirm that Cola can respond:

What can you help me do? Give me 5 examples that are useful for a new user.

You can also give Cola a concrete task right away:

Summarize the 5 most recently modified files on my Desktop.

Read this project's README and package.json, then tell me how to start it.

Turn these meeting notes into 5 action items, each with an owner and due date.

A good question usually includes three parts:

• Goal: what you want Cola to accomplish.
• Scope: which directory, project, file, or content it should use.
• Output: whether you want a list, summary, edit, document, or runnable result.

For risky actions such as deleting files, overwriting content, committing code, sending external messages, or opening payment or authorization pages, Cola should ask for your confirmation first.

If you want to use voice input, press Option once to start recording, then press Option again to stop and send. You can also click the voice button in the interface.

Next Steps

After the first question works, try:

• Ask Cola to organize a set of files, but first require it to list a plan without deleting anything.
• Ask Cola to write a slide outline or meeting notes.
• Set a reminder so Cola follows up at a specific time.
• Ask Cola to read a code repository and explain its structure.

If you run into startup, login, model, voice, or connection issues, start with Troubleshooting.