Use EtherAssist
Use chat when you need an immediate answer, a draft, a script, a table, a diagram, or a follow-up conversation. Use Agent Mode when the work should run in the background, repeat, export artifacts, or call integrations.
Before you begin
- Know the audience for the answer, such as service desk, customer, compliance reviewer, or administrator.
- Gather only the files, screenshots, errors, or data required for the task.
- Choose a model that matches the risk and depth of the task.
Create a high-quality request
- State the task.
- Name the product, system, or framework.
- Add the role or audience.
- Include constraints, such as region, output length, or approved sources.
- Ask for a specific format.
- Say what EtherAssist should do if information is missing.
Example:
Create a step-by-step Intune device sync troubleshooting checklist for a service desk analyst. Include symptoms, likely causes, checks, remediation steps, escalation criteria, and a short customer update. If a setting is not visible in the provided context, mark it as not confirmed.
Ask a chat question
- Open Chat.
- Choose Fast or Standard for normal work. Choose Advanced, Reflective, or Coding when the task needs deeper analysis or code-focused output.
- Select General for broad help or Topics for specialist technology or compliance guidance.
- Attach relevant files or Document Manager items.
- Select a persona if you want a specific tone or role.
- Enter the request and send it.
- Review the answer before you export, share, or use it operationally.
Expected result: EtherAssist returns a focused answer that matches the model, topic, context, and format you selected.
Improve a response
Use follow-up prompts instead of starting over.
| If the answer is... | Ask |
|---|---|
| Too broad | Narrow this to the first-line service desk steps only. |
| Too shallow | Add the verification checks and expected signals for each step. |
| Too long | Reduce this to a one-page customer-facing summary. |
| Missing context | Ask me clarifying questions before revising the answer. |
| Not in the right format | Convert this to a numbered procedure with prerequisites and expected result. |
Use files and document scope
- Attach the file directly or select it from Document Manager.
- Tell EtherAssist whether the answer should use only the document or combine it with general knowledge.
- Ask for citations, extracted fields, comparisons, or a summary when accuracy matters.
- Review the answer against the source file before sharing it.
Tip: Use document-scoped chat when the source document is more important than general background knowledge.
Work with outputs
After a response is generated, you can:
- continue the conversation;
- compare model outputs;
- create a note;
- export the answer;
- share the conversation;
- continue the work in Agent Mode when it needs multiple steps.
Common tasks
| Task | Recommended path |
|---|---|
| Draft a policy or procedure | Use Topics, attach source requirements, ask for review-ready Markdown, then export to DOCX or PDF. |
| Generate PowerShell | Use Coding, describe the environment, request comments and safety checks, then review before running. |
| Create a diagram | Ask for a process, sequence, deployment, or architecture diagram and name the audience. |
| Analyse a CSV or table | Attach the file and ask for a summary, exceptions, and a table or chart output. |
| Prepare a customer update | Select a concise persona and ask for a clean email or message body. |
Next steps
Tips
- Keep prompts, names, and configuration values specific to the task you are performing.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | What to try |
|---|---|
| The feature is not visible | Confirm your role, subscription, and organisation policy allow access to Use EtherAssist. |
| A setting or action does not save | Refresh the page, sign out and back in, then retry the smallest change first. |
| The result differs from the screenshot | Check whether your tenant has a different role, region, policy, or subscription configuration. |