Using Chat

How to use Memo AI Chat in Memo v8 and beyond.

Written By Jason From Memo

Last updated 17 days ago

Memo AI Chat is your in-deck assistant for studying, understanding sources, and generating learning materials. It works directly with your deck content so you can go from question to output without leaving your workflow.

What Memo AI Chat can do

  • Memo AI Chat can answer questions based on your deck sources, including PDFs, YouTube transcripts, websites, and text sources.

  • It can generate flashcards, MCQ flashcards, and mindmaps inside the chat.

  • It can help with app-related questions by searching the Memo Help Center when needed.

  • It can generate images when you ask for a visual explanation or diagram.

  • It can keep long conversations coherent by compressing older context when the thread gets large.

Models in Memo AI Chat

Memo AI Chat supports multiple models, and you can switch them from the model picker in the composer.

  • Memo-1 is the recommended model for day-to-day use. It is the best default for most learning tasks.

  • GPT-5 is better for heavier reasoning.

  • GPT-4.1, Gemini, DeepSeek, and Claude are available if you want to optimize for speed or style preferences.

How to use it effectively

  1. Open your deck and make sure key sources are uploaded and marked Ready.

  2. In the Sources panel, select the sources you want the chat to focus on.

  3. Open Memo AI Chat, keep Memo-1 selected, and set your output language.

  4. Ask a specific prompt, such as “Compare Source A and Source B on topic X.”

  5. If precision matters for one source, @mention that source in your prompt.

Source handling: selected sources vs @mentions

  • Selected sources are used as the main retrieval context.

  • @mentions pull in full source content for that named source.

  • For broad synthesis, use selected sources. For exact source-specific responses, use @mention.

Day-to-day best practices

  • Use clear, scoped prompts instead of broad requests.

  • Ask for one output format at a time (summary, flashcards, or mindmap).

  • If the response is too broad, narrow by source and topic.

  • Keep Memo-1 as your default unless you have a specific reason to switch.

Useful features in the chat UI

  • You can stop generation at any time.

  • You can edit your previous message and regenerate from that point.

  • You can start a new chat, switch threads, rename chats, and delete chats.

  • You can attach images in chat (with built-in compression).

Troubleshooting

  • If responses feel generic, select relevant sources first and ask a narrower question.

  • If the model misses a specific document, @mention that source and ask again.

  • If a source is not used, verify it is marked Ready.

  • If generation fails or cuts off, retry with a shorter prompt or smaller scope.

FAQ

  • What model should I use most of the time?
    Use Memo-1 for everyday studying and standard workflows.

  • When should I switch from Memo-1?
    Switch only when you need a different behavior, such as deeper reasoning or different response style.

  • Can Memo AI Chat answer product questions too?
    Yes. It can search Memo help content for app and feature questions.