Workspace tour

Where to type, where your work lives, and where to find every feature in the shell.

The first time you open a project, the screen has more on it than most editors. This page covers the basics on day one, and doubles as a reference for "where is X" once you're looking for something specific.

Where do you type?

In the editor area in the center of the window. The editor opens whichever file you click in the left sidebar, and each open file gets its own tab.

The shell at a glance

• Header (top): project name, save status, Share, panel toggles, notifications, help, and Settings.

• Left sidebar: four icons, each opening a different panel: Files, Search, Outline, and References.

• Editor area: the file or files you have open, each in its own tab.

• Right sidebar: three tabs: AI, Comments, and Version History.

• Toolbar: formatting controls, plus the Code / Visual toggle for formats that support it.

• Status bar (bottom): storage/access badge, word count, and format.

Where does your work live and who can see it?

Every project has a storage location and an access level, and they're independent of each other:

• Temporary, Local, or Cloud (storage location): temporary projects live only in your browser; local projects are saved to a folder on your device; cloud projects are saved to Papers AI's servers and reachable from any device.

• Private or Shared (access): private projects are visible only to you; shared projects have one or more collaborators. Only cloud projects can be shared.

A badge in the status bar shows both at a glance. Click it for details on where the project is saved and who can see it.

Find a feature

Looking for something specific? This table covers every panel and control in the shell, not just the obvious ones.

Feature	Where to find it	What it does
Files	Left sidebar, Files icon	Your project's file tree: open, create, rename, move, and delete files. See The file tree.
Search	Left sidebar, Search icon	Search within the current project.
Outline	Left sidebar, Outline icon	The heading structure of the file you have open, for quick navigation.
References	Left sidebar, References icon	Connect a reference manager or .bib file and insert citations. See Bibliography and citations.
AI	Right sidebar, AI tab	Ask the AI about your project and review its proposed edits. See Using AI.
Comments	Right sidebar, Comments tab	Threaded feedback anchored to specific text or board items. See Comments.
Version history	Right sidebar, Version History tab	Label, preview, and restore earlier versions of the open file. See Version history.
Share	Header, Share button	Invite collaborators to a cloud project, or send a copy instead. See Share a project and manage access.
Storage and access status	Badge in the header and status bar	Shows whether the project is Temporary, Local, or Cloud, and Private or Shared. Click it for details.
Editing mode	Toolbar	Switch between Code and Visual for Markdown and MyST files. See Editing modes.
Word count and format	Status bar	Glance to confirm the active file's word count and format.
Settings and preferences	Header, gear icon	Theme, auto-save, and language. See Settings and preferences.
Adding and managing models	Model selector in the AI panel	Enable a built-in model, or connect your own local model or OpenRouter account. See Adding and managing models.
Panel toggles	Header	Show or hide the left and right sidebars.
Project switcher and dashboard	Header	Switch to a different project, or return to the dashboard. See Managing your projects.

Suggested next steps

• Quickstart: create a project, ask the AI, write up the answer.

• Create or open your first project

• Bibliography and citations: connect a reference manager and insert citations.

• Share a project and manage access