Support the client’s new project with a clear, documented proposal.
Proposed amount12 500
↗ Retained pricing and procedure
Knowledge and sources
Give work and AI useful, traceable references.
Prepare references
A Knowledge Space organizes information used for work: procedures, documentation, rates and reference decisions. Adding a document does not make it relevant to every task. Context selects useful sources for particular work according to the reader’s permissions.
| Element | Expected value | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Source | Surface, document or connected resource | Find original information |
| Scope | Authorized Portfolio, Workspace or work | Avoid excessive context |
| Section | Relevant object or passage | Target required information |
| Revision | Identity of the version used | Assess effects of a change |
Example: prepare a quote
In the local chat, Knowledge discovery distinguishes four scopes: the Surface system manual, your personal Knowledge, the current application’s Knowledge and a Worker’s associated sources. Personal Knowledge can be discovered without opening an application. Each Space also has its own Instructions; the assistant reads the applicable Instructions and relevant passages as needed. Worker associations can reference Knowledge in the application or an exact personal Space. An association copies no documents and grants no access. Unavailable sources are reported explicitly.
Connect the sales procedure and service rate sheet to preparation work. North Studio’s record supplies requirements, while sources supply rules and prices. Ask AI to identify sources and uncertainty instead of turning assumptions into client facts.
Choose your references
In Knowledge, find My knowledge and knowledge Shared with me. Enter and submit a search to search the account’s accessible knowledge, including items that were not on the first page. Loading and a read problem do not mean that no knowledge matches. Retry repeats the submitted search; to search edited text in the field, submit a new search.
Open a card to read its notes, or select Use by default to make those references available to your general requests. You can deactivate that choice without deleting the knowledge. If personal availability cannot be read, retry that read before changing your choices.
For specific work, select Assign to…, then the Workspace and its usage option. Available Workspaces may load over several pages. Save assignment retains your choice for that destination; it does not copy notes or share any access permissions. You must still be authorized to read the sources. Read-only access to shared knowledge can allow its use in your personal requests without allowing you to edit its notes.
If the assignment result cannot be displayed, your choice is retained. Retry resumes that same assignment, for the same destination and usage option. An unavailable read first offers to retry that read; it does not mean that the assignment is disabled.
You can also choose an activated Flow definition as the assignment destination. Select the named Flow and its exact Model version, not an instance of work already running. Its knowledge references remain separate from general defaults and assignments to an existing Workspace. Changing these references does not rewrite Workspaces previously created from that Flow. The references still require permission to read their sources; an assignment does not share access.
The knowledge selected for an AI request shares one context limit. If the context is too large or a required source cannot be read, Surface refuses the request instead of silently dropping notes or instructions. Explicitly select fewer knowledge sources or more focused entries before making a new request. Required instructions and access rules still apply.
Evolve a source
To add a category or note, choose its location and the offered action. Enter the requested name and values, then select Continue to review the request. This step prepares creation; it does not replace its confirmation. The action title remains the one defined by your application.
If preparation fails, your input remains available for correction. If a confirmation still needs verification, resume that same request instead of creating another one. When the change is confirmed but the view does not refresh, retry reading it without repeating creation.
In your knowledge, use Notes, Graph and Instructions to read and organize content. The more-actions menu opens Suggestions: review the reason, open source notes, choose useful improvements, then confirm their application. A suggestion appearing never changes your notes by itself. Advanced information lets you inspect the source versions used.
For an improvement that uses a declared application action, explicitly choose the compatible application or independent knowledge, the offered action and its target note or category. Complete its requested Form values, then review the exact change before confirming. Surface does not turn a suggestion’s explanation into your input or select another application for you. An unavailable compatible action does not authorize a different change. If confirmation is uncertain, resume the same reviewed request instead of submitting a new improvement.
If the suggestions list cannot be read, Retry repeats its read without applying an improvement. Instructions that cannot be opened are shown as unavailable, not replaced with empty or invented notes.
To manage authorized people, open Settings → Security and access in the relevant knowledge. The owner can inspect access, invite someone, change a role or remove access according to their permissions. Closing and reopening settings retains your current input; a request with an unknown outcome must be resumed before it is changed. Account settings and access to this knowledge remain separate scopes.
When rates change, examine associated work and results. Compare affected items, propose targeted corrections and preserve human approval points. Updating knowledge does not automatically validate all existing quotes.
Links preserve the relation; history explains the version used.
In the local V2 Knowledge interface, click a category title or folder icon to open its own Surface and write its summary. The chevron independently expands its child categories and notes. The summary uses the same rich editor, automatic saving, history, Tags and links as notes. Library AI instructions remain separate Model configuration.
Surface loading shows one centered indicator over the content without moving the toolbar or panes. Background saving keeps the layout stable. An operation indicator stays inside its initiating button without resizing it.
The Knowledge instructions icon opens the instructions in the main Surface pane, with a return link to the library. Their source remains the Model; use the edit icon to open the Application Builder.
Switching between Links and Graph preserves the graph viewport. Resizing the pane also preserves it; use Fit graph to recenter. Labels follow zoom, and hovering makes the pointed node’s label readable. Revalidating the same projection keeps the loaded graph visible; switching projections shows the centered loading indicator.
Notes are blue, categories mint and indexed sections gold. A halo identifies the open note. Groups can override these colors by title or type; the first matching rule applies.
Graph options are organized into Filters, Groups, Display and Forces. Filter displayed items by title, hide notes, categories, sections or orphans, and adjust the label threshold and link thickness. Force directed placement exposes center, repel, link force and link distance controls. Rearrange runs placement again; filtering and colors preserve the viewport. The same display settings are available in global application settings and persist on the device. Animations respect reduced motion preferences.
These filters apply to the loaded projection. Tags and attachments as graph nodes and advanced search expression groups remain unavailable.
In the local Knowledge/Content interface, the item menu provides Duplicate, Move, Merge and Trash. A merge previews the combined note and affected references; choose which value to retain for conflicting properties. Tags and links are combined, protected sections remain protected and the source enters recoverable Trash. Restore brings back the original identities. Drag an item into a category or before a sibling to organize the library.
Import previews Markdown files, folders or ZIP archives before creating notes. YAML properties, Tags, links and attachments are retained; missing or ambiguous targets are reported. Export a subtree or library as a ZIP with Markdown, attachments and an exact Surface manifest. Imports create new items rather than replace existing titles. The operation limit is 200 entries, with a 20 MiB unpacked archive and 5 MiB per attachment.
When the Model enables Canvas content, Add Surface creates an editable Surface with text, shapes, images and pages in the document workspace. The command uses the shared Surface content lifecycle, including version-checked saves and history. Existing linked boards remain readable; the creation command no longer selects a separate board engine. JSON Canvas import/export and library transfer retain their declared format limits.
Applied examples : Prepare a quote with the right prices
Context requires the pricing reference; the policy retains the revision used.
Configuration
Fragment placed in contextPolicies[]. Properties and accepted values.
{
"key": "quote-knowledge",
"targetDefinitionPaths": [
"workspace/quotes/surface/quote"
],
"sources": [
{
"key": "pricing",
"kind": "knowledge",
"definitionPaths": [
"workspace/knowledge/surface/pricing"
],
"linkTypePaths": [],
"queryKey": null,
"required": true,
"revision": "current",
"priority": 1,
"maximumItems": 3,
"maximumCharacters": 12000
}
],
"maximumCharacters": 16000
}Variation and connection
Fragment placed in changePolicies[]. Properties and accepted values.
{
"key": "retained-pricing",
"sourceDefinitionPaths": [
"workspace/knowledge/surface/pricing"
],
"linkTypePaths": [
"application/based-on"
],
"mode": "pin-revision",
"actionKey": null,
"queryKey": null,
"maximumTargets": 50
}UI layout example
The illustrative layout below places this configuration in the Clients/Quotes app. Insert each fragment at the stated location, with Field, Query and Action references matching the Model declarations.
- Quote S-1042
- Subject and need
- Proposal
- Retained references
Knowledge and sourcesPrepare a quote with the right prices
Clients