This article walks you through creating a conversation, selecting the right model, and using the available input options to get the most out of your chat.
Creating a New Conversation
There are several ways to start a new chat in BlackMountain:
New Chat button — Click the New Chat button at the top of the Chats sidebar
Quick Create menu — Start typing directly from the home page (see below)
Keyboard shortcut — Press Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) to open the search menu, then select New Chat
Quick Create Menu
The home page provides a quick create area where you can immediately start typing a message. Select a model, optionally enable web search, and begin your conversation — no extra clicks needed.
Choosing a Model
Before or during a conversation, select an AI model from the model selector dropdown above the input field. BlackMountain gives you access to models from OpenAI (GPT), Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini), and Mistral — each with different strengths.
You can switch models at any point in a conversation. The new model will be used for all subsequent messages.
Not sure which model to pick?
Check out the Model Selection article for a detailed comparison of available models and recommendations by use case.
Writing and Sending Messages
Type your message in the input field at the bottom of the chat area and press the send button to submit it. The AI model will process your message and return a response.
Send Shortcuts
BlackMountain supports configurable keyboard shortcuts for sending messages:
Shortcut | Behavior |
Enter | Send message (default) |
Ctrl+Enter | Alternative send shortcut |
Shift+Enter | Insert a new line |
You can change your preferred send shortcut in Settings.
Chat Input Options
Beyond plain text, you can enrich your messages with additional input options:
File upload — Attach documents (e.g. PDFs, Word, Excel) for the model to analyze and summarize
Image upload — Add images for visual analysis or data extraction
Web search — Toggle web search to ground the model's response in current, real-time information
Context — Activate organization, workspace, or team context to receive responses in a consistent tone and grounded in your company's information
Each of these options is covered in detail in its own article — see Next Steps below.
Managing Your Conversation
Once a conversation is started, you can organize it to keep your chat history structured:
Rename — Click the conversation title in the sidebar to give it a meaningful name
Labels — Assign labels to categorize conversations by topic, project, or priority
Folders — Move conversations into folders for a clean sidebar structure
Pin — Pin important conversations to the top of the sidebar for quick access
Next Steps
Now that you know how to start a conversation, explore these features in detail:
Model Selection — Learn which model fits your use case
Web Search in Chat — Ground responses in real-time information
Document Upload & Analysis — Analyze files and extract insights
Image Analysis — Work with visual data in your conversations
Chat Functionalities — Edit messages, regenerate responses, branch conversations, and more
Managing Conversations — Organize your chats with folders, labels, and export