> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.peanutsapp.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ask Peanuts

> Chat with your data using AI to get insights, answers, reports, and generated content

## What is Ask Peanuts?

Ask Peanuts is your AI assistant that understands all your data. You can ask questions, request insights, generate reports, create documents, or have it take actions — all in natural language.

<Info>
  Ask Peanuts costs **1 credit per message** and is available on **Starter, Pro, and Team** plans.
</Info>

## How to Use

### From the Home Screen (Global)

1. Type a question directly in the **Unified Input Bar**
2. The input smoothly transitions to chat mode
3. AI responses appear inline, below the input
4. Ask follow-up questions in the same conversation

**Example questions from Home:**

* "How much did I spend this week?"
* "Show me everything I logged yesterday"
* "Compare my workouts this month vs last month"

### From Inside a Helper (Scoped)

1. Open any Helper
2. Type a question in the Helper's input
3. Questions are automatically scoped to that Helper's data

**Example questions in a Helper:**

* "What's my biggest expense category?"
* "Show me a chart of my spending over time"
* "When did I last log a workout?"

<Tip>
  Questions from Home can analyze across all Helpers. Questions inside a Helper focus on that Helper's data specifically.
</Tip>

## What You Can Ask

### Questions About Your Data

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Aggregations" icon="calculator">
    "How much did I spend on food this month?"
    "What's my average daily steps?"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Comparisons" icon="chart-mixed">
    "Compare my spending this month vs last month"
    "Am I exercising more than last week?"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Patterns" icon="magnifying-glass-chart">
    "What day do I usually exercise?"
    "When do I spend the most money?"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Specific Entries" icon="list">
    "Show me all my Amazon purchases"
    "What did I eat yesterday?"
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Generate Content

Ask Peanuts can create various outputs:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Charts" icon="chart-bar">
    "Show me a bar chart of my spending by category"
    "Create a line chart of my weight over time"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reports" icon="file-pdf">
    "Generate a monthly expense report"
    "Create a fitness summary for this quarter"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Documents" icon="file-lines">
    "Create an invoice for my consulting work"
    "Generate a quote for the client project"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Calendar Events" icon="calendar">
    "Export my scheduled appointments as an ICS file"
    "Create calendar entries for my workout plan"
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

### Actions

Ask Peanuts can also take actions:

* "Add a new expense: \$25 lunch at Chipotle"
* "Create a workout entry for 30 min run"
* "Mark today's vitamins as taken"

## AI Tools & Capabilities

Behind the scenes, Ask Peanuts has access to powerful tools:

### Data Analysis Tools

| Tool                    | What It Does                                  |
| ----------------------- | --------------------------------------------- |
| `query_entries`         | Aggregates data (sum, average, count, trends) |
| `find_patterns`         | Retrieves learned patterns for a Helper       |
| `cross_helper_analysis` | Analyzes correlations between Helpers         |

### Generation Tools

| Tool                | What It Does                                      |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------------------------- |
| `generate_chart`    | Creates interactive charts (bar, line, area, pie) |
| `generate_report`   | Creates PDF reports with insights and trends      |
| `generate_document` | Creates visual documents (invoices, quotes)       |
| `generate_ics`      | Creates calendar/ICS files for export             |
| `generate_image`    | Creates AI-generated images                       |
| `generate_summary`  | Creates prose summaries of your data              |

### Chart Types

Ask Peanuts can generate:

* **Bar charts** — Compare categories
* **Line charts** — Show trends over time
* **Area charts** — Visualize cumulative data
* **Pie charts** — Show proportions

Charts are interactive and can be explored directly in the chat.

### Reports & Documents

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="PDF Reports">
    Generate comprehensive reports with:

    * Summary statistics
    * Trend analysis
    * Visual charts
    * Time period comparisons
    * Exportable PDF format
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Visual Documents">
    AI-designed documents like:

    * Invoices with line items
    * Quotes and estimates
    * Branded PDFs with your business info
    * Professional layouts
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Calendar Export">
    Export schedule entries as ICS files:

    * Compatible with Google Calendar
    * Works with Apple Calendar
    * Import into Outlook
    * Includes all event details
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Cross-Helper Insights

When asking from the Home screen, Peanuts can analyze across all Helpers:

* "Do my sleep patterns affect my workout performance?"
* "Is there a correlation between my spending and stress levels?"
* "Show me everything I logged yesterday"
* "What's the relationship between my coffee intake and sleep quality?"

Cross-helper analysis discovers patterns you might not notice on your own.

## AI Outputs & Shoebox Sync

All generated content (reports, documents, images) is:

1. **Saved to AI Outputs** — Access via Settings → AI Outputs
2. **Synced to Shoebox** — Appears in your [Shoebox](/core-concepts/shoebox) automatically

This means your generated invoices, reports, and images are discoverable alongside your regular captures.

## Tips for Better Results

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Be specific with time ranges">
    ✅ "How much did I spend on restaurants in January?"
    ❌ "How much did I spend on restaurants?"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Use Helper names for clarity">
    ✅ "In my Expense Tracker, what's my biggest category?"
    ❌ "What's my biggest category?"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ask follow-up questions">
    Peanuts remembers context within a conversation. You can ask:

    * "What about last month?"
    * "Break that down by category"
    * "Show me the top 5"
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Request specific formats">
    ✅ "Show this as a pie chart"
    ✅ "Generate a PDF report"
    ✅ "Create a summary I can share"
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Manifesto

Ask Peanuts follows a strict manifesto:

<Note>
  **Peanuts states facts, not judgments.**

  * ✅ "You spent \$450 on restaurants this month, up 20% from last month"

  * ❌ "You spent too much on restaurants this month"

  * ✅ "Your last workout was 5 days ago"

  * ❌ "You should work out more often"
</Note>

Peanuts provides information. You decide what to do with it.

## Voice Responses

Enable spoken responses for hands-free interaction:

1. Tap the speaker icon to enable "Read Aloud"
2. Peanuts speaks the response
3. Costs 12 additional credits for TTS

<Tip>
  Disable "Read Aloud" when you don't need audio to save 12 credits per response.
</Tip>

## Credit Usage

| Action               | Credit Cost |
| -------------------- | ----------- |
| Ask a question       | 1 credit    |
| Follow-up question   | 1 credit    |
| Action (add entry)   | 1 credit    |
| Generate chart       | 1 credit    |
| Generate report      | 1 credit    |
| Voice response (TTS) | +12 credits |

Credits are shared across all AI features. See [Credits](/core-concepts/credits) for more details.

## Related

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Unified Input" icon="message-lines" href="/features/unified-input">
    The home screen chat experience
  </Card>

  <Card title="Shoebox" icon="inbox" href="/core-concepts/shoebox">
    Where AI outputs are synced
  </Card>

  <Card title="Credits" icon="coins" href="/core-concepts/credits">
    Understand credit costs
  </Card>

  <Card title="Reports" icon="chart-pie" href="/features/reports">
    Scheduled and on-demand reports
  </Card>
</CardGroup>