> ## 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 Basics

> Chat with your data to get insights, answers, and summaries

<Info>
  **Time:** 8 minutes | **Level:** Beginner\
  **Prerequisites:** [Understanding Widgets](/tutorials/beginner/understanding-widgets)
</Info>

## What You'll Learn

* What Ask Peanuts is and how it works
* 10 starter questions to try
* When to use Ask Peanuts vs. widgets
* Understanding credit usage

***

## What is Ask Peanuts?

Ask Peanuts is your AI assistant that **answers questions about your data**. Instead of manually calculating or searching through entries, just ask in plain English.

**Examples:**

* "How much did I spend on food this week?"
* "What was my longest workout?"
* "Show me all expenses over \$50"

Peanuts analyzes your entries and gives you a direct answer—often with a chart or summary.

***

## How to Use Ask Peanuts

<Steps>
  <Step title="From Home (Global) or inside a Helper (Scoped)">
    * **From Home:** Type a question in the Unified Input — it spans all Helpers
    * **From a Helper:** Type a question in the Helper's input — it focuses on that Helper's data
  </Step>

  <Step title="Type your question">
    Write naturally, like you're asking a person:

    ```
    How much did I spend on coffee this month?
    ```
  </Step>

  <Step title="Input transitions to chat mode">
    The input expands, and the conversation appears inline below it.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Get your answer">
    Peanuts responds with:

    * A direct answer ("You spent \$47.50 on coffee this month")
    * Supporting details if helpful
    * Sometimes a chart or table
  </Step>
</Steps>

***

## 10 Starter Questions to Try

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Summaries" icon="calculator">
    * "What's my total spending this month?"
    * "How many workouts did I do last week?"
    * "What's my average expense amount?"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Lookups" icon="magnifying-glass">
    * "Show me all expenses over \$50"
    * "What did I log yesterday?"
    * "Find my grocery expenses"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Patterns" icon="chart-line">
    * "What's my biggest spending category?"
    * "Which day do I spend the most?"
    * "Am I spending more or less than last month?"
  </Card>

  <Card title="Comparisons" icon="scale-balanced">
    * "Compare this week to last week"
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

***

## What Peanuts Can Answer

### ✅ Great For

| Question Type       | Example                          |
| ------------------- | -------------------------------- |
| **Totals & sums**   | "Total spending this month"      |
| **Averages**        | "Average workout duration"       |
| **Counts**          | "How many entries this week"     |
| **Filters**         | "Expenses over \$100"            |
| **Date ranges**     | "What did I spend in January"    |
| **Comparisons**     | "This month vs last month"       |
| **Finding entries** | "When did I last buy groceries"  |
| **Patterns**        | "What day do I usually work out" |

### ⚠️ Not Great For

* **Predictions:** "How much will I spend next month?" (Peanuts reports facts, doesn't predict)
* **Advice:** "Should I spend less on food?" (Peanuts doesn't judge)
* **External data:** "What's the weather today?" (Peanuts only knows your logged data)

***

## Understanding Answers

Peanuts answers come with context:

```
You spent $342.50 on food this month across 23 purchases.
That's 45% of your total spending ($761.00).

Top food expenses:
1. Whole Foods - $89.50
2. Chipotle - $45.00
3. Starbucks - $38.50
```

**What to look for:**

* **Direct answer first** — The number you asked for
* **Context** — Percentages, comparisons, counts
* **Details** — Breakdown when helpful

<Tip>
  If an answer seems off, check your entries! Peanuts can only work with what you've logged.
</Tip>

***

## Ask Peanuts vs. Widgets

When should you use which?

| Use Widgets When...                   | Use Ask Peanuts When...              |
| ------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------ |
| You check the same thing regularly    | You have a one-time question         |
| You want it visible at a glance       | You need a specific answer           |
| It's a standard metric (total, count) | You need a custom calculation        |
| You want to track trends over time    | You want to compare specific periods |

**Rule of thumb:** If you'd ask the same question every day, make it a widget. For everything else, Ask Peanuts.

***

## Credit Usage

<Warning>
  Each Ask Peanuts question costs **1 credit**.
</Warning>

Make your questions count:

* Be specific: "How much on food this week?" beats "How much did I spend?"
* Combine related asks: "What's my total spending and top category this month?"
* Use widgets for things you check repeatedly

### Voice Responses

You can have Peanuts **read answers aloud**:

* Tap the 🔊 speaker icon on any answer
* Costs an additional 12 credits for text-to-speech
* Great for hands-free situations

***

## Cross-Helper Questions (From Home)

When you Ask Peanuts from the **Home screen** instead of inside a Helper, you can ask questions that span all your data:

```
How did my spending compare to my income this month?
```

This works if you have both an Expense Tracker and an Income Tracker.

Other cross-helper examples:

* "Am I working out on days I spend less?"
* "Show me everything I logged yesterday across all trackers"

***

## AI Outputs Sync to Shoebox

When Ask Peanuts generates content (charts, reports, documents), it's:

1. Saved to **AI Outputs** (Settings → AI Outputs)
2. **Synced to your Shoebox** automatically

This means generated invoices and reports appear alongside your regular captures in the [Shoebox](/core-concepts/shoebox).

***

## Exercise

<Card title="Practice: Ask 5 Questions" icon="dumbbell">
  Using your Expense Tracker, ask these questions:

  1. "How much did I spend in total?"
  2. "What's my biggest expense?"
  3. "How many purchases did I make?"
  4. "Show me all expenses over \$10"
  5. "What's my average expense amount?"

  **Bonus:** Think of a question specific to your data that none of the widgets answer, and ask it!
</Card>

***

## Key Takeaways

<Tip>
  **Remember:**

  * Ask Peanuts answers questions about your data
  * Type questions in the Unified Input — it smoothly transitions to chat
  * Be specific for better answers
  * Use from Home for cross-Helper insights
  * Each question costs 1 credit
  * Widgets are better for things you check repeatedly
</Tip>

***

## 🎉 Beginner Track Complete!

Congratulations! You've finished all 5 beginner tutorials. You now know how to:

* ✅ Log entries in multiple ways
* ✅ Create and customize Helpers
* ✅ Read and interpret widgets
* ✅ Ask questions about your data

***

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Customizing Helpers" href="/tutorials/intermediate/customizing-helpers" icon="arrow-right">
    Start the Intermediate track: Go deeper on fields, layouts, and settings
  </Card>

  <Card title="Voice and Hands-Free" href="/tutorials/intermediate/voice-and-hands-free" icon="microphone">
    Master voice logging and hands-free mode
  </Card>
</CardGroup>