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Ask in plain language. The model coordinates a fixed set of read-only tools; the tools, not the model, perform data access and computation.

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Ask a question

1

State the result you need

Ask about the data as you would ask a person who knows the folder.
You do not need to name a file, write SQL, or choose a tool.
2

Add constraints

Include the period, exclusions, grouping, or definition that matters. For example: Exclude transfers and compare monthly spending in 2025 with 2024.
3

Inspect and refine

Open Evidence to confirm the source and computation. If the interpretation is wrong, state the correction in a follow-up.

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Match the question to the data

SQL is preferred because its result is compact and can often be re-run during verification. Python is an analysis escape hatch, not a file-management shell, and requires Python 3 on the computer.

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Ask for the shape, not just the headline

For a simple lookup, ask directly:
For a change, comparison, or correlation, ask for the explanation too:
The harness prompt tells the model to inspect whether a trend is broad-based, whether a correlation has enough points, and whether a difference is meaningful rather than reporting only one number.

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Follow-up questions

Follow-ups can reuse a bounded digest of the last three useful turns in that conversation, including recent headlines and successful SQL. Narrow a question when the first answer used the wrong interpretation:
If a correction represents a durable vocabulary rule, Fella can record it in folder memory. See context and memory.

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When Fella refuses

Past files cannot establish a future value. Questions such as “How many books will I finish next year?” should be declined rather than turned into a forecast. If the folder does not contain enough information, Fella says so. Definitions and general explanations can be answered without a tool. A leading Background: line marks general knowledge, not workspace evidence, and the prompt bars it from supplying specific figures.

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Stop or retry

Press Esc or click the stop button beside the composer to stop. The run keeps evidence already collected and returns Stopped. While an answer is running, submitting a plain-text correction cancels it and re-asks with that correction. Use /retry after a transient provider error or after changing models.

Inspect the evidence

See the exact computation behind a response.

Learn the harness

Read the loop and its limits in source-backed detail.