# Auto, Search and Ask: choose what Enter does

> Auto opens web addresses and goes to places for you, Search sends your words to your search engine, and Ask always sends them to Plexii.

Source: https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-composer-modes
Section: Plexii assistant > Ask and get answers
Plans: All plans
Updated: 2026-10-15

The box you type in to Plexii can do more than ask a question. Type a web address and it can open the page, type "take me to" and the name of a desk and it can take you there, or type a few words and it can search the web. Three small buttons under the box, **Auto**, **Search** and **Ask**, decide what pressing `Enter` does with what you typed.

Use **Auto** to let the box work out what you mean and show you before it acts, **Search** when you want to use the box as a search bar, and **Ask** when everything you type is for Plexii.

## Before you start

- **Every plan** includes the three modes.
- **Ask needs AI to run.** When you are signed in, Plexii runs on PlexiDesk credits, or you can use your own Anthropic key. See [AI credits and where your AI runs](https://plexiidesk.com/help/ai-credits). Opening an address, going to a place and searching the web do not use AI.
- **The modes are in the Plexii panel and on the Plexii hub.** The box in a widget's **AI Chat** tab in focus mode always asks Plexii.

## The three modes at a glance

| Mode | Its tooltip | What `Enter` does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Auto** | Smart: URLs open, take-me-to navigates, everything else asks | Works out what you mean, shows it in a row of choices, then does the first choice. Questions and longer messages go to Plexii. |
| **Search** | Type straight into your search engine — results open in Plexii | Searches the web for what you typed. Plexii does not answer. |
| **Ask** | Everything goes to Plexii | Sends what you typed to Plexii, every time. |

**Auto** is where every new install starts.

## Switch mode

1. Open Plexii. See [Meet Plexii, your assistant](https://plexiidesk.com/help/ai-assistant).
2. Find the three buttons, **Auto**, **Search** and **Ask**, in the row of controls under the box you type in. The mode in use is highlighted.
3. Click the mode you want.

If there are words in the box when you click, the button also acts on them straight away: **Search** searches the web for them, and **Ask** sends them to Plexii. Clicking **Auto** only switches the mode.

PlexiDesk remembers your mode on this computer. It stays the same when you start a new chat, switch conversation, move between the panel and the hub, or restart.

## Auto: see what Enter will do first

In **Auto**, when what you type could mean more than one thing, a row of choices appears just above the box. Nothing happens until you act.

- The highlighted choice is what `Enter` will do. It is marked **⏎**.
- Press `Tab` to move the highlight to the next choice. The others are marked **⇥**.
- Click **Open**, **Go to** or **Search the web** to do it straight away. Clicking **Ask Plexii** highlights it, so `Enter` sends your words to Plexii.

The choices you can see:

| Choice | When it appears | What it does |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Open** and the site, such as **Open example.com** | You typed a web address on its own | Opens the page in Plexii's browser |
| **Go to** and a name, such as **Go to Wedding desk** | You typed **take me to**, **go to**, **open** or **show** and the name of a desk, a document, or **Home**, **Tasks**, **Calendar**, **Files** or **Vault** | Takes you there |
| **Search the web** | You typed a short phrase, or asked to be taken somewhere that is not in your workspace | Searches the web for it in Plexii's browser |
| **Ask Plexii** | Alongside any of the above | Sends your words to Plexii |

How Auto decides:

- **A web address on its own**, such as example.com, leads with **Open**, with **Ask Plexii** next.
- **"Take me to", "go to", "open" or "show" and a name** leads with **Go to** for the best matches among your desks, documents and pages. You do not need the exact name: "take me to my wedding desk" finds a desk called **Wedding desk**.
- **"Take me to" or "go to" something that is not in your workspace** leads with **Search the web**, so "take me to the museum opening hours" searches for it straight away.
- **A short phrase of six words or fewer** offers **Search the web** and **Ask Plexii**. In a new conversation **Search the web** comes first. Once the conversation has started, **Ask Plexii** comes first, because a short reply such as "sounds good" is usually meant for Plexii.
- **A question**, which ends with a question mark or starts with a word such as how, what, why, can or is, shows no choices. `Enter` asks Plexii.
- **A request**, which starts with a word such as write, draft, summarise, plan, explain or compare, shows no choices. `Enter` asks Plexii.
- **A long message**, one with more than one line, or one longer than about 160 characters, shows no choices. `Enter` asks Plexii.

## Search: use the box as a search bar

In **Search**, the box reads **Search the web — results open in Plexii**. Type what you are looking for and press `Enter`. The results page from your search engine opens full screen in Plexii's browser, and the box clears.

Plexii's browser searches with DuckDuckGo unless you choose another engine. To change it, open Plexii's browser and click the search engine button in its toolbar. Its tooltip starts **Search engine —**. See [Browse the web inside PlexiDesk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/browser-overview).

Search is not the same as live web search. **Search** shows you a results page and Plexii does not answer. The globe beside the buttons lets Plexii read web results and cite them in its answer. See [Turn live web search on or off](https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-web-search).

## Ask: everything goes to Plexii

In **Ask**, the box behaves as a plain message box. `Enter` always sends what you typed to Plexii, even a web address or a single word, and no row of choices appears. Use it when you are deep in a conversation and do not want a short reply read as a search.

## Tips

- **Press `Shift` `Enter` for a new line.** A message with more than one line always goes to Plexii in **Auto**.
- **Use `Tab` to check before you commit.** In **Auto**, `Tab` steps through the choices so you can see each one before you press `Enter`.
- **@ mentions keep `Tab`.** While the `@` list is open, `Tab` picks from the list rather than moving through the choices. See [Point Plexii at specific things with @](https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-mentions).
- **The command palette offers the same kind of choices.** Press `⌘` `K` on a Mac or `Ctrl` `K` on Windows and type an address, a search or a question. See [Search and commands (Cmd+K)](https://plexiidesk.com/help/command-palette).

## Common questions

**I pressed Enter and a web page opened instead of an answer.** You were in **Auto** and the first choice was **Open** or **Search the web**. Press `Tab` to move to **Ask Plexii** before you press `Enter`, phrase it as a question, or switch to **Ask**.

**Plexii does not answer anything I type.** Check whether **Search** is highlighted. In **Search** every message goes to your search engine. Click **Ask** or **Auto**.

**The row of choices does not appear.** It appears only in **Auto**, only when what you typed could mean more than one thing, and not while Plexii is writing an answer. Questions, requests and long messages go straight to Plexii.

**Which search engine does Search use?** The one chosen in Plexii's browser, DuckDuckGo unless you changed it.

## Related tasks

- [Ask Plexii a question](https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-ask)
- [Turn live web search on or off](https://plexiidesk.com/help/plexii-web-search)
- [Search and commands (Cmd+K)](https://plexiidesk.com/help/command-palette)
- [Keyboard shortcuts](https://plexiidesk.com/help/keyboard-shortcuts)
- [Browse the web inside PlexiDesk](https://plexiidesk.com/help/browser-overview)