# Use Undra from other AI tools

An AI tool you already use can connect to Undra and work through the same workspace toolbox as Mira. It can search notes, use memories and skills, browse connected folders, change real files, run commands, and open previews without starting from zero in another app.

Undra stays in the middle as the visible, local control layer: the tool does the work, while Undra shows where it is working, records its changes, and keeps run-level Undo available.

## Connect in one click

1. Keep Undra running and open the workspace you want to use.
2. Open **Settings**, choose **AI**, then open **Use From Other Apps**.
3. Undra lists compatible AI tools it finds on this computer. Select **Connect** beside the one you want.
4. Restart that tool so it reloads its configuration.

That is the whole setup for a detected tool. Undra writes its local connection address into the tool's existing configuration, so there is nothing to paste.

:::info No detected tools?
The same page shows a private connection address and copy-ready manual setup for supported clients. Follow the instructions shown there rather than copying an address from someone else.
:::

## What a connected tool receives

When it connects, the tool starts with the active workspace's shared context:

- Workspace identity and structure
- Long-term memories and pinned rules
- Available skill descriptions
- Connected folder list and folder-specific rules
- Project journals stored in `UNDRA.md`

It can refresh that context for the task it is doing. It may also save memories and update project journals, so useful knowledge can carry back into Mira and future sessions.

This is shared context, not shared conversation history. Each AI tool still owns its own chat and model behavior.

## Watch it work in Undra

Meaningful activity from a connected tool reveals a live work panel in Undra. The panel names the connected tool and the workspace or folder where it is acting.

You can see:

- Searches, file reads, edits, and commands as plain activity lines
- The selected workspace or connected folder scope
- A live picture-in-picture when the tool opens a page preview
- The preview in a regular Undra tab when you want more room
- The full change set and one-click Undo after files change

The panel can float above your work or live in a normal dock. It closes after the work becomes quiet, but the recorded changes and Undo control remain available.

## How file changes stay safe

Connected tools use the same journaled file operations as Mira:

1. The tool works only in the active workspace and folders you deliberately connected.
2. File changes are recorded as one run.
3. Existing files are backed up before they are replaced.
4. Deletions still require your approval.
5. **Undo run** restores the complete change set together.

See [Folder Portals](/docs/workspace/folder-portals/) for the full file-safety model.

## The connection is local and private

Undra's connection point listens only on this computer and only while Undra is running. Its address contains a persistent private access key. Treat that address like a password: anyone who has it while using your computer could receive the same powerful workspace tools.

Only connect AI tools you trust. The connected tool receives Undra's full toolbox, including file changes and commands on this computer, within Undra's workspace and portal boundaries.

:::warn Do not share the connection address
Do not paste it into messages, screenshots, issue reports, or public configuration files. Use Undra's one-click connection whenever it is available.
:::

## Three AI connections that sound similar

Undra supports three separate directions. They solve different problems:

| What you want | Where to go |
| --- | --- |
| Let Mira use a cloud subscription or local model | **AI > Providers** |
| Give Mira access to an external tool server | **AI > MCP Servers** |
| Let another AI tool control Undra | **AI > Use From Other Apps** |

If you want to chat with Mira inside Undra, start with [Setting up AI](/docs/getting-started/setting-up-ai/). If you want another AI app to work through your Undra workspace, use the flow on this page.

## If something is not working

- **The tool is not listed:** Use the manual instructions on the **Use From Other Apps** page.
- **It says connected but Undra does not appear:** Restart the connected tool so it reloads its configuration.
- **The connection stopped working after an update:** Return to the page and choose **Update** when Undra reports an old address.
- **Undra is unavailable in the other tool:** Make sure Undra is running and a workspace is open.
- **The endpoint did not start:** Restart Undra and open the page again.

## Where to go next

- [Mira](/docs/workspace/agents/): how Undra's built-in assistant works with the same context.
- [Chats](/docs/workspace/chats/): visible activity and saved conversations inside Undra.
- [Folder Portals](/docs/workspace/folder-portals/): connect real folders and understand Undo.
- [Local-First Trust](/docs/workspace/local-first-trust/): the boundaries around your files and AI context.