> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.borndigital.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.borndigital.ai/digital-agent/conversation-flow/user-interface-basics.md).

# User Interface Basics

The flow editor at a glance: the project sidebar, top and bottom bars, working on the canvas, saving and versions, testing, comments, notes and keyboard shortcuts.

The flow editor is where you design the conversation of your digital agent. To open it, double-click a project in the [list of projects](/digital-agent/workspace/list-of-projects.md) – the newest version of the project opens. A single click opens the [project details](/digital-agent/workspace/project-details.md) instead.

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-60509bfb7bf9501f2259c43abc381010fcc2fe1e%2Fui-basics-overview.png?alt=media" alt="The flow editor with numbered parts: 1 the project sidebar, 2 the top bar, 3 the Nodes panel, 4 the canvas with a small flow, 5 the bottom bar"><figcaption><p>The flow editor</p></figcaption></figure>

The project sidebar (1) on the far left leads to the other screens of the project. The editor itself has four parts: the **top bar** (2), the **Nodes** panel on the left (3), the **canvas** in the middle (4) and the **bottom bar** (5).

## Project sidebar and tabs

The left sidebar groups the screens of the project:

| Section       | Screens                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Design**    | **Flow** (the flow editor), **Prompt library**, [**Knowledge base**](/digital-agent/advanced-functions/knowledge-base.md), [**Code editor**](/digital-agent/advanced-functions/code-editor.md), [**Training set**](/digital-agent/conversation-flow/training-set.md) |
| **Validate**  | [**Regression test**](/digital-agent/conversation-flow/regression-test.md)                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| **Operate**   | [**Statistics**](/digital-agent/advanced-functions/statistics.md), [**Campaigns**](/digital-agent/campaigns.md), [**Recordings**](/digital-agent/advanced-functions/recordings.md)                                                                                   |
| **Utilities** | **Voice Synthesis**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |

At the top of the sidebar you see whether the open version is trained, a star to add the project to your favourites, a **LIVE** badge when the version is deployed, and a gear icon that opens the project details.

Every project version you open gets its own **tab** at the top of the window, labelled with the version and the project name. Right-click a tab to close the other tabs, close all tabs or open it in a new browser tab. When you open an older version, Studio tells you that you are not viewing the newest one.

{% hint style="info" %}
Users with the **EndUser** role cannot open the flow editor and the code editor.
{% endhint %}

## Top bar

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-0bbdc58c6a341d71650d53567f73df54c4f1170c%2Fui-basics-top-bar.png?alt=media" alt="The top bar of the flow editor: File, the speech-bubble comment icon, YAML synced, Last save, Copy JSON, undo and redo, and Search and select nodes"><figcaption><p>The top bar</p></figcaption></figure>

| Element                     | What it does                                                                                                                |
| --------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **File**                    | Import, export, project settings and the variables overview – see below.                                                    |
| Speech-bubble icon          | Comment mode: click a node or the canvas to add a [comment](#comments). Press **Esc** to leave it.                          |
| **YAML synced**             | Keeps the flow and the YAML code in sync – see [Code editor and YAML sync](#code-editor-and-yaml-sync).                     |
| **Last save**               | How long ago the flow was saved.                                                                                            |
| **Copy JSON**               | Copies the whole flow as JSON to the clipboard.                                                                             |
| Undo / redo arrows          | Undo or redo changes of nodes and their positions.                                                                          |
| **Search and select nodes** | Searches node names, messages, conditions, intents and keywords, variables and AI prompts. Click a result to open the node. |

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Copy JSON** and **Copy YAML** copy the flow exactly as it is, **including the values of secret variables**. Do not paste the copied content into tickets, chats or e-mails.
{% endhint %}

### File menu

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-2ed6eaad70a51af7dc795fb89b5dd1c620195bff%2Fui-basics-file-menu.png?alt=media" alt="The File menu with Import, Export, Settings and Variables overview, and the Export submenu with JSON, YAML, Project (including all assets), Responses as CSV and Flow image (PNG)"><figcaption><p>The File menu with the Export options</p></figcaption></figure>

* **Import**
  * **JSON** – replaces the flow with the imported one and saves it.
  * **YAML** – loads the YAML code and turns **YAML synced** off, so the code becomes the source of the flow.
  * **Project (including all assets)** – imports a ZIP file exported from another project.
* **Export**
  * **JSON**, **YAML** or **Project (including all assets)** as a ZIP file.
  * **Responses as CSV** – the chat text and the speech text of every node in one table (columns Node, Markdown, Speech; separated by `~`), useful for proofreading and translation.
  * **Flow image (PNG)** – a picture of the flow, **Including comments** or **Excluding comments**.
* **Settings** – **Configuration**, **Vocabulary** and **Stopwords** of the project, see [Setting tab](/digital-agent/conversation-flow/setting-tab.md).
* **Variables overview** – a table of all variables in the flow with their **Type**, the nodes they are **Used in**, and whether they are **Secret**, **Api editable** and **Logged**. Turn on **Show technical** to include the variables the platform sets itself.

## Nodes panel

The **Nodes** panel lists the nodes you can add: **Message**, **Answer**, **Decision**, **Function**, **AI**, **Transfer**, **Redirect** and **End**. Drag a node onto the canvas, or click it and then click the canvas – you can place several nodes this way; press **Esc** to stop. What every node does is described in [Nodes Explained](/digital-agent/conversation-flow/nodes-explained.md).

Groups, reference nodes and comments are not in the panel – you create them on the canvas, see below. Every flow starts with a **Start** node.

## Working on the canvas

* **Connect nodes** by dragging from one node's handle to another node. Or hover over the arrow next to a node and choose the type of the next node – Studio creates it already connected. For an Answer or Decision node, you first choose the intent or condition the connection belongs to.
* **Open a node** by double-clicking it. Hold **Alt** (**Option** on Mac) while double-clicking to open it in **Spotlight mode**: the node's dialog opens on the side and the rest of the canvas is dimmed around the node, so you see where it sits in the flow.
* **Select several nodes** with **Shift** + click or **Shift** + drag.
* **Right-click** a node, a selection or a connection to group nodes, remove them, copy and paste them, or create a **Reference node** – see [Working on the canvas](/digital-agent/conversation-flow/nodes-explained.md#working-on-the-canvas) in Nodes Explained.
* **Zoom** with the mouse wheel or the buttons in the bottom-left corner: zoom in, zoom out, fit the whole flow on the screen, and lock the canvas so that nothing moves by accident.

## Saving and versions

**Save** stores the flow in the version that is open. Studio also saves when you close a node dialog after changing it, when you add a comment and when you close the notes. Moving or connecting nodes on the canvas is not saved until you click **Save** – check **Last save** in the top bar.

A project has **versions**. Use them to keep a working state while you try changes:

* **Save version** creates a new version from the current flow (for example 1.4 after 1.3), with an optional description, and opens it. The new version is not trained yet.
* If you change a version that is already trained, Studio warns you: untrain it and train it again, or save the changes as a new version.
* To open an older version, open the project details (gear icon in the sidebar), go to **Version history**, tick the version and click **Open version**. It opens in a new tab. See [Version History](/digital-agent/workspace/project-details.md#version-history).

**Train version**, **Deploy** and **Test** always work with the version open in the current tab.

## Bottom bar

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f46f999f0d18201a706a43fe41c9ae8a020ce422%2Fui-basics-bottom-bar.png?alt=media" alt="The bottom bar of a trained version: Save, Save version, Untrain version, Deploy and Test on the left, Notes and Comments on the right, and the round robot button in the corner"><figcaption><p>The bottom bar of a trained version</p></figcaption></figure>

| Button                                  | What it does                                                                                                                                                |
| --------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **Save**                                | Saves the open version.                                                                                                                                     |
| **Save version**                        | Saves the flow as a new version.                                                                                                                            |
| **Train version** / **Untrain version** | Trains the open version so that it can be tested and deployed, or untrains it to change it. Both save the flow first.                                       |
| **Deploy**                              | Opens the deployment settings of the open version. Available once the version is trained. See [Deploy Project](/digital-agent/workspace/deploy-project.md). |
| **Test**                                | Talks to the trained version – see [Test your flow](#test-your-flow).                                                                                       |
| **Notes**                               | Opens the project [notes](#notes).                                                                                                                          |
| **Comments**                            | Opens the [comments](#comments) panel. The badge shows the number of unresolved comments.                                                                   |

When the YAML code of the flow contains errors, a red error button appears in the bottom bar. It opens **Errors and warnings in YAML**. **Save**, **Save version** and **Export** are blocked until the errors are fixed.

## Test your flow

Train the version, then click **Test** and choose how to talk to it:

* **Call** – a voice call in your browser. **Voice Settings** let you try other speech recognition and voice providers, voices, rate and pitch.
* **Bubble** – the chat widget your customers see.
* **Bubble (Legacy)** – the previous chat widget, for projects that still use it.

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-f712aeb3a64bf30c907e927588330f2440e1d4e2%2Fui-basics-test-menu.png?alt=media" alt="The Test menu opened from the bottom bar with Call, Bubble (Legacy) and Bubble"><figcaption><p>The Test menu</p></figcaption></figure>

Next to the conversation, the **Technical logs** panel shows the technical logs of this conversation only, so you can see what happened in each step.

When the version is trained, a round robot button in the bottom-right corner offers the same three options without the technical logs, for a quick try.

## Code editor and YAML sync

Every flow is also stored as YAML code. Open it in **Design** › **Code editor** to read the code, copy it with **Copy YAML** or compare it with another version using **Show changes**. See [Code editor](/digital-agent/advanced-functions/code-editor.md).

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-dc9cb13203b2cee29b514e0d38d0911b55508a6d%2Fui-basics-code-editor.png?alt=media" alt="The Code editor with the YAML of the flow, YAML synced turned on, and Copy YAML and Show changes highlighted in the top bar; IDs are blurred"><figcaption><p>The Code editor</p></figcaption></figure>

The **YAML synced** switch decides which one is the source of truth:

* **On** (default) – the YAML is generated from the flow. Edit the flow; the code follows.
* **Off** – your own YAML is used for training, and the top bar changes colour as a reminder. Use this only when you need something the flow editor cannot express.

Turning the switch back on generates the YAML from the flow again – **changes made only in the code are lost**.

## Comments

Comments help your team discuss the flow right where it matters.

* **Add a comment:** click the speech-bubble icon in the top bar, then click a node (the comment is attached to it) or an empty spot on the canvas. Type your comment and press **Enter** or click the tick. **Shift + Enter** starts a new line.
* **Mention a colleague:** type **@** and choose a user of your organization.
* **Manage a comment:** **Edit**, **Mark as read** / **Mark as unread**, **Mark as resolved** or **Remove** it.
* **Comments panel:** click **Comments** in the bottom bar to see all comments, search them, add a new one and filter them: **Show all**, **Show mine** (yours and those that mention you), **Show resolved**, **Show unread** and **Show unresolved**.

<figure><img src="https://4261467870-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F6iQTvxgRZRwPS1NgIGEb%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-fb54b6c0f041a642b9b97bf5d1b309a8d81a27c3%2Fui-basics-comments.png?alt=media" alt="A comment pinned to the MSG_WELCOME node and the Comments panel on the right with search, the filter icon, the comment with its author and the Add comment button"><figcaption><p>A comment on a node and the Comments panel</p></figcaption></figure>

While the panel is open, the **Comments** button in the bottom bar reads **Hide comments panel**.

## Notes

**Notes** is a shared notepad of the project – for to-dos, decisions or test scenarios. It opens as a window you can move, resize or switch to full screen, and supports headings, bold and italic text, lists, code, colours and alignment. Notes are saved when you close the window.

## Keyboard shortcuts

Click the canvas first, so that the shortcuts apply to the flow.

| Shortcut                             | Action                                          |
| ------------------------------------ | ----------------------------------------------- |
| **Ctrl/Cmd + C**                     | Copy the selected nodes                         |
| **Ctrl/Cmd + V**                     | Paste nodes – also into another project         |
| **Ctrl/Cmd + X**                     | Remove the selected nodes (they are not copied) |
| **Ctrl/Cmd + Z**                     | Undo                                            |
| **Ctrl/Cmd + Y**                     | Redo                                            |
| **Delete** / **Backspace**           | Delete the selected node (after confirmation)   |
| **Shift** + click or drag            | Select several nodes                            |
| **Alt/Option** + double-click a node | Open the node in Spotlight mode                 |
| **Esc**                              | Stop placing nodes or leave comment mode        |