Chat Input
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Purpose
Chat Input accepts a chat turn and creates a Message with text, sender fields, a session ID, timestamp, and optional file references.
When to use it
- Start an Agent Core or Language Model chat flow.
- Store user messages in a session.
- Pass supported text or image file references to a downstream component.
How to use it
- Add Chat Input and leave Input Text blank for normal Playground use.
- Connect Chat Message to Agent Core or another Message-compatible input.
- Connect the final response to Chat Output.
- Test the flow in the Playground.
Configuration
| Setting | What it controls | Recommended starting point |
|---|---|---|
| Input Text | Text placed in the output Message. It has no upstream connection handle. | Leave blank for runtime chat input. |
| Initiate Conversation | Lets the flow open a brand-new session with a greeting turn of its own. | Leave on only when the downstream instructions define a suitable greeting. |
| Store Messages | Stores the input when a session ID exists. | Leave on for multi-turn chat. |
| Sender Type | Sets the sender role. | Keep User. |
| Sender Name | Sets the display name. | Keep User. |
| Session ID | Groups stored messages. | Leave blank to use the current session. |
| Files | Attaches files to the Message, by reference and as extracted text. | Use only when downstream components handle the files. |
Expected result
Chat Input returns one Message. It stores the message only when Store Messages is on and a session ID resolves. It does not retrieve history or answer the user. Agent Core separately reads session history.
When you attach a supported text file, Chat Input reads that file's text into the Message the flow carries onward, so a connected model receives the file's content. What Arkus stores for the session is your typed text and the file reference, not the extracted text. Attach only files whose content the rest of the flow may see.
Reference details
Initiate Conversation applies in the Playground and on a shared flow, and only when the session has no messages yet. The greeting the user sees comes from the downstream agent's instructions, not from Chat Input.
Related components
- Agent Core receives the chat Message.
- Language Model receives a direct chat prompt.
- Chat Output displays the final response.