> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.perisclaw.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.perisclaw.com/getting-started/using-perisclaw.md).

# Using Perisclaw

You talk to Perisclaw the way you'd text a sharp human assistant: just ask, delegate, or think out loud. There's no special syntax to learn. This page covers the three places you'll work with it and the handful of commands worth knowing.

## Your self-chat is home base

Perisclaw lives in your **self-chat** — the WhatsApp chat with your own number. This is your private workspace: anything you say here stays between you and your assistant.

Use it to:

* Ask questions — *"What did Rahul say about the budget last week?"*
* Delegate tasks — *"Draft a polite 'no' to this invite."*
* Manage your day — *"What's my day like?"* or *"Remind me to call the bank Friday."*
* Save things to remember — *"Remember my wife's birthday is June 12th."*

{% hint style="info" %}
When Perisclaw needs to do something in **another** chat (like sending a message on your behalf), it shows you a draft in your self-chat first and waits for your OK. See [Chat modes & autonomy](/security-and-control/chat-modes.md).
{% endhint %}

## Summon it anywhere with `/claw`

In any other chat — a DM or a group — type **`/claw`** followed by what you need, and your assistant jumps in just for that.

* In a group: *"/claw summarize what I missed here"*
* In a DM: *"/claw draft a reply confirming Tuesday at 3"*

Outside your self-chat, Perisclaw only acts when you summon it with `/claw` — unless you've explicitly set a chat to a different [mode](/security-and-control/chat-modes.md).

## Send a voice note

Too busy to type? Send a **voice note** to any chat and Perisclaw will listen, understand, and act on it — same as a typed message. You can also have a live, hands-free [voice conversation](/skills-and-integrations/voice.md) from the dashboard.

## Quick tasks vs. ongoing work

Perisclaw handles both:

* **Quick, one-off tasks** finish in the moment — a draft, an answer, a reminder.
* **Long-running jobs** keep going in the background — coordinating a meeting across several people, watching a thread, or running a routine on a schedule. It reports back as things progress. See [Autonomous jobs](/what-perisclaw-can-do/autonomous-jobs.md) and [Automated routines](/what-perisclaw-can-do/automated-routines.md).

## Staying in control

A few commands to steer or pause your assistant mid-task:

| Command    | What it does                                       |
| ---------- | -------------------------------------------------- |
| `/stop`    | Stop what the assistant is currently doing.        |
| `/restart` | Start the current task over.                       |
| `/ignore`  | Have the assistant disregard the previous message. |

{% hint style="success" %}
**Pro tip:** Talk to Perisclaw like a real assistant. Ask, delegate, or vent — it'll figure out what you need. The more context you give, the better it does.
{% endhint %}


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