# Basic terminology

The application uses distinct terms for project settings, document records, queues, threads, and
replies.

## What these terms mean

The three application surfaces are Project, Document, and Desk. A Project surface contains the
identity, repository, and documentation-generation settings for a project. A Document record is
the reader-facing page for a document's content, metadata, and available viewer actions. Desk is
the workspace for sorting support threads into queues, opening a thread, and composing a reply or
internal note.

| If you need to… | Go to |
|---|---|
| Understand project identity, repository, and documentation-generation settings | [Understand project terms](#understand-project-terms) |
| Read or act on a document record | [Understand document terms](#understand-document-terms) |
| Work with queues, threads, and replies | [Understand Desk terms](#understand-desk-terms) |
| Move between the application's main destinations | [Navigation basics](doc:navigation-basics) |
| Understand the project workspace | [Projects overview](doc:projects-overview) |
| Manage project settings | [Manage project settings](doc:manage-project-settings) |
| Organize and open documents | [Documents overview](doc:documents-overview) |
| Create or edit a document | [Create and edit a document](doc:create-and-edit-a-document) |
| Understand the Desk surface | [Desk overview](doc:desk-overview) |
| Work from Desk | [Work from Desk](doc:work-from-desk) |
| Review Desk states and actions | [Desk states and actions](doc:desk-states-and-actions) |

## Before you look up a term

Use the surface name as your first clue when you look up a term. Identify whether your work
concerns project settings, a document record, or a support thread before choosing a terminology
group.

## Find the relevant surface

Use this procedure when you know the work you need to do but are unsure which terminology group
applies.

**Prerequisites**

- Know whether you are working with project settings, a document record, or a support thread.

**Steps**

1. Choose the matching destination from the table below.

   | If you are working with… | Continue to… |
   |---|---|
   | Project identity, repository, or documentation-generation settings | [Understand project terms](#understand-project-terms) |
   | A document's content or viewer actions | [Understand document terms](#understand-document-terms) |
   | Queues, threads, replies, or Desk statuses | [Understand Desk terms](#understand-desk-terms) |

2. Open the matching destination from the application's navigation.

   | If you chose… | Open… |
   |---|---|
   | Project or Document | The record from its application destination |
   | Desk | the Desk workspace |

**Result:** You are using the terminology group for the surface you need to understand.

## Understand project terms

The **Project Name**, **Description**, and **Slug** identify the project. **Repository URL** and
**Default Branch** identify the source location and branch used for documentation work.

| Label | What it identifies |
|---|---|
| **Project Name** | The project's displayed name |
| **Description** | The project's descriptive text |
| **Slug** | The URL-friendly identifier for the project |
| **Repository URL** | The project repository |
| **Default Branch** | The branch used for documentation generation |
| **Let documentation create records in this application** | Whether documentation may create records in the application |

The **Manual Style** choice has four options:

| If you want the documentation style named… | Select |
|---|---|
| Enterprise | **Enterprise** |
| Mid-market | **Mid-market** |
| Corporate | **Corporate** |
| SaaS | **SaaS** |

Project settings appear when the Settings tab is active. The project surface can also show the
following status messages:

| Situation | Message |
|---|---|
| The project is loading | `Loading project…` |
| The project cannot be loaded | `Project failed to load.` |
| The project record is absent | `Project not found` |
| The latest project change is saved | `Saved` |
| A project change is being saved | `Saving…` |
| Changes are waiting to be saved | `Unsaved changes` |

## Understand document terms

The Document record page presents the document viewer rather than input fields. Use the document
editing page when you need to change the document.

| Action | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Copy link** | Copies the current document URL |
| **Print** | Opens the browser print flow |
| **Edit** | Opens the document editing route |

When the document contains headings, the viewer includes a table of contents. The viewer can show
these loading and error messages:

| Situation | Message |
|---|---|
| The document is loading | `Loading document…` |
| The document cannot be loaded | `Document failed to load.` |
| The document record is absent | `Document not found` |

Continue with [Documents overview](doc:documents-overview) to learn how documents are organized,
or use [Create and edit a document](doc:create-and-edit-a-document) when your task is to change a
document.

## Understand Desk terms

The queue labels are **Needs first response**, **Needs next response**, **Investigating**,
**Waiting for customer**, **Paused for later**, and **Done today**. The view labels are **Triage**,
**Your threads**, and **Unassigned**.

| If you need to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Find threads waiting for an initial reply | **Needs first response** |
| Find threads waiting for another reply | **Needs next response** |
| Review active investigation work | **Investigating** |
| Review threads waiting for the customer | **Waiting for customer** |
| Review threads paused for later | **Paused for later** |
| Review threads completed today | **Done today** |
| Review the triage view | **Triage** |
| Review your threads | **Your threads** |
| Review threads without an assignee | **Unassigned** |

Within a thread, **Draft with AI** creates a draft from a knowledge-gap card. The composer uses
**Internal note** for team-only notes, **Attach** for attachments, **Preview** for a customer-view
preview, **Send** for a reply, and **Send & done** for a reply that also completes the thread.

| Situation | What appears |
|---|---|
| A knowledge gap is available in the applicable queue | **Draft with AI** |
| The composer is in team-only mode | **Internal note** |
| Attachments are unavailable | **Attach** is disabled |
| A reply has text to preview | **Preview** |
| A reply is ready to send | **Send** and **Send & done** |
| The selected queue has no threads or knowledge gaps | `Nothing here` and `This queue is clear.` |
| A queue has no threads but new work can arrive | `New threads land in Triage and Needs first response.` |
| No thread is open | `No thread open` |
| The open thread has no reporter email outside internal-note mode | `No email on file — the customer can only see this on their tracking page.` |

The knowledge-gap cards appear in **Triage** or **Needs first response** when gap data exists. The
no-email warning appears when the open thread has no reporter email and the composer is not in
internal-note mode.

Continue with [Desk overview](doc:desk-overview) for the Desk surface, [Work from Desk](doc:work-from-desk)
for the working procedure, or [Desk states and actions](doc:desk-states-and-actions) for status
transitions.