> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.paradime.io/app-help/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.paradime.io/app-help/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/starting-a-session.md).
# Starting a Session
Once [setup](/app-help/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/setup.md) is complete, you're ready to wake DinoAI up.
### 1. Add the Paradime Bot to a Channel
Add the DinoAI agent to the Slack channel where you want it to operate. You can do this in two ways:
**Option A - Slash command**
Inside the channel, type:
```
/invite @paradime
```
**Option B - Channel settings**
1. Click the channel name at the top
2. Go to the **Integrations** tab
3. Select **Add an App**
4. Search for and add **Paradime**
***
### 2. Select a Workspace (Optional)
If your Paradime account has multiple workspaces, you can choose which one the agent should run against before starting a task. Use the workspace dropdown in the Paradime Slack App to select the workspace you want DinoAI to operate on.
{% hint style="info" %}
**This matters.** The workspace you select determines the environment DinoAI runs with — including the data warehouse connection, integrations, and configuration set up for that workspace. If no workspace is explicitly selected, DinoAI defaults to your primary workspace.
{% endhint %}
### Step 3 — Check It's Listening
Send a quick message to confirm the agent is connected and ready:
```
@paradime Hey Dino, are you there?
```
{% hint style="info" %}
**Always use `@paradime`** when sending messages to the agent. Without the mention, DinoAI won't see or respond to your message.
{% endhint %}
If everything is connected, DinoAI will respond and confirm it's ready to take on tasks.
### Step 4 — Send Your First Task
Give DinoAI something real to work on. Here are a few examples to get started:
```
@paradime Document all models in the marts folder that are missing descriptions.
```
```
@paradime Create a new model that joins orders and customers on customer_id.
```
```
@paradime Run a quick check on our staging models and flag anything that looks off.
```
DinoAI will pick up the task, work in the background, and report back in the channel when it's done.
***
### How Cloning Works
When a session starts, DinoAI clones the repository connected to the selected workspace and uses it as the base for all work in that session.
#### Working across multiple repositories
The agent isn't limited to a single repo. If DinoAI has access to additional repositories via the [GitHub App integration](/app-help/integrations/github.md), it can clone and work in those repos in parallel — without you needing to do anything extra.
This is useful for tasks that span multiple codebases, for example:
* **Looker or Omni updates** — if you ask DinoAI to update a field definition or a derived table, and the relevant repo is accessible via the GitHub App, the agent will clone that repo and open a PR there directly
* **dbt™ Mesh setups** — if your dbt™ project is split across multiple repos (upstream and downstream packages), DinoAI can work across all of them in a single session, opening PRs in each repo as needed
#### What stays scoped to the selected workspace
Even when the agent works across multiple repos, the following are always determined by the workspace selected at the start of the session:
* **Data warehouse connection** — the warehouse credentials and permissions DinoAI uses to run queries
* **Integrations** — Slack, GitHub, and any other connected services
* **Environment configuration** — variables, settings, and DinoAI behaviour defined for that workspace
{% hint style="warning" %}
Switching workspaces mid-session is not supported. If you need to run a task under a different workspace, start a new session.
{% endhint %}
### Related
* [Setup](/app-help/products/dino-ai/slack-agent/setup.md) — Configure the GitHub App and warehouse environment
* [.dinorules](/app-help/products/dino-ai/dino-rules.md) — Set rules that guide how DinoAI works across all sessions
* [Tools and Fearures](/app-help/documentation/dino-ai/tools-and-features.md) — Explore tools accessuble by the Slack Agent
---
# Agent Instructions
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