Managing your Assistant chat history — finding old conversations and saved content

# Managing your Assistant chat history — finding old conversations and saved contentYour conversations with the ArtHelper Assistant are automatically saved. Here's how to find them, what happens when a chat seems to disappear, and where your saved Spark outputs live.---## Where your chats are savedEvery conversation you start with the Assistant is saved to your **Chat History**. To find it:1. Open the Assistant (the chat icon in the top-right corner of any page, or the "Assistant" link in the main navigation). 2. Look for the **History** or **Past Chats** link in the left sidebar of the chat panel. 3. Click it to see a chronological list of all your conversations, newest first.Each chat is titled with either: - The first question you asked, or - The name of the Spark you ran (e.g., "Instagram caption for *[artwork title]*").Click any chat in the list to re-open it and continue the conversation.---## What to do when a chat disappears mid-conversation**Why this happens:**If you were mid-conversation and the chat panel suddenly went blank or showed a new empty chat, you likely:- Clicked the "New Chat" button by accident (it's at the top of the chat panel, easy to tap on mobile). - Refreshed the page or navigated to a different area of ArtHelper, which opened a fresh chat session. - Experienced a brief network interruption that reset the active chat view.**How to get the conversation back:**1. Open the Assistant. 2. Click **History** (left sidebar). 3. Look for the chat you were just in — it will be at the top of the list, timestamped within the last few minutes. 4. Click it to re-open. All your messages and the Assistant's responses will still be there.The conversation is NOT deleted. The panel just switched to a new blank chat. Your old chat is waiting in History.---## When a chat disappears during a conversation**Important:** Your chats auto-save as you type. Every message you send and every response from the Assistant is saved instantly to your Chat History.If the page reloads unexpectedly, the browser crashes, or the chat window closes mid-conversation:1. Re-open the Assistant. 2. Click **History** in the left sidebar. 3. Your conversation will be at the top of the list, showing all messages up to the moment before the interruption. 4. Click it to continue right where you left off.**You won't lose your work.** Even if you didn't click "Save" or finish the conversation, the chat itself is preserved. If the Assistant was generating a Spark output when the interruption happened, that output will be visible in the chat history once you re-open it.### Understanding auto-save and browser refresh issues**When messages can vanish:**While chats auto-save as you type, there are rare cases where unsaved messages can disappear:- **Browser refresh during typing:** If you hit refresh while typing a message (before you press Send), that unsaved text is lost. Once you click Send, the message is immediately saved. - **Session timeout:** If you leave the Assistant open for several hours without activity, your session may expire. When this happens, any message you were typing (but hadn't sent) will be lost. - **Browser crash during message transmission:** If your browser crashes the instant you click Send, before the server confirms receipt, that specific message may not be saved.**How to retrieve the last saved state:**1. Open the Assistant and go to **History**. 2. Find the conversation at the top of the list. 3. Click it to see all messages that were successfully saved. 4. The last message visible in the reopened chat is the last one the system saved. Anything you typed after that (but didn't send) will need to be rewritten.**Best practice:** If you're drafting a long, complex question or providing detailed information to the Assistant, write it in a text editor first, then paste it into the chat. This way you have a backup if the browser refreshes unexpectedly.### When the Assistant repeats previous questions while asking new ones**Symptom:** The Assistant asks you a new question, but the question includes or repeats something it already asked earlier in the conversation. For example: "Now, can you tell me more about your target audience? Also, what medium do you work in?" — when you already told it your medium 10 messages ago.**Why this happens:**This is a **context-window reset**. The Assistant's working memory has a limit on how much of the conversation it can "see" at once. In very long chats (30+ exchanges), early details may drop out of its active context, causing it to re-ask questions as if it's starting fresh — even though the earlier answers are still saved in the chat history.This is different from the browser cache issue described later. A context-window reset happens server-side, not in your browser.**How to fix it:**1. **Close the current chat** (click the X or navigate away). 2. **Start a new conversation** by clicking "New Chat." 3. In the new chat, briefly summarize the key facts from the previous conversation ("I work in acrylics, focus on abstract landscapes, and I'm preparing for a gallery show in March"). 4. Continue your discussion in this fresh chat with full context.**Why starting a new chat helps:** It resets the conversation window with your summary at the top, giving the Assistant a clean, focused context to work from.**Alternative:** If you don't want to start over, you can remind the Assistant mid-conversation: "Just to recap: I work in oils, my subject is coastal landscapes, and I'm targeting collectors aged 50+." This brings the key facts back into its active context window.**Prevention:** Use the **Train Your Assistant** feature (Settings > Assistant > Training) to save permanent facts about your work. Anything you add there — your medium, your themes, your audience — will be available to the Assistant in EVERY conversation, so it won't need to ask again.---## Why the Assistant repeats a question it already asked**Symptom:** You answer a question (e.g., "What's the medium of this piece?"), and a few messages later the Assistant asks the same question again.**Why this happens:**The Assistant has a **working memory** for the current conversation, but it prioritizes recent messages over older ones. If you're deep into a long chat (20+ exchanges), early details may fall out of its active context window.**How to fix it:**- **For one-off tasks (like generating a caption or artist statement):** Start a new chat for each task instead of continuing one very long thread. The Assistant performs best with focused, task-scoped conversations. - **For ongoing strategy discussions:** Remind the Assistant of key facts every 10–15 exchanges. Example: "Just to recap: I work in oils, my subject is coastal landscapes, and I'm targeting collectors aged 50+." - **Use the Train Your Assistant feature** (Settings > Assistant > Training) to save permanent facts about your work. Anything you add there — your medium, your themes, your audience — will be available to the Assistant in EVERY conversation, so it won't need to ask again.---## Common issues and fixes### AI repeating previous questions when I ask new ones**Symptom:** You ask a new question, but the Assistant responds as if you asked something from earlier in the conversation, or it loops back to a topic you already covered.**Why this happens:**This is usually a **browser cache problem**. Your browser may be serving an old version of the chat interface or holding onto stale conversation data.**How to fix it:**1. **Refresh the page** using a hard refresh: - **Windows/Linux:** Press `Ctrl + Shift + R` or `Ctrl + F5` - **Mac:** Press `Cmd + Shift + R` 2. If that doesn't work, **clear your browser cache**: - In Chrome: Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear browsing data > Cached images and files (select "Last hour" or "Last 24 hours"). - In Safari: Preferences > Privacy > Manage Website Data > Remove All. - In Firefox: Settings > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Clear Data. 3. Close and re-open the Assistant.If the issue persists after clearing cache, try opening ArtHelper in an **incognito/private browsing window** to rule out browser extension conflicts.---## Finding saved Spark outputs**Where Spark results are saved:**When you run a Spark (e.g., "Write an Instagram caption for this painting") and click **Save** on the output, it's saved to your **Saved Content** library.To find it:1. Go to the main navigation and click **Saved** (or **Saved Content** on some plans). 2. You'll see a list of everything you've saved — captions, bios, artist statements, post ideas, email drafts. 3. Use the filter dropdown at the top to narrow by type: "Captions," "Statements," "Emails," etc. 4. Click any saved item to view the full text. You can copy it, edit it, or delete it from here.**If you don't see a Spark output you thought you saved:**- **You may not have clicked Save.** The Assistant shows you the output in the chat, but it does NOT auto-save. You must explicitly click the **Save** button (looks like a bookmark or floppy disk icon) before closing the chat. - **Check the chat history.** If you didn't save it, the output is still visible in the original conversation. Open History, find the chat, scroll to the Spark result, and save it from there.---## Saved Spark outputs not appearing in Saved Content**Understanding where Spark results are stored:**There are two separate places where Spark outputs live:1. **In the chat history** (automatic) — Every Spark result appears in the conversation where you ran it. This is saved automatically. You can always go back to History, find the chat, and view the output. 2. **In Saved Content** (manual) — This is your organized library of outputs you explicitly chose to keep. Spark results only appear here if you clicked the **Save** button.**If you ran a Spark but don't see it in Saved Content:**- **You didn't click Save.** The output exists in your chat history but was never added to Saved Content. - **You saved it under a different content type.** Check all the filter categories in Saved Content (not just "Captions" — try "All," "Statements," "Emails," etc.). - **The save didn't complete.** If you clicked Save but immediately closed the chat or navigated away, the save may not have processed. Check your chat history and save it again.**How to retrieve a Spark output you forgot to save:**1. Open the Assistant and go to **History**. 2. Find the conversation where you ran the Spark (look for the Spark name in the chat title or scroll through recent chats). 3. Scroll to the Spark output in the conversation. 4. Click the **Save** button next to it. 5. The output will now appear in Saved Content.### Important: Sparks and saved Assistant content are separate**Understanding the difference:**- **Sparks** are AI-powered prompt templates that help you generate specific types of content (captions, artist statements, email drafts, etc.). When you run a Spark, the output appears in your current Assistant chat. - **Saved Content** is your personal library of outputs you've explicitly saved by clicking the Save button. This is where you organize and store the content you want to keep long-term. - **Chat History** is the chronological record of all your conversations with the Assistant, including every Spark you've run.**Where saved Spark outputs live:**Saved Spark outputs are stored in your **Saved Content** library (accessible via the main navigation), NOT in your chat history. However:- The original Spark output is ALWAYS visible in the chat where you ran it (in Chat History). - Once you click Save, a copy is added to Saved Content for easy organization and retrieval. - If you delete a saved output from Saved Content, the original still exists in your chat history. - If you delete the chat from History, any outputs you saved from that chat remain in Saved Content.These are two independent storage locations. Deleting from one does not affect the other.---## Troubleshooting: "I have no Sparks remaining" but I'm on a paid plan**Symptom:** You try to run a Spark and see a message like "You've used all your Sparks for this month" — but your subscription is active and you're paying monthly.**Why this happens:**Each ArtHelper plan includes a monthly Spark quota:- **Freemium:** 10 Sparks/month - **Plus:** 100 Sparks/month - **Pro:** Unlimited SparksIf you're on Plus and hitting the limit, you've used your 100 for the current billing cycle. Your Sparks reset on your **subscription renewal date** (not the first of the calendar month).**How to check your quota and reset date:**1. Go to **Settings > Billing**. 2. Look for your plan details. It will show: - Current plan tier - Sparks used this cycle / total allotted - Next renewal date (when your Sparks reset)### Sparks remaining on paid plans**Understanding your monthly Spark quota:**Each plan tier includes a specific number of Sparks per month:- **Freemium:** 10 Sparks/month - **Plus:** 100 Sparks/month - **Pro:** Unlimited SparksYour Spark count resets on your **subscription renewal date**, which may not align with the first of the calendar month. For example, if you subscribed on March 15th, your Sparks reset on the 15th of every month.**If you've hit your limit mid-month despite paying:**This is expected behavior if you're on the Plus plan and have used all 100 Sparks since your last renewal. To verify:1. Go to **Settings > Billing > Usage**. 2. Check: - **Sparks used this cycle:** Shows how many you've used since your last renewal. - **Sparks remaining:** Shows how many are left until renewal. - **Next renewal date:** The date your Spark count resets to your full monthly allotment.**If the count is wrong:**If the Usage page shows incorrect numbers (for example, "100/100 used" but you know you only ran 20 Sparks this month), this is a billing system error. Contact support immediately with:- Your plan tier (visible in Settings > Billing). - The current Spark count shown in Usage. - The approximate number of Sparks you actually ran this month.Support can manually audit your usage and correct the count or apply a credit if appropriate.**If you're on Pro and seeing a Spark limit:**- Your subscription may not have activated yet. Check Settings > Billing to confirm your Pro plan shows as "Active." - If you upgraded mid-month from Plus to Pro, there may be a short delay (up to 24 hours) before the unlimited Spark unlock applies. - If Billing shows Pro as active but Sparks are still capped, contact support — this is a provisioning bug.**Understanding "cannot access AI features":**This message can mean one of three things:1. **Spark quota exhausted** — You've used all your monthly Sparks and need to wait for the reset date (shown in Settings > Billing) or upgrade to a higher plan. 2. **Subscription lapsed** — Your payment didn't go through or your subscription expired. Check Settings > Billing for any alerts or payment issues. 3. **Plan tier limits** — You're trying to use a feature (like a specific advanced Spark) that's only available on Pro, and you're on a Freemium or Plus plan. Check the feature description to see which plan tier it requires.To fix: - If quota exhausted: Wait for reset or upgrade. - If subscription lapsed: Update your payment method in Settings > Billing. - If plan tier limit: Upgrade to the required plan tier.**Workaround if you need Sparks before the reset:**- Upgrade to Pro for unlimited Sparks (if you're on Plus). - Use the **open chat** instead of Sparks. You can ask the Assistant to generate the same outputs (captions, bios, titles) in a freeform chat, which does NOT count against your Spark quota. Sparks are just pre-built prompt shortcuts; the underlying AI is the same.---## Lost message notification about someone reviewing your painting**Symptom:** You received a notification (email, in-app alert, or push notification) saying someone reviewed or commented on one of your paintings. You opened the Assistant or checked your chat history, but there's no message about it.**Why this happens:**This notification is about **community activity**, not an Assistant message. The confusion arises because:- The notification may have arrived while you had the Assistant chat open. - You might have received it as an in-app alert that appeared near the chat panel. - The notification system sometimes sends alerts for portfolio activity (reviews, comments, likes) that can be mistaken for Assistant notifications if you're actively using the Assistant at the time.**Where to find community notifications:**The notification is NOT in your Assistant chat history. Instead:1. Go to **Activity** or **Notifications** in the main navigation (look for the bell icon in the top-right corner). 2. Look for portfolio activity: reviews, comments, or likes on specific artworks. 3. Click any activity item to see the full review or comment.**Why it's not in your Assistant chat history:**- Community reviews and comments are NOT handled by the Assistant. - The Assistant is for private conversations between you and the AI. - Public feedback on your work appears in your portfolio activity feed, not in Chat History. - Assistant notifications and community notifications are separate systems.**If you still can't find the activity:**- Check your email for the original notification — it may contain a direct link to the review or comment. - Go to your **Portfolio** page and look at individual artwork pages for new comments or reviews. - Check the **Activity** feed for the specific artwork mentioned in the notification. - If the notification was sent in error (a bug), you can safely ignore it. If this happens repeatedly, contact support so the team can fix the notification trigger.**Understanding notification timing:**If you receive a notification while actively using the Assistant, it may appear as a pop-up or banner near the chat interface. This can create the impression that the notification is related to your Assistant conversation, when it's actually a separate community alert. Always check the Notifications/Activity section for community feedback, not your Assistant chat history.---## Related articles- [Sparks — the AI prompt catalog for your artwork](https://arthelper.com/help/assistant/sparks-deep-dive) - [Training your Assistant: voice, rules, and memory](https://arthelper.com/help/assistant/train-your-assistant) - [Sharing an Assistant conversation with someone](https://arthelper.com/help/assistant/sharing-chats) - [Managing Your Saved Content in ArtHelper](https://arthelper.com/help/getting-started/saved-content)