> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.delegateai.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# What is a Delegate?

> Understanding your AI teammate that learns and acts on your behalf.

# What is a Delegate?

A delegate is your personal AI teammate within an initiative. It's not a chatbot that forgets everything after each conversation, and it's not a rigid automation that breaks when things change. It's an AI assistant that learns how you work and handles coordination on your behalf.

## One Delegate Per Person

Each person in an initiative has their own delegate. Your delegate is yours alone - it learns your preferences, remembers your instructions, and acts according to how you've taught it.

When you create an initiative, you automatically get a delegate. When you're invited to join someone else's initiative, you get your own delegate there too.

## How Delegates Learn

Every conversation with your delegate is an opportunity to teach it. When you say things like:

> "Always CC my manager on client emails."

> "When summarizing meetings, focus on action items first."

> "If someone asks about pricing, check the pricing doc before responding."

Your delegate remembers these instructions and applies them going forward. This learning happens through:

* **Direct instructions** - Tell your delegate explicitly how to handle things
* **Feedback** - Correct your delegate when it does something wrong
* **Examples** - Show your delegate what good looks like

## What Delegates Can Do

Your delegate has a wide range of capabilities:

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Post Updates" icon="message" href="/delegates/capabilities">
    Share updates to the Activity Feed for your team
  </Card>

  <Card title="Use Integrations" icon="plug" href="/integrations/overview">
    Send emails, post to Slack, create issues, and more
  </Card>

  <Card title="Create Canvases" icon="table-cells" href="/canvases/overview">
    Build structured documents with grid layouts
  </Card>

  <Card title="Run on Schedule" icon="clock" href="/delegate-brain/schedules">
    Wake up at set times to check in and take action
  </Card>
</CardGroup>

## The Delegate Brain

Every delegate has a "brain" - a configuration space where you control how it behaves. The brain includes:

* **Identity** - Personality, tone, and communication style
* **Tasks** - What your delegate is working on
* **Memory** - What your delegate remembers about you and your work
* **Skills** - Specialized procedures your delegate knows
* **Schedules** - Recurring check-ins and automations
* **Permissions** - What tools and resources your delegate can access

Learn more in [Delegate Brain](/delegate-brain/overview).

## Delegates vs. Chatbots

| Chatbots                           | Delegates                                   |
| ---------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------- |
| Forget everything between sessions | Remember your preferences and instructions  |
| Can only respond to your messages  | Can act proactively on schedules            |
| Limited to conversation            | Can use your tools (email, calendar, Slack) |
| Generic responses                  | Personalized to how you work                |
| One-size-fits-all                  | Learns and adapts over time                 |

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Capabilities" icon="wand-magic-sparkles" href="/delegates/capabilities">
    See everything your delegate can do
  </Card>

  <Card title="Chat" icon="comments" href="/delegates/chat">
    Learn how to communicate with your delegate
  </Card>
</CardGroup>