How to Use the Help Agent

What You Will Learn

This guide shows you how to use help@via.email — a general-purpose AI agent that can handle virtually any one-off task. Think of it as your all-purpose assistant when you want results without configuring a specialist first.

What is help@via.email in plain language?

help@via.email is the generalist lane. You describe the job once in an email, optionally attach inputs, and the reply is the work product. Context stays attached to that thread if you reply, so iterations feel like briefing the same person instead of starting from zero in a new chat tab.

How It Works

help@via.email works like emailing a capable assistant. Send your request, and you will receive a reply with the result.

Sending Your First Request

Compose an email:

• To: help@via.email
• Subject: A brief description of your task (optional but helpful)
• Body: Your full request — the more context you provide, the better the result

Hit send. You will receive a reply shortly.

When should I use help instead of a gallery agent?

Use help when the task is unique, exploratory, or not worth hunting a specialist for. When the same pattern repeats weekly, switch to a built-in agent with tighter instructions so you stop re-writing the briefing email. That tradeoff is how you keep speed without turning the generalist into an awkward substitute for expertise.

What You Can Ask

The help agent handles a wide range of tasks:

• Writing: Draft emails, reports, proposals, social media posts
• Summarizing: Condense long documents, email threads, meeting notes
• Translating: Translate text between 40+ languages
• Analyzing: Review data, extract insights, compare options
• Editing: Proofread, rewrite, adjust tone or length
• Research: Answer questions, explain concepts, find information
• Calculating: Budgets, conversions, estimates
• Creating: Outlines, templates, checklists, action plans

Attaching Files

You can attach files to your email for the agent to process. Supported formats include PDFs, documents, images, spreadsheets, and more. Attachment support depends on your plan — see via.email/pricing for details.

For example, you could forward a PDF contract and ask: "Summarize the key terms and flag anything unusual."

Continuing the Conversation

Want to refine the result? Simply reply to the agent's response in the same email thread. The agent remembers the context of the conversation within that thread.

For example:

• First email: "Draft a thank-you email to a client."
• Reply: "Make it shorter and more formal."
• Reply again: "Add a line about scheduling a follow-up call."

Tips for Better Results

• Be specific. "Summarize this report in 3 bullet points" works better than "Summarize this."
• Provide context. If you are forwarding an email thread, mention what you need from it.
• Iterate. Reply to refine. The agent improves with each follow-up.

When to Use a Built-in Agent Instead

If you find yourself repeatedly asking help@via.email for the same type of task, consider using a built-in agent from the agent gallery. Built-in agents are pre-configured with expert instructions for specific tasks — they will often give you better results faster.

Related reading

• Email protocol beats the dashboard for ops leaders who live in threads
• Why smart lawyers forward instead of uploading to another app
• Try via.email first and skip the AI pilot deck

For quick answers, see our FAQ.