> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.knowbase.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.knowbase.ai/chat/thinking-mode.md).

# Thinking Mode

## What is Thinking Mode?

Thinking Mode is an advanced chat mode that uses multi-step reasoning to answer complex questions. Instead of a single search, it:

1. Analyzes your question and breaks it into sub-queries
2. Searches your documents multiple times from different angles
3. Assesses confidence and searches again if needed
4. Synthesizes a comprehensive answer

## When to use it

* Questions that span multiple documents or sections
* Analysis and comparison tasks
* Questions where a quick search might miss important context

## How to enable it

Click the **mode selector** in the chat input and choose **Thinking Mode**. You'll see the reasoning steps as it works:

* Analyzing your question...
* Searching for relevant information...
* Found X relevant passages...
* Assessing confidence...
* Synthesizing answer...

## Fast Mode vs Thinking Mode

| Feature      | Fast Mode     | Thinking Mode    |
| ------------ | ------------- | ---------------- |
| Speed        | Instant       | 5-15 seconds     |
| Search depth | Single pass   | Multi-iteration  |
| Best for     | Quick lookups | Complex analysis |
| Reasoning    | Hidden        | Visible steps    |

{% hint style="info" %}
**Plan requirement:** Thinking Mode is available on Pro and Team plans.
{% endhint %}


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# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.knowbase.ai/chat/thinking-mode.md?ask=<question>&goal=<endgoal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.