Tips for better results

The assistants understand plain, natural questions — you don't need special phrasing or keywords. What actually changes the quality of an answer is the context you give the AI and knowing which controls to use. Here's what makes the biggest difference.

Chat assistant

Enter the address in the project context sidebar

This one matters most. When you add an address, the assistant pulls that parcel's GIS data — zoning, critical areas, lot coverage, setbacks — straight from your city's mapping system and uses it in every answer for that session. Typing the address into your message isn't the same thing; use the sidebar so the AI reads the actual parcel record and you can confirm it's the right one.

Use the citations to verify

Every answer links to its sources. Click through to confirm a code section is current, read the full context, or share the source with an applicant. When an answer looks off, the citations usually show why.

Keep the conversation going

Follow-up questions build on everything you've already asked, so you can narrow in instead of starting over. Start a fresh chat when you switch to an unrelated topic or a different property.

Email assistant (Outlook plugin)

Set the tone with the style controls

Before you generate, use the quick toggles — Friendly/Formal, Simple/Technical, Concise/Detailed — and "Request Info" when you need more details from the sender.

Give it the specifics only you know

The draft is only as good as the context. Add instructions like "only answer the zoning question," "they're a contractor who knows the process," or "include the code section number." Regenerate to build on it — your earlier instructions carry over.

What the assistants are for

Think of them as a research assistant that reads the code faster than you can — great for finding requirements, checking a scenario against a parcel, and drafting responses you then review. They don't make determinations or replace your judgment, so verify anything that matters before you act on it.