AI assistant
HarborClient includes a built-in AI sidebar for working with your API requests. Chat with models from OpenAI, Claude, or Google Gemini using your own API keys, or use models provided by a connected Team Hub. When a hub offers a model, HarborClient prefers the hub and never sends you the server-side provider keys.
API keys are encrypted and stored locally on your machine. HarborClient uses the OS keychain when available; on systems without Secret Service support it falls back to a local encryption key in your application data directory. On Linux, OS-backed encryption typically requires GNOME Keyring or KWallet to be running.
API keys
Before you can chat with personal models, add at least one provider API key:
- Open File → Settings (or Cmd/Ctrl+,).
- Select the AI section in the settings sidebar.
- Enter one or more keys:
- OpenAI API key
- Claude API key
- Google Gemini API key
- Click Save.
If you open the AI sidebar before any keys or Team Hub models are available, click Open AI settings in the prompt to jump straight to the AI section.
Only available models appear in the chat model picker. Labels show whether a model uses Team Hub or Personal keys. Supported models:
| Model | Provider |
|---|---|
| GPT-4o | OpenAI |
| GPT-4o Mini | OpenAI |
| Claude 3.5 Sonnet | Claude |
| Claude 3.5 Haiku | Claude |
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | Google Gemini |
| Gemini 1.5 Flash | Google Gemini |
See Settings → AI for key storage details.
Opening the AI sidebar
Show or hide the AI panel from:
- View → AI in the menu bar
- The robot button in the footer (Show/Hide AI sidebar)
Your sidebar visibility preference persists across app restarts. The AI sidebar is hidden while Settings, Team Hub, or Sharing Keys are open.
Using chat
The AI sidebar provides a tabbed chat panel. Use the controls in the chat tab bar and composer to manage conversations.
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| New chat | + button in the chat tab bar |
| Open previous chat | History button (clock icon) → select a chat |
| Close tab | Close button on the tab (the chat remains in history until deleted) |
| Delete chat | History menu → Delete |
| Choose model | Model dropdown in the composer (per chat) |
| Send message | Send or Enter (Shift+Enter for a newline) |
Chats and messages are stored locally in the local database. New chats start as New Chat; the tab title updates from your first message. Open tabs and the active selection persist across restarts. While the model is working, the UI shows Thinking…; errors appear inline below the composer.
What the assistant can do
The assistant reads live HarborClient state through built-in tools. It inspects your workspace and responses, and can perform a few actions when you ask.
Inspect workspace
- The collection selected in the sidebar, and all collections (with variables, headers, auth, and scripts)
- Saved requests in a collection
- Environments and which one is active
- The request open in the editor (summary and full draft, including cookies for the URL host)
- The saved request highlighted in the sidebar
Inspect responses
- Last response summary (status, headers, short body preview, test results)
- Full response body (capped)
- JMESPath queries against JSON response bodies (for example
length(data.items),data.users[*].id)
Actions (only when you ask)
- Send the active request (equivalent to clicking Send)
- Switch or clear the active environment
- Modify the active request (method, URL, params, headers, body, auth, pre/post scripts, cookies)
Changes from the assistant appear in the editor immediately. Saved requests show as unsaved until you save them yourself.
Constraints
- The assistant uses tools to read live app state — it should not invent URLs, headers, or test results.
- It will not send requests or change environments unless you explicitly ask.
- Request edits update the open tab draft only; they are not saved to the collection automatically.
- Very long conversations may hit model context limits; start a new chat if that happens.
Example prompts
- “What collections do I have?”
- “Summarize the last response for this request.”
- “How many items are in the response array?”
- “Send this request and tell me if the tests passed.”
- “Add a post-request script that asserts the response status is 200.”
What's next
- Settings — API key storage and other application preferences
- Making requests — the request editor the assistant reads
- Environments — variables the assistant can inspect and switch
- Collections — saved requests the assistant can list