# Sharing modes

The switches in the [Share dialog](share-a-chat.md) determine how guests can work with a chat.

| Intended use | Allow writing | Guest replies for this session only |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Let others read a prepared chat | Off | No effect while writing is off |
| Allow questions without extending the shared history | On | On |
| Continue one conversation together | On | Off |

## Read only

Guests can view the shared chat but cannot send messages. This suits examples, explanations and prepared results.

## Questions in a guest's own session

With **Allow writing** and **Guest replies for this session only**, guests can ask their own questions. New inputs and responses stay outside the shared saved history and disappear on reload. Guests should copy results they need before reloading.

## Continue together

When **Allow writing** is on and **Guest replies for this session only** is off, guest contributions are saved in the shared history. Use this when participants deliberately want to continue the same conversation together.

## Project knowledge for guests

**Use projects** is an additional permission. It allows guest requests to use the selected project sources. Without it, new responses do not draw on that private project knowledge; previously published chat messages remain visible.

The owner's personal memories are not included as background for guest requests. Public guest chats also do not provide access to the owner's personal agent environment.

[Next: ChatBHT agents](../agents/use-agents.md)