Getting Started

Using Contexts

A context is a persistent unit of work in Quarterback. Each context is its own conversation thread with an independent turn history, working directory, and learned knowledge. Think of contexts like branches — each one tracks a separate line of work.

The Scratchpad

Your personal org automatically gets a Scratchpad context when you first sign in. Use it for quick tasks, one-off questions, or exploration. It works like any other context — just start typing.

Creating a Context

For focused work, create a named context:

Click New Context in the sidebar
Select an org (skipped if you only have one with an active subscription)
Choose a repository from the list
Pick the local folder where that repo is cloned — Quarterback verifies the git remote matches

The selected folder becomes the context’s working directory — that’s where Athena reads files, runs shell commands, and writes code.

Subscription Required

You need an active subscription (trial or paid plan) to create contexts. If none of your orgs have an active subscription, the app will prompt you to activate one. Click Go to Quarterback to open the web app where you can start a free trial or subscribe to a plan, then click Refresh subscriptions in the desktop app to continue.

Folder Verification

When you select a folder, Quarterback checks the directory’s git remotes to confirm it matches the repo you selected. You’ll see one of three outcomes:

Result	What Happens
Match	Context is created and ready to use
Mismatch	The folder’s remote doesn’t match — pick a different folder
Error	The folder isn’t a git repo or has no remotes

Switching Contexts

Click any context in the sidebar to switch to it. When you switch:

The chat clears (each context has its own conversation)
The working directory changes to the context’s stored path
Athena’s memory for that context is loaded automatically

You can have multiple contexts per org and switch between them freely.

The sidebar groups contexts by org:

Personal org is expanded by default
Team orgs are collapsed but expandable
Each context shows its title, turn count, and last activity time
Only orgs with an active subscription appear in the sidebar

You can toggle Show completed to see finished contexts alongside active ones.

Resuming a Context

When you come back to a context — even after restarting the app — Athena picks up where you left off. Turn numbers never reset, so Athena always has a consistent timeline of your work.

Recent turns from previous sessions are automatically injected into the conversation, so Athena remembers what you were working on without you having to repeat yourself.

Completing a Context

When you’re done with a piece of work, the context can be marked as completed. Completed contexts:

Move to the completed list in the sidebar
Show a checkmark badge in the activity timeline
Preserve all their turn history and extracted knowledge
Can be reopened at any time — just select a completed context and it reactivates automatically

Knowledge Across Contexts

Knowledge flows between contexts within the same org:

Rules and decisions (L3) are org-wide — they apply to every context
Codebase insights and preferences are stored at the org level and retrieved when relevant
Turn history is context-specific — each context has its own timeline

This means if Athena learns a rule in one context (e.g., “always use pnpm”), it applies in all your other contexts in that org.

Autonomous Contexts

You may see contexts with a bot icon in the sidebar. These are autonomous contexts created by background workers. They’re read-only — you can view their conversation and cost history, but you can’t send messages in them.