Desktop Quickstart

This guide walks you through everything from installation to your first AI-powered workspace conversation.

Step 1: Download and Install

Download the latest Cosmo desktop app for your platform from cosmo.dev/download.

After installation, launch Cosmo from your Applications folder (macOS) or Start Menu (Windows).

Step 2: Create Your Account

When Cosmo opens for the first time, you'll see a sign-in screen. Click Sign in with browser — this opens your default browser to complete authentication via Clerk.

If you don't have an account yet:

1. Click Sign up on the browser auth page
2. Enter your work email and create a password, or sign in with Google
3. Verify your email if prompted
4. Return to the desktop app — it detects the completed auth automatically

Step 3: Create Your Organization

If this is your first time signing in, Cosmo's onboarding flow will guide you through creating an organization. An organization is your team's shared workspace — it owns billing, members, and integrations.

1. Enter your organization name (usually your company or team name)
2. Choose whether this is for personal use or a team
3. Complete the brief onboarding chat — Cosmo uses this to set up your initial memory and context

Your organization comes with a 14-day free trial of the Standard plan — no credit card required.

Step 4: Explore the Interface

Once signed in, you'll see Cosmo's three-panel layout:

┌─────────────┬──────────────────────┬─────────────────────┐
│   Sidebar   │      Chat Panel      │     Hub Panel       │
│             │                      │                     │
│ • Sessions  │  Your conversation   │  Artifacts,         │
│ • Dashboard │  with AI             │  tasks, workspaces, │
│ • Profile   │                      │  integrations       │
└─────────────┴──────────────────────┴─────────────────────┘

Sidebar — navigate between sessions, access your dashboard, and manage your account.

Chat Panel — your primary interaction with AI. Type messages, see responses stream in, and watch AI use your connected tools in real time.

Hub Panel — where artifacts appear. When AI generates a document, report, or visualization, it shows up here. Switch between Dashboard, Tasks, Workspaces, and Connectors using the tabs at the top.

Step 5: Create Your First Workspace

Workspaces are the primary containers for your work. Each workspace has its own memory, artifacts, and context. Create one by talking to AI:

"Create a workspace for our Q3 product planning"

Or use the Workspaces tab in the Hub panel and click New Workspace.

Good workspace names are specific to a project or initiative: "Q3 Product Planning", "Customer Onboarding Redesign", "Sales Enablement Materials".

Step 6: Connect Your First Tool

Connecting tools gives AI direct access to the services your team uses. Navigate to Settings → Integrations (click your profile in the sidebar, then Settings).

Choose an integration from the list — for example, Google Drive:

1. Click Connect
2. Click Authorize in the OAuth popup that appears
3. Grant the requested permissions in your browser
4. Return to Cosmo — the integration shows as Connected

Once connected, you can talk to AI about your tools naturally:

"Find the Q2 marketing brief in Google Drive and summarize it"

"Create a task in Linear for the homepage redesign"

See Available Integrations for the full list of supported tools.

Step 7: Start Your First Conversation

You're ready. Click in the chat panel and start typing. A few things to know:

• AI sees your workspace context — if you're in a workspace, the AI knows what it is and can use workspace memory
• Tools are available automatically — connected integrations are available in every conversation without any setup
• Artifacts appear in the Hub — when AI creates a document or report, look to the Hub panel on the right
• Sessions are saved — every conversation is saved and searchable from the sidebar

Try something like:

"I'm starting a new project. Help me create an executive brief for our Q3 product strategy. We're focusing on improving user retention."

Watch AI draft an artifact in the Hub, which you can refine through follow-up conversation.

Keyboard Shortcuts

What's Next