Glossary

Glossary

Every word you'll meet on screen or in these docs, explained as plainly as possible. If a term is unfamiliar, type it into the search box above.

The basics

Term	Meaning	More
Thread	One conversation for one piece of work, per project or topic	Threads and the composer
Child thread / branch	A separate conversation created when the topic forks. The original stays clean	Branching
Chapter	A break in a long conversation. The essentials carry over so it stays fast	Chapters
Mode	What kind of work this is: chat, image, video, article, audio or code	Choosing a mode
Composer	The input area at the bottom, holding equipment, attachments, engine and send options	The composer
Equipment	What a thread carries: knowledge, skills, roles, external connections, code	Equipping
Note	A free-form scratchpad. Open it with `⌘`+`J`	Notes
Archive	Where things go when removed from a list. Not deletion — you can bring them back	Archive

AI terms

Term	Meaning
Engine	The AI doing the thinking. Choose from Claude, ChatGPT, Kimi or Gemini
Model	A variant within one engine — some cleverer but slower, some fast and light
Subscription	Your monthly plan. WorkPilot runs on the one you already pay for
API key	A long string that grants access to a service, billed by usage
Token	The unit an AI reads and writes in. Shown as a rough usage measure
Credit	The balance video generation spends. When it's gone, generation stops
Prompt	The instruction you give the AI. These docs just call it “the instruction”
Session	The conversational state the AI is holding. Rebuild it with ⟳ Reset session

Computer terms

Term	Meaning
Terminal	A text-based window for instructing your Mac. It ships with macOS. It opens automatically during sign-in, but you don't need to type in it
CLI	A program that runs in Terminal. Each AI vendor publishes one officially
DMG	The file format Mac apps ship in. Open it and drag the app across
Keychain	Where macOS stores passwords encrypted. API keys go here
Gatekeeper	The macOS check that blocks unknown apps — the source of “cannot verify the developer”
OAuth	Signing in without handing your password to the other app. That's what the browser sign-in is
MCP	A way to give an AI access to an external service's capabilities. The video engine connects this way
Tailscale	Free software for reaching your home or office Mac securely from elsewhere. Used by the phone remote
SMTP	The settings for sending email. Used to deliver loop results

Knowledge and procedure

Term	Meaning	More
Knowledge	Documents, context and rules the AI reads first, so you stop repeating yourself	Knowledge
OKF	The format knowledge is stored in. Ordinary Markdown, so other AI tools can read it too	How it's stored
Skill	A way of working saved as a procedure, callable from any thread	Skills
Role	A specialism and persona given to the AI. There are 17, from writer to reviewer	AI team
AI team	Several roles working in parallel, with a commander dividing the stages	AI team
Digital twin	An agent that learns how you decide and speak. The more it learns, the more you can delegate	Your digital twin

Running and automating

Term	Meaning	More
Approval mode	How much the AI may do unattended: ask every time / auto approve / bypass	Approval mode
Work mode (run to completion)	Resumes automatically when a reply ends mid-task	Work mode
Autonomous run	Repeats execute and verify, showing the number of laps	Autonomous runs
Loop	Runs on your conditions at your chosen time, repeatedly	Loops
Queue	Stack up your next instruction while the AI is still working	Queueing
Commitments	The rules that always require confirmation: money, production systems, deletion	How much to delegate

Ideas behind the design

Automation and memory in WorkPilot are built on two ideas. Neither needs a notation, a config file or a diagram tool — talking and clicking your way through the app is what produces the shape.

Term	Meaning	More
Loop engineering	Designing the work that repeats. You talk a job into shape, it runs at the time you chose, and each lap you look at what came back and adjust. Every lap it offers one rule that would save you from being asked the same thing again — you decide whether to keep it	Loops (scheduled runs)
Graph engineering	Designing what is remembered and what gets handed over. Instead of pushing everything into one long conversation, threads split into a parent-child graph and a child hands back only its conclusion, so the detour never crowds the parent	Branching into a child thread

Creating media

Term	Meaning	More
Composition	The editor where material becomes a finished video	The editor
Media pool	Where generated and uploaded material collects	Media pool
Scene	One shot within a composition	Starting a composition
Caption	Text laid over the picture	Captions
Narration / music lane	Where sound sits, split between spoken audio and music	Adding sound
Final export	The finished video written out as a single file	Exporting
Auto-subtitles	Subtitles transcribed automatically from narration audio	Auto-subtitles

Term	Meaning	More
Team space	Where a team shares the same threads, knowledge and code	Team spaces
Join code	The passphrase for joining a space. Paste it and you're in	Inviting members
Storage folder	Where conversations, knowledge and output are actually saved	Where data lives
Backup	A daily automatic copy. Pick a date to restore	Backups
Secrets scan	The check for keys and .env files before sharing	Scanning for secrets
Remote	The screen for driving your Mac's WorkPilot from a phone browser	Phone remote

Related pages

Troubleshooting by symptom — when something isn't working
Install and first-time setup — the initial setup
Keyboard shortcuts — working faster