Threads

A thread is a conversation with your agent. Each time you start a new investigation or ask a question, you create a thread that maintains context throughout the conversation.

Thread sources

Threads are created from different sources:

Source	Description
Conversation	You start a chat in the portal
Incident	An incident from PagerDuty, ServiceNow, or Azure Monitor triggers investigation
Scheduled task	A scheduled task runs and creates a thread for its output
Teams	You tag your agent in a Teams channel or direct message
Alert	A webhook or alert triggers your agent
Daily report	Automated daily summary of your agent's activity
Best practices	Security and operational recommendations from your agent
Playground	Test threads created in the Test playground
Welcome message	Initial welcome thread when you first access an agent
Agent	Agent proactively creates a thread (e.g., for monitoring alerts)

Thread organization

Threads appear in the sidebar, organized into two categories:

Section	Purpose
Favorites	Threads you pinned for quick access
Chats	All other conversations

The thread sidebar with Favorites and Chats categories, filter buttons, and the thread list.

Each thread in the sidebar displays its title. Unread threads appear in bold text, making them easy to spot.

Filtering threads

Two filter buttons at the top of the thread list help you find relevant conversations:

Filter	What it shows
Unread	Only threads you haven't read yet
Mine	Only threads you started (excludes scheduled tasks and agent-initiated threads)

The Mine filter is active by default — when you open the sidebar, you see your own threads first. Toggle it off to see all threads on the agent.

When active, a filter button appears filled (blue). You can activate both filters at the same time — only threads matching both conditions appear.

The Mine filter (blue) hides automated threads like scheduled tasks, showing only conversations you started.

The Unread filter (blue) shows only threads you haven't read yet. Combine it with Mine to see only your unread conversations.

Thread status

Status	Meaning
In Progress	Agent is actively working
Pending User Input	Agent is waiting for your response or approval
Complete	Investigation finished

Managing threads

Right-click any thread in the sidebar — or select the ... (More options) menu — to access thread actions:

Right-click a thread or select More options to access thread actions.

Action	Description
Add to favorites	Pin the thread to the Favorites section for quick access
Info	View thread details including thread ID, creation date, and source
Copy link to thread	Copy a deep link to share with teammates
Rename	Change the thread title
Delete	Permanently remove the thread

Favorited threads appear in the Favorites section at the top of the sidebar.

Thread detail view

Select a thread to open it. The title bar shows the thread name, a ... (More options) menu, and a View trace button when Application Insights is configured.

A thread detail view showing the conversation, tool calls, and action approval cards.

Searching threads

Select Search threads in the sidebar to open the search dialog. Type any part of a thread title, or paste a full or partial thread ID, to find a specific conversation.

The search dialog displays matching threads with their title, ID, and a preview of the last message.

Search results display each thread's title, unique ID, and a preview of the last message. Your search text is highlighted wherever it matches — in the title, the ID, or both.

When to search by thread ID:

Scenario	How it helps
Debugging	Paste a thread ID from logs or monitoring tools to jump directly to the conversation
Collaboration	A teammate shares a thread ID for you to review
Cross-referencing	Navigate to a thread linked from an incident report or support ticket

Finding a thread's ID

Right-click any thread in the sidebar and select Info. The dialog displays the thread ID with a Copy button, making it easy to share with teammates or reference in documentation.

Image zoom

When your agent generates or displays images in the chat (charts, diagrams, screenshots), click any image to open it in a fullscreen overlay. Inside the overlay:

Interaction	How
Zoom in/out	Scroll the mouse wheel, press +/− keys, or use the toolbar buttons
Pan	Click and drag when zoomed in
Reset view	Press 0 or click the reset button in the toolbar
Close	Press Escape, click the × button, or click outside the image

A scale indicator in the toolbar shows the current zoom percentage (zoom range: 25%–500%).

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Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Alt+N	Start a new chat thread
Alt+S	Open the thread search dialog

Shortcut hints appear next to the corresponding buttons in the sidebar. Shortcuts are ignored when focus is inside a text input field or when modifier keys (Ctrl, Shift) are held.

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Chat commands

Type / or # in the chat input to access quick commands:

Type / or # in the chat input to see available commands.

Command	Description	Learn more
/agent	Switch to a specific custom agent	Custom Agents
/clear	Start a fresh thread	-
/compact	Summarize and compress conversation history	-
/incident	List all incidents	Incident Response
/resource	List agent-managed resources	-
#remember	Save information to agent memory	Memory
#retrieve	Recall saved information from memory	Memory
#forget	Remove information from agent memory	Memory

Conversation compaction

Long conversations are automatically compacted to stay within token limits. When this happens, you see a "Compacting conversation..." message in the chat, similar to tool execution feedback.

Compaction preserves key context while reducing token usage. Your agent continues to remember important facts and decisions from earlier in the conversation.

You can also manually trigger compaction using the /compact command to summarize the current conversation.

Table sorting

Markdown tables with numeric columns sort numerically (1, 2, 12) rather than lexicographically (1, 12, 2).

Test threads

When testing your agent configuration in the Test playground, you create test threads that run in read-only mode. Test threads:

• Are separate from production threads in the sidebar
• Do not execute real actions against your Azure resources
• Let you validate prompt changes, tool configurations, and agent behavior safely

Test threads appear with a distinct label so you can tell them apart from real conversations.

Related

Resource	Why it matters
Memory & Knowledge	How your agent remembers information
Incident Response	Threads created from incidents