> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.askorbit.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Orbit Works

> A quick overview of the Orbit experience

Orbit runs in your menu bar and gives you two main ways to work: **The Brief** for proactive updates, and **The Assistant** for on-demand help.

## The Brief

Click the Orbit icon in your menu bar to see The Brief — a feed of cards showing what needs your attention.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/rolodexguru/images/the-brief-cards.png" alt="The Brief showing meeting and relationship cards" />
</Frame>

Cards include:

* **Upcoming meetings** with prep suggestions
* **Birthdays and anniversaries** for people in your network
* **Check-in reminders** for relationships you haven't touched base on
* **Follow-ups** from recent meetings

Each card has an action button. Click it to run the associated workflow.

<Card title="Learn about The Brief" icon="newspaper" href="/the-brief/overview">
  See all the card types and how to use them
</Card>

## The Assistant

Press your keyboard shortcut (default: `⌘ + Shift + O`) to open The Assistant and ask questions or run workflows.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/rolodexguru/images/assistant-chat.png" alt="Assistant chat interface" />
</Frame>

Try asking:

* "Who should I follow up with this week?"
* "What do I know about Acme Corp?"
* "Prep me for my next meeting"

Or run workflows directly:

* `/meeting-prep`
* `/weekly-planning`
* `/company-deep-dive #Acme`

<Card title="Using the Assistant" icon="message" href="/assistant/overview">
  Learn what you can ask and how to run workflows
</Card>

## Workflows

Workflows are the glue. Every Brief card connects to a workflow, and you can run workflows from The Assistant.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/rolodexguru/images/workflow-running.png" alt="Workflow executing and showing results" />
</Frame>

When you run a workflow, Orbit:

1. Gathers information from your connected apps
2. Pulls context about relevant people and companies
3. Processes everything and gives you useful output

You can use the 45+ built-in workflows or create your own.

<Card title="Working with workflows" icon="arrow-progress" href="/workflows/overview">
  Run, customize, and create workflows
</Card>

## Tokens

When typing in The Assistant or creating workflows, use these shortcuts:

| Type     | Character | Example              |
| -------- | --------- | -------------------- |
| Person   | `@`       | `@Sarah Chen`        |
| Company  | `#`       | `#Acme Corp`         |
| App      | `{!}`     | `{!google-calendar}` |
| Workflow | `/`       | `/meeting-prep`      |
| Location | `&`       | `&San Francisco`     |

As you type, Orbit suggests matches from your network and connected apps.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintlify.s3.us-west-1.amazonaws.com/rolodexguru/images/typeahead-suggestions.png" alt="Typeahead showing contact suggestions" />
</Frame>

<Card title="Token reference" icon="code" href="/concepts/token-system">
  Full guide to the token system
</Card>