Orsa AI's Specialists and Task Plans
How Orsa AI shows its step-by-step plan, hands bigger jobs to specialists like the Script Writer or Content Idea Creator, how many run at once, and how it checks their drafts before you see them.
For bigger requests, Orsa AI works like a team lead. It can:
- Show a plan: a short list of steps it ticks off as it goes.
- Hand work to specialists: AI helpers that each do one kind of job, like writing a video script or researching a topic. They work in the background and Orsa AI reports back when they’re done.
You don’t need to ask for either. Orsa AI decides when a request needs a plan or a specialist. Simple questions get a direct answer.
This guide covers the main Orsa AI chat on the Organize page. For Orsa AI basics, see Meet Orsa AI.
Quick start (5 minutes)
- Open the Organize page and click Ask Orsa AI.
- Ask for something with several parts, like “Research what other bakeries post for Valentine’s Day, then give me 5 ideas for ours.”
- A Plan box appears above the chat box with Orsa AI’s steps. A spinning circle shows the step it’s on.
- Below it, a small list shows the specialists Orsa AI started, with a spinning circle while they work.
- Orsa AI replies that it’ll report back. You can keep chatting or leave the page.
- When the specialists finish, Orsa AI replies on its own with the results, for example as idea cards to approve.
The task plan
When a request needs several steps, Orsa AI writes a plan and updates it as it works. Each step shows:
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Empty circle | Not started yet |
| Spinning circle | Orsa AI is working on it now |
| Green tick, crossed out | Done |
| No-entry sign, crossed out | Skipped. Orsa AI decided it wasn’t needed |
Some steps have a short note under them in italics, like what Orsa AI found or why it skipped a step.
Where to see the plan
- In the Orsa AI panel: the Plan box sits above the chat box.
- In full screen: click Expand. The plan moves to the left sidebar, under Task plan, with each step’s notes under it.
The plan stays in the chat after Orsa AI finishes. A new request with several steps replaces it. Each chat has its own plan.
Example: you ask “Check how our pillars are covered, then draft a script for the weakest one.” The plan shows Check pillar coverage, Pick the weakest pillar, Draft the script and Review the draft, and ticks each off.
Orsa AI’s specialists
Orsa AI can hand work to these specialists:
| Specialist | What it does | What you get back |
|---|---|---|
| Researcher | Digs into a topic on the web and in your brand’s content, posts and memory | Findings with links in the chat |
| Caption Writer | Writes captions in your brand’s voice | 2 to 3 caption options with a hook, call to action and hashtags, in the chat |
| Hook Scriptwriter | Brainstorms openings for short videos | 4 to 6 hook options and rough script beats, in the chat. Nothing is saved |
| Script Writer | Writes a full video script, scene by scene | A card: Orsa AI wants to create a video script |
| Document Writer | Writes a full brief, guide, one-pager or article draft | A card: Orsa AI wants to create a document |
| Email Writer | Writes a full marketing email with subject line and preview text | A card: Orsa AI wants to create a marketing email |
| Design Generator | Makes design slides from a brief, or redoes them from feedback | A card: Orsa AI wants to create a design from generated slides |
| Content Idea Creator | Finds content ideas backed by your own data | Idea cards: Orsa AI wants to create new content idea |
| Brand Voice Auditor | Checks content against your Playbook and voice | What fits, what doesn’t, with quotes and suggested rewrites, in the chat |
| Performance Analyst | Looks at how your posts and accounts are doing | Numbers, dates and what to do differently, in the chat |
| Help Guide | Answers “how do I…” questions about Orsa from these guides, and checks your setup | Steps and links in the chat |
| General Worker | Any other self-contained task | A report in the chat |
Specialists only look things up and write. They can’t change anything in your brand. Drafts and designs reach you only as cards that you approve.
For more on the two most used ones, see Generating Content Ideas with Orsa AI, Drafting Assets and Designs and Getting Help from Orsa AI.
How specialists work
- They don’t read your chat. Orsa AI writes each specialist a short brief and hands over the items it needs, like the idea a script is for. That’s why Orsa AI’s results are only as good as what you’ve told it.
- They work in the background. Orsa AI doesn’t wait. It tells you it’ll report back, and you can keep chatting or close the panel.
- Orsa AI reports back on its own. When all the specialists in a hand-off are done, Orsa AI replies with the results, without you sending a message. If Orsa AI is in the middle of another reply, it reports back right after. If a question card is waiting, it reports back after you answer or dismiss it.
- They look things up like Orsa AI does. Your brand details, content, memory, performance numbers, Discover and the web. They don’t save to Brand Memory.
How many specialists run at once
- Orsa AI can start up to 3 specialists at a time in one hand-off.
- A chat can have up to 2 hand-offs running at once, so up to 6 specialists.
- If you ask for more while 2 hand-offs are still running, Orsa AI waits for one to finish first.
See what specialists are doing
In the Orsa AI panel, a small list above the chat box shows each specialist’s name and its job, in Orsa AI’s words, like “Content Idea Creator: Research Valentine’s posts from local bakeries”.
In full screen, the same list is in the left sidebar under Subagents.
| Icon | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Empty circle | Waiting to start |
| Spinning circle | Working |
| Green tick | Done |
| Red exclamation mark | Failed |
The list shows while specialists work and for about 5 minutes after they finish. Then it disappears.
You can also ask Orsa AI “How are those coming along?” It checks and tells you.
Orsa AI checks drafts before you see them
Specialists don’t show you their work directly. Orsa AI reads it first.
Scripts, documents and emails. When a writer finishes, Orsa AI reads the draft. It may fix small things itself, like the title or which idea it’s linked to. If the draft misses the point, Orsa AI can throw it away and ask for a new one. You only see a draft once Orsa AI has read it and shown it to you as a card.
Designs. Orsa AI checks the slides the Design Generator made. If they miss the mark, it asks for a revised version with its feedback. Then it shows you a card with a slide preview.
Ideas. Orsa AI reads the Content Idea Creator’s list and turns the ideas worth keeping into idea cards.
Nothing is saved until you click Approve on the card. See Approving Orsa AI’s Actions.
When a specialist fails
A specialist can fail, for example when a job needs more steps than it’s allowed. You see a red exclamation mark next to it. Orsa AI still reports back with what the other specialists found, and tells you what didn’t work.
To try again:
- Ask Orsa AI to retry, or
- break the job into something smaller, like one script instead of three.
Specialists and AI credits
Orsa AI needs AI credits to start specialists. If your brand is out of AI credits, Orsa AI can’t start them and tells you so.
Orsa AI’s replies use credits, including the reply where it reports back. Designs the Design Generator makes use credits too. See Credits and Limits.
Specialists in the editors
The Orsa AI tab in the Design editor can also hand work to the Design Generator to add new slides. The Orsa AI tabs in the Document, Transcript and Marketing Email editors don’t use specialists or task plans. See Orsa AI in the Editors.
Ideas for using specialists
Research two things at once.
A dog groomer asks “Look into what pet shops in our town post on TikTok, and separately, what pet owners complain about online with grooming.” Orsa AI starts two Researchers and reports both.
Get a script and a caption together.
A coffee roaster asks “Write a 30-second Reel script for our idea ‘How we roast’, plus 3 caption options for it.” Orsa AI starts the Script Writer and the Caption Writer at once.
Check a draft against your voice.
An accountant asks “Does our ‘Tax deadline’ email sound like us?” Orsa AI hands it to the Brand Voice Auditor and lists anything off-brand, with rewrites.
Ask how the app works.
“Why isn’t my signal rule finding anything?” Orsa AI asks the Help Guide, which checks the rule’s setup and tells you what to change.
Tips for the best results
- Ask for independent jobs together. “Research A and research B” runs both at once. “Research A, then use it for B” runs one after the other.
- Give Orsa AI the details. Specialists only see Orsa AI’s brief, so tell Orsa AI the platform, audience, length and goal.
- Tag the item. Use @idea or @email so Orsa AI can hand the right item to the specialist. See Mentions and Files.
- Let it finish. Wait for Orsa AI to report back before asking for the same thing again.
- Give feedback on the card’s content. If a draft isn’t right, click Cancel and say why. Orsa AI asks for a better one.
Common questions
Orsa AI said it would report back, but nothing happened. Check the specialist list above the chat box, or Subagents in full screen. A spinning circle means they’re still working. Bigger jobs, like designs, take longer. If a question card is waiting, answer or dismiss it first. You can also ask “Are those done yet?”
I don’t see a plan. Orsa AI only makes a plan for requests with several steps. Simple requests don’t get one.
The Subagents list disappeared. It hides about 5 minutes after the specialists finish. Orsa AI’s reply in the chat has the results.
Can I pick which specialist Orsa AI uses? You can ask, like “Have the Researcher look into this.” Orsa AI decides in the end, based on the job.
Can I stop a specialist? No. Once started, it runs until it’s done or fails. You can cancel the card it produces.
Orsa AI’s specialist said something about my brand that’s wrong. Correct Orsa AI in the chat. Orsa AI can save the correction to Brand Memory, so its specialists get it right next time.
Do teammates see my plan or specialists? No. They belong to your chat, which is private to you. See Conversations and History.
Was this helpful? Tell us what worked or what was missing athello@orsa.social.