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

# Active instructions

> See what is guiding a chat, mute a source, and check whether sources work together.

## What this helps you do

More than one thing can guide an agent at the same time: the annotations on the folder you are working in, and the persona applied to the chat. **Active instructions** shows you both, so you can tell what is shaping a chat before you rely on its answers, and step in when two sources pull in different directions.

## See what is active

Select <Icon icon="scroll-text" color="#1F7A5A" /> **Active instructions** in the chat toolbar. Sources are listed under **Persona** and **Folder instructions**, each with its current state.

| State | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Active** | The source reaches the agent on every turn. |
| **Muted** | The source stays listed, but is kept out of this chat. |
| **Pending** | The source is waiting for you to review it before it applies. |
| **No instructions** | Nothing is set for that source. |

When a source is empty, the panel says so directly — for example, "No folder instructions are active."

## Mute a source for one chat

Open **Options** in the panel, then select **Mute a source**. The source stays in the list, marked **Muted**, and stops reaching the agent. Select **Un-mute** to bring it back.

Muting applies only to the chat you are in. It does not change the folder's annotation, and it does not affect your other chats or anyone else's.

## Check whether sources work together

When more than one source is active, select **Run compatibility check**. Collivo reviews the sources together and reports possible conflicts.

| Result | What it means |
| - | - |
| **Cannot both apply** | Following one breaks the other, or leaves it with nothing to apply to. |
| **Order unclear** | Both can apply, but each claims the first move and nothing says which goes first. |
| **Depends on the request** | They work together for some requests and compete for others, depending on what you ask next. |

If there is nothing to report, the panel says the sources stack and can be followed together.

Each finding comes with ways to handle it. When you have decided to keep both sources as they are, select **Mark as reviewed** — both stay active for the chat, and the reminder clears. Select **Check again** after you change an annotation or a persona.

## Expected result

You can see every instruction shaping a chat, keep one out of the way when it does not belong there, and know whether the remaining sources can work together.

## Troubleshooting

* **The agent ignores a folder's guidance:** open **Active instructions** and check whether that source is **Muted** or **Pending** rather than **Active**.
* **A saved annotation has no effect:** confirm the chat is working in that folder, and that the folder's instructions are not muted for this chat.
* **A compatibility result looks out of date:** select **Check again** after editing an annotation or changing the persona.
* **Two sources keep competing:** simplify one of them, or mute the one that does not belong in this chat.

## Related articles

* [Guide the AI with annotations](/ai-and-agents/annotations)
* [Agents](/ai-and-agents/agent-modes)
* [Chat basics](/ai-and-agents/chat-basics)


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