Your project. Multiple AI experts. One shared brain.
Working on something big? Imagine having a team of AI specialists: one researching, another drafting, a third reviewing and fact-checking. All sharing the same files, the same memory, the same context. That's exactly what Shared Topics delivers.
With most AI tools, every conversation starts from scratch. With SAM, conversations collaborate. Decisions made in one conversation are instantly available to others. Files created by one agent are visible to all. Knowledge compounds over time.
This guide covers: - How Shared Topics transform complex project work - When to use them (and when regular conversations work better) - Step-by-step setup for your first shared workspace - Real-world workflows that become simpler with shared context
Let's build something big together.
Shared Topics are named workspaces where multiple conversations collaborate on the same project.
The Core Idea: Instead of each conversation having its own isolated workspace, shared topics create a common workspace that multiple conversations can access together.
What Gets Shared:
- 📁 Files: All conversations see the same directory (~/SAM/{topic-name}/)
- 🧠 Memory: Memories stored by one conversation accessible to all
- 💻 Terminal Sessions: Working directory shared across conversations
- 📄 Documents: RAG documents imported once, searchable by all
What Stays Separate: - Conversation history (messages) - Model selection - System prompts - Advanced parameters
✅ Complex Projects with Multiple Aspects
Example: Web Application Development
- One conversation handles frontend
- Another handles backend
- Another handles database
- Another handles testing
All working in the same ~/SAM/My Web App/ directory
✅ Team-Like Collaboration
Example: Research Project
- Literature review conversation
- Data analysis conversation
- Writing conversation
All accessing the same papers and findings
✅ Specialized Workflows
Example: Content Creation
- Research conversation gathers information
- Writing conversation creates content
- Editing conversation refines output
All sharing source materials and drafts
❌ Unrelated Projects
Personal notes + Work project = Use separate conversations
❌ Privacy-Sensitive Work
Different clients' projects = Keep isolated
❌ Temporary Explorations
Quick experiments = Use regular conversation
In the Shared Topics section: 1. Enter a descriptive name in the "Topic name" field: - ✅ Good: "My Web Application", "Research Project 2025" - ❌ Avoid: "Project1", "Stuff", "Test" 2. Add description in the "Description (optional)" field: - Example: "Family vacation to Japan, 10 days, budget $4,000" 3. Click the Create button
After creation:
- Topic appears in list
- Directory created at ~/SAM/{topic-name}/
- Topic available for selection in conversations
Verify in Terminal:
ls ~/SAM/
# You should see your topic directory
Step 1: Enable Shared Topic Toggle - In the conversation toolbar, find the "Shared Topic" toggle - Turn it ON
Step 2: Select Your Topic - When enabled, a topic picker dropdown appears next to the toggle - Select your topic from the dropdown - If no topics exist, click the orange "No Topics - Create One" link to open Preferences
Step 3: Verify
- Working directory should show: ~/SAM/{topic-name}/
- Memory scope changes to topic scope
Before (Regular Conversation):
Working Directory: ~/SAM/My Conversation/
└── Files isolated to this conversation
After (Shared Topic Enabled):
Working Directory: ~/SAM/My Web Application/
└── Files shared across all conversations using this topic
Scenario: Planning a research project
Setup: 1. Create shared topic "Q4 Market Research" 2. Create conversations: - "Data Collection" - "Analysis" - "Report Writing" - "Presentation" 3. Enable shared topic in each conversation 4. Select "Q4 Market Research" from dropdown
Result:
All conversations now work in ~/SAM/Q4 Market Research/
Goal: Plan a complex family vacation across multiple conversations
Setup:
Shared Topic: "Japan Trip 2025"
Conversations:
1. "Research" - Finds destinations, attractions, and tips
2. "Itinerary" - Builds the day-by-day plan
3. "Budget" - Tracks costs and finds deals
4. "Packing & Logistics" - Visas, packing lists, bookings
Workflow:
Research conversation:
You: What are the best areas to stay in Tokyo for first-timers?
SAM: [Searches for current recommendations]
Saved summary to ~/SAM/Japan Trip 2025/research/tokyo-areas.md
Itinerary conversation:
You: Read the research notes and build a 10-day itinerary
SAM: [Reads tokyo-areas.md and other research from shared workspace]
Created ~/SAM/Japan Trip 2025/itinerary.md with day-by-day plan
Budget conversation:
You: Based on our itinerary, estimate the total cost for 2 adults
SAM: [Reads itinerary.md from shared workspace]
Estimated total: $3,800 - breakdown saved to budget.md
Benefits: - Each conversation stays focused on its purpose - Research automatically available to itinerary planning - Budget pulls from the actual itinerary, not guesses - All notes organized in one shared folder
Goal: Write a research paper
Setup:
Shared Topic: "AI Safety Research"
Conversations:
1. "Literature Review" - Reads and summarizes papers
2. "Data Analysis" - Analyzes research data
3. "Writing" - Drafts paper sections
4. "Citations" - Manages references
Workflow:
Literature Review Conversation:
You: Import these 15 research papers
SAM: Imported to ~/SAM/AI Safety Research/papers/
All indexed for semantic search
You: Summarize key themes across papers
SAM: [Analyzes all papers]
Key themes: 1) Alignment problem 2) Value learning...
[Stores summary in shared memory]
Writing Conversation:
You: Write introduction section using the literature review
SAM: [Retrieves summaries from shared memory]
[Reads paper summaries from shared directory]
Drafting introduction...
Citations Conversation:
You: Generate bibliography from all cited papers
SAM: [Scans papers/ directory and writing/ drafts]
Creating bibliography.bib...
Goal: Plan and manage a kitchen renovation across research, budgeting, and contractor coordination
Setup:
Shared Topic: "Kitchen Renovation"
Conversations:
1. "Design Research" - Styles, materials, inspiration
2. "Budget Tracking" - Cost estimates and contractor quotes
3. "Project Timeline" - Sequencing work and scheduling
Workflow:
Design Research:
You: Research modern farmhouse kitchen styles and cabinet options under $8,000
SAM: [Searches and compiles options]
Saved research and links to ~/SAM/Kitchen Renovation/design-options.md
Budget Tracking:
You: I have three contractor quotes [pastes quotes]. Which is best value?
SAM: [Reads design-options.md for context]
Quote 2 covers everything in your design plan at the best rate.
Saved comparison to budget-analysis.md
Project Timeline:
You: Build a realistic project timeline given we can't use the kitchen for more than 3 weeks
SAM: [Reads budget and design docs from shared workspace]
Created timeline.md - cabinets go in week 1, countertops week 2...
Good Names (descriptive and specific): - "Customer Portal Project" - "AI Chatbot MVP" - "Q1 2025 Website Redesign"
Bad Names (avoid these): - Generic: "Project", "Work", "Stuff" - Vague: "Project1", "Test", "New" - Too long: "The complete redesign of our customer-facing..."
Use Clear, Descriptive Names:
✅ Good:
- "Research & Sources"
- "Draft Writing"
- "Budget Tracking"
❌ Avoid:
- "Conversation 1"
- "Work"
- "Main"
Find the Right Level of Specialization:
Too Broad:
❌ One conversation trying to do everything
Too Narrow:
❌ Separate conversation for each tiny file
Just Right:
✅ One conversation per major component or aspect
Create Clear Structure:
~/SAM/My Research Project/
├── sources/
│ ├── papers/
│ ├── interviews/
│ └── data/
├── drafts/
│ ├── outline.md
│ └── sections/
├── notes/
└── final/
Benefits: - Easy to navigate - Clear ownership - Prevents conflicts
Store Project Decisions:
Research conversation:
"Remember: We chose only including peer-reviewed studies from 2020-2025"
Later in Writing conversation:
"What sources are we drawing from?"
→ SAM retrieves from shared memory
Tag Appropriately:
Store with tags:
- "sources"
- "decisions"
- "key-findings"
Easy to find later across conversations
When Your Project is Complete: 1. Export important conversations to save them 2. Backup the workspace directory 3. Delete the shared topic (if you no longer need it) 4. Or keep the topic but disable it in conversations to isolate them
⚠️ WARNING: Deleting a topic deletes ALL shared memories for that topic!
Problem: Files created in one conversation don't appear in another
Solutions: 1. Verify Both Use Same Topic: Check settings in both conversations 2. Refresh: Close and reopen conversation 3. Check Directory: Verify files actually in ~/SAM/{topic-name}/ 4. Case Sensitivity: macOS is case-insensitive but preserves case
Problem: Information stored in one conversation not retrievable in another
Solutions: 1. Both Must Use Topic: Enable shared topics in both conversations 2. Same Topic Selected: Verify topic name matches exactly 3. Wait for Sync: Memory operations may take a moment 4. Check Threshold: Lower similarity threshold when searching
Problem: Not sure which directory SAM is using
Solutions: 1. Check Settings Panel: Working directory shown clearly 2. Ask SAM: "What's my current working directory?" 3. List Files: "List files in current directory" 4. Use Reveal in Finder: Click folder icon in toolbar
Problem: Changed files in wrong topic workspace
Solutions: 1. Check Git History: If using version control, revert 2. Restore from Backup: If you have backups 3. Review Changes: Ask SAM to show recent file modifications 4. Be Careful: Always verify working directory before operations
Problem: Multiple topics with similar names
Solutions: 1. Rename Topics: Give more descriptive names 2. Add Dates: "Project Alpha - 2025", "Project Alpha - 2024" 3. Delete Unused: Remove old topics to avoid confusion
A Powerful Combination: Enable a shared topic, then spawn subagents. All subagents automatically work in the same workspace.
Main Conversation: "My App" shared topic enabled
Spawn subagents that collaborate:
├── "API Development" subagent → works in ~/SAM/My App/api/
├── "UI Design" subagent → works in ~/SAM/My App/ui/
└── "Testing" subagent → reads both api/ and ui/
All subagents share the same workspace and knowledge!
Create organized structure:
~/SAM/
├── Client A - Project 1/
├── Client A - Project 2/
├── Client B - Project 1/
└── Personal - Research/
Each is separate topic, but organized by prefix.
Easily switch between different project contexts by enabling/disabling shared topics:
One Conversation: "Architecture Design"
Context 1: Personal Project
- Enable shared topics
- Select "Personal Web App" topic
- Work on your personal code
Context 2: Work Project
- Enable shared topics
- Select "Client XYZ App" topic
- Work on client code
Context 3: Isolated Experiment
- Disable shared topics
- Work in isolated ~/SAM/Architecture Design/ directory
Learn More: - Memory & RAG - Understanding shared memory - Advanced Workflows - Complex patterns - Features Overview - All SAM capabilities
Try It Out: 1. Create your first shared topic 2. Set up 2-3 specialized conversations 3. Work on a small project together 4. Experience the collaboration power!
Unlock SAM's full collaborative potential with Shared Topics!