---
title: Minds as Assistants
sidebarTitle: Minds as Assistants
---

Assistants enable Minds to engage in conversational interactions, keeping track of the conversational context. This contrasts with the [Chat Completions endpoint](/minds/rest_api/chat), which handles one-time requests without *remembering* past interactions.

Here’s how to use **Minds as Assistants**:

1. [Create a conversation Thread](/minds/rest_api/create_thread) and save the Thread ID.
2. [Create a Message](/minds/rest_api/create_message) assigning it to the Thread. This is a question sent to the Mind.
3. [List Messages](/minds/rest_api/list_messages) assigned to the Thread to ensure your message has been sent.
4. [Create a Run](/minds/rest_api/create_run) assigning it to the Thread and providing the name of the [Mind created with this endpoint](/minds/rest_api/create_mind), and save the Run ID.
5. [Retrieve a Run](/minds/rest_api/retrieve_run) assigned to the Thread to check the status of the Run. The status should read complete.
6. [List Messages](/minds/rest_api/list_messages) assigned to the Thread that should contain the response from the Mind.
