Connect Work to a folder on your Mac, manage permissions, use collection folders, and review or restore changes.
A project folder connects a Work chat to files on your Mac. Work can read and search that folder, and, with read and write access, create, edit, save, and organize files there. You can use an ordinary folder of documents or a Git repository. Git is optional. Local folder tasks require Work access. Keep Gab AI open and your Mac awake and online while Work needs the folder. Files the agent reads are sent to Gab AI’s cloud agent.
In the Mac sidebar, use the add control beside Projects to open Create project. Enter a Project name, choose Add under Source folder, and select an existing folder with the desired access. Choose Create project to save the connection and open a new Work composer. This connects a folder; it does not generate project files or send a task until you give Work instructions. You can also connect a folder directly from the Work composer as described below. If Remote automatically shares your Mac projects, this new saved folder is included with its permitted access.
Review the documents in this project folder. Summarize what each file covers, identify missing information, and suggest a clearer folder structure. Do not change any files.Read-only lets Work inspect and search files and review Git changes. Read & write also lets it edit, create, save, organize, and move files to Trash. Open the project folder menu → Manage folder access…, or Settings → Mac app → Folder access → Manage folder access. Search for a folder and select Make read-only, or Allow edits… followed by Allow read & write. Changes apply to every task connected to that saved folder on this Mac. An operation already running may finish; other saved folder grants are managed separately.
The project folder selection is saved on this Mac. Use the Projects section of the sidebar to return to a project and its chats. In the folder picker, search by folder name or path; the path helps distinguish folders with the same name. An uploaded file is a reference stored with your account. A project folder is a connection to a directory on this Mac. Uploading one document does not grant access to its neighboring files. Conversely, choosing a folder allows Work to use the files permitted within that folder. Choose a specific project directory rather than a broad folder when only that project is needed.
Open a collection’s settings in the Mac app and find Folder on this Mac. Choose a project folder there. New Work chats in that collection use the folder automatically, and the selection saves immediately on this Mac. Existing chats keep their own folder connections when you change the collection’s selection. A collection organizes chats and uploaded files in your account; Folder on this Mac adds access to a local directory for new Work chats. To use those local files from your phone, set up Remote.
Recovery history contains originals saved before supported Work file operations. It is separate from Git commits and from a full Mac backup. Files changed by external apps or command side effects may not have a saved original in this history. When a completed reply shows a changes card, use Review or a file row to open the edits recorded for that request. Undo… opens the saved-edit review and confirmation; it is not an unconditional reset of the entire project. Stop the task first, check the file and version in the confirmation, and resolve any newer-file conflict before retrying. Use Export… in Manage recovery history to keep a separate copy before removing stored history. Move to Trash… removes the selected task’s originals and disconnects its folder if still connected. The task’s recovery review and Restore then become unavailable. Revoking folder access alone leaves the originals intact.
Read and write access allows file edits; it does not automatically allow running programs. Manage folder access has separate Local tests & builds and Development servers controls on compatible Mac builds. It also provides Environment settings… for each folder’s command environment. See Local coding & commands for setup, server lifetime, logs, and Git branch instructions.
No project folder clears the selection for new Work chats, or the default for a collection. It leaves existing chats connected. Disconnect from this task, in a connected chat’s folder menu, removes that chat’s folder access. Revoke access… in Manage folder access removes access for all connected tasks and collections using that saved folder on this Mac. Confirm with Revoke folder access. Project files and recovery history stay intact. Move to Trash… in recovery history removes the selected task’s saved originals. If the task is still connected, this also disconnects its folder. Its Changes history and Restore become unavailable. Export first if you want to keep a separate copy.
Folder unavailable: check that its disk is connected and choose the folder again when asked. If a chat offers Reconnect this chat’s folder, stop the task first, choose the original folder, verify its path and access, and select Reconnect folder. This keeps the chat and messages. Access was revoked: start a new Work chat and choose a folder. A revoked task cannot reconnect through the reconnect control. Edits or Restore unavailable: check the folder’s read-only setting, its connection, and whether the task is still running. Restore can also be blocked by newer changes or an unsupported operation. No Git changes: an ordinary folder does not need Git. Open Task history in the project panel, or This task in change review, to review Work’s recorded changes. Folder missing on your phone: open Remote access settings on the Mac and check that the folder is shared, then refresh Remote on the phone.