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What is Salts
What an AI agent is, how it is different from a chatbot, what it costs, and the few words this guide uses, in plain language. Start here if you are new to AI.
Salts gives you an AI agent of your own. An agent is a program you talk to in plain words, the same way you would message a person. You ask it a question or give it a job, and it writes back. You do not need to know anything about AI to use one, and this page explains everything you need before you start.
How your agent works
Your agent does not write its replies on its own. Every time you send it a message, it passes your message to an AI model, which reads it and writes the answer. A model is the part that actually understands language. There are many of them, made by different companies, and some are cleverer, faster or cheaper than others. You can pick which one your agent uses.
Your agent reaches these models through a service called OpenRouter. You create an OpenRouter account, add some credit, and give your agent the key to that account. Every reply is then paid for from your credit, so there is no subscription, and an agent you do not use costs nothing. On the model your agent starts with, an everyday reply costs a fraction of a cent.
Salts is different
Most AI apps you might know are chatbots. You open them, ask a question, read the answer and close them. Your Salts agent can do a lot more than that. It can take actions for you in other apps, it keeps running when you are not around, and you decide exactly how it behaves and how much it spends.
| AI chatbot | Salts agent |
|---|---|
| Answers questions | Answers questions, and does things for you in other apps |
| Only works while you have it open | Is always on, and can do things while you sleep |
| Lives in one app or website | Is available in your browser, on Telegram and on WhatsApp |
| Charges a monthly subscription | Has no subscription. You only pay for what it uses |
| Behaves the way the company decided | Behaves the way you decide |
AI chatbot
Answers questions
Salts agent
Answers questions, and does things for you in other apps
AI chatbot
Only works while you have it open
Salts agent
Is always on, and can do things while you sleep
AI chatbot
Lives in one app or website
Salts agent
Is available in your browser, on Telegram and on WhatsApp
AI chatbot
Charges a monthly subscription
Salts agent
Has no subscription. You only pay for what it uses
AI chatbot
Behaves the way the company decided
Salts agent
Behaves the way you decide
It does things for you
A chatbot can tell you how to do something. Your agent can do it for you. From the Capabilities page you can let your agent:
- Search the web, so its answers are up to date.
- Read the links, files, photos and voice notes you send it.
- Remember what you tell it, across all your conversations.
- Remind you of something, or run a task at a time you choose.
- Create images and reply with voice notes.
Your agent can also be connected to apps you already use, such as Gmail, Notion and GitHub. Once connected, you can ask it to add something to your Notion reading list from Telegram, or to open a GitHub issue from a voice note. These connections are called MCP servers, and you can add them from the Capabilities page. See What your agent can do for the full list.
It does not need your device
Your agent runs online, not on your phone or laptop. You do not need to install anything or keep anything open. A reminder you set for next Tuesday will still arrive on Tuesday, even if your laptop has been closed all week.
You can talk to your agent from wherever is most convenient: your browser at your desk, or Telegram and WhatsApp on your phone. Every conversation also shows up in your browser, wherever it started.
You are in control
Your agent uses your own OpenRouter API key, so you pay the model's price directly and only for what your agent actually uses. A quiet week costs almost nothing. Every reply shows what it cost, and you can set a spending limit on your key so there are never any surprises.
You also decide how your agent behaves. You can pick the model it uses, give it custom instructions on how to answer, switch on only the capabilities you want, and choose who it is allowed to talk to. To learn more, read Choose the right model.
Words you will see in this guide
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Agent | Your own AI helper on Salts. You can create more than one, each with its own settings. |
| Model | The AI that reads your messages and writes the replies. You pick it in your agent's Settings. |
| OpenRouter | The service your agent uses to reach the models. Your credit there pays for every reply. |
| API key | A long password that lets one program use another on your behalf, such as your agent using your OpenRouter account. Keep every API key private. |
| Token | The unit models are paid by. A token is roughly three quarters of a word, and you pay for every token the model reads and writes. |
| Session | One conversation with your agent. Your sessions are listed in the sidebar in your browser. |
| Capability | Something extra your agent can do, such as searching the web or setting reminders. You switch them on in Capabilities. |
| MCP server | A connection to another app, such as Notion or GitHub, so your agent can do things in it. See What is an MCP server. |
| Command | A short message starting with !, such as !new, that controls the conversation itself. See Commands. |
Word
Agent
What it means
Your own AI helper on Salts. You can create more than one, each with its own settings.
Word
Model
What it means
The AI that reads your messages and writes the replies. You pick it in your agent's Settings.
Word
OpenRouter
What it means
The service your agent uses to reach the models. Your credit there pays for every reply.
Word
API key
What it means
A long password that lets one program use another on your behalf, such as your agent using your OpenRouter account. Keep every API key private.
Word
Token
What it means
The unit models are paid by. A token is roughly three quarters of a word, and you pay for every token the model reads and writes.
Word
Session
What it means
One conversation with your agent. Your sessions are listed in the sidebar in your browser.
Word
Capability
What it means
Something extra your agent can do, such as searching the web or setting reminders. You switch them on in Capabilities.
Word
MCP server
What it means
A connection to another app, such as Notion or GitHub, so your agent can do things in it. See What is an MCP server.
Word
Command
What it means
A short message starting with !, such as !new, that controls the conversation itself. See Commands.
Where to start
- Follow Step-by-step: a basic agent to get a key, create your agent and send it a message.
- Connect your agent to Telegram or WhatsApp, so you can talk to it from your phone.
- If you want agents for other people, follow Step-by-step: a fleet.