Problem
The current "Add Provider" flow has three separate entry points that feel disconnected
and make the feature hard to discover after the initial setup:
- First-run popup - A large modal shown when no provider is configured. Users who
accidentally dismiss it have no obvious way back except navigating to Settings.
- Small
+ icon in the provider picker - Easy to miss since users open that panel
to switch providers, not to add one.
- Settings > AI Providers - The most reliable path but requires knowing where to look.
There is also no fallback empty state in the chat area that guides a user who has
dismissed the onboarding popup and has no provider configured.
Proposed Improvements
1. Make the first-run prompt dismissible without friction
Add a "Set up later" option to the first-run popup so users can explore the UI
before committing. Currently dismissing the popup leaves the app in a dead end with
no visible next step.
2. Persistent "Add provider" row in the provider picker
In the provider picker dropdown (footer bar), add a labelled "+ Add provider"
row pinned at the bottom of the instance list. This is always visible regardless of
how many providers are already configured, making it a natural discovery point for
users who want to add a second provider without going to Settings.
The existing small + icon in the panel header can remain as a secondary affordance
but should not be the only one.
3. Inline empty state in the chat area
When no provider is configured (and the onboarding popup has been dismissed), show
an inline empty state card in the chat area instead of a blank screen:
No AI provider configured
Add a provider to start chatting.
[Add Provider] ← primary button
This gives users a clear recovery path without requiring them to find Settings.
4. All entry points open the same flow
Confirm that the first-run popup, the picker + row, and the Settings page all
trigger the exact same "Add Provider" dialog/flow. If any path opens a different
UI (e.g. inline form vs modal), unify them so behaviour is predictable regardless
of where the user starts.
Problem
The current "Add Provider" flow has three separate entry points that feel disconnected
and make the feature hard to discover after the initial setup:
accidentally dismiss it have no obvious way back except navigating to Settings.
+icon in the provider picker - Easy to miss since users open that panelto switch providers, not to add one.
There is also no fallback empty state in the chat area that guides a user who has
dismissed the onboarding popup and has no provider configured.
Proposed Improvements
1. Make the first-run prompt dismissible without friction
Add a "Set up later" option to the first-run popup so users can explore the UI
before committing. Currently dismissing the popup leaves the app in a dead end with
no visible next step.
2. Persistent "Add provider" row in the provider picker
In the provider picker dropdown (footer bar), add a labelled "+ Add provider"
row pinned at the bottom of the instance list. This is always visible regardless of
how many providers are already configured, making it a natural discovery point for
users who want to add a second provider without going to Settings.
The existing small
+icon in the panel header can remain as a secondary affordancebut should not be the only one.
3. Inline empty state in the chat area
When no provider is configured (and the onboarding popup has been dismissed), show
an inline empty state card in the chat area instead of a blank screen:
This gives users a clear recovery path without requiring them to find Settings.
4. All entry points open the same flow
Confirm that the first-run popup, the picker
+row, and the Settings page alltrigger the exact same "Add Provider" dialog/flow. If any path opens a different
UI (e.g. inline form vs modal), unify them so behaviour is predictable regardless
of where the user starts.