AI overview

When you search in Theca, the app can show you an AI overview from your sources right above the results. Instead of making up an answer, the AI reads the passages it found in your library and writes a summary based on them.

How the summary is built

The overview cites passages from your books directly. Each statement carries a source indicator — you can click it to scroll to the corresponding passage in the results list. Nothing in the overview comes from outside your library.

The name of the model that generated the overview appears next to the text under the Generated by: label.

AI quota

The overview uses AI tokens from your plan. If you reach the limit of your active window, you will see a notice saying when the quota refreshes. Depending on your plan, the refresh happens on a 5-hour or 7-day window.

If your plan does not include AI Mode, the notice states that AI Mode requires a PRO or ULTRA plan.

What to do when it fails or is unavailable

If the overview could not be generated due to a temporary error, the AI Mode unavailable notice appears. You can try again.

If the AI did not find enough information in your sources to answer the query, the overview says so explicitly. In that case, the search results are still available — browse them directly.

AI can make mistakes. Verify the information before citing it. The source of truth is always the original passage in your book.

Frequently asked questions

Does the AI overview use information from the internet? No. It relies exclusively on the books in your library. If a book is not processed, its passages are not part of the overview.

Why does it sometimes take longer to appear? The overview is generated after the search results. While it loads, a placeholder is shown in its place. If generation takes too long, the app signals an error state.

Can I use search without the AI overview? Yes. The search results and the AI overview are independent. Even if the overview is unavailable, search works normally.

What if the AI cites something not in my book? That should not happen, because the summary is built from the passages the search found in your library. If you see something suspicious, open the cited passage and compare it directly.

Next step

• Searching your library — how to find the passages the overview is built from.
• Summaries — for generating fuller summaries with a table of contents and traceable citations.
• Plans and limits — what each plan includes in terms of AI tokens.