> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.youniverse.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How Aura works

> The four ideas behind everything in Aura: models, credits, privacy and connected apps.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://cdn.youniverse.ai/blog-hero/docs/workspace-areas.jpg" alt="Six glass tiles connected to one glowing orb" />
</Frame>

Everything in Aura rests on four ideas. Understand these and every other page makes sense.

## 1. Many models, one answer

No single AI model is best at everything. [3-Mode Chat](/chat/overview) lets you choose how Aura answers:

| Mode | How it answers |
| - | - |
| Unlimited | One fast, private model with no message limit |
| Orchestration | Several leading models answer, then Aura combines the best of each |
| Frontier | You pick a specific top model and how hard it thinks |

## 2. Credits pay for heavy work

Your plan includes a monthly credit allowance. Light work like Unlimited chat doesn't use credits; heavier work — Orchestration, Frontier, agent runs, media and app building — does. See [Tokens and usage](/learn/tokens-and-usage) and [Plans and credits](/account/plans).

## 3. Your data stays yours

<Frame>
  <img src="https://cdn.youniverse.ai/blog-hero/docs/privacy.jpg" alt="Glass shield protecting a document" />
</Frame>

Chat routes use [Zero Data Retention](/learn/zero-data-retention): AI providers don't store your prompts or train on them. Any feature that can't offer this is clearly labelled.

## 4. Aura works where you work

[Work Mode](/chat/work-mode) connects Aura to Gmail, Drive, Slack and 1,500+ apps so it can finish tasks, not just describe them. [Aura Agents](/build/agents) do the same on a schedule, and [Mail](/mail/overview) gives Elite members a professional inbox built right in.

## Common questions

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Which mode should I start with?">
    Unlimited for everyday questions; Orchestration when accuracy matters most. See [Choosing a mode](/chat/modes).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Do chats inside a project work differently?">
    Yes — they share the project's files. See [Chats and projects](/home/chats-and-projects).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>


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