Sutra AI - Complete User Guide
Learn how to set up Sutra AI, use it during interviews, trigger screenshots, move through answer history, and troubleshoot common issues without losing your flow.
Set up once, then focus on the interview
The goal is to have your session ready before the call begins so Sutra AI can respond without extra clicks.
Install the desktop app
Download the latest build for macOS or Windows from the homepage. Install it locally and keep the app updated so the audio pipeline and screenshot tools stay reliable.
Sign in with your account
Use the same account you use on the website dashboard so your credits, resume context, and session data stay in sync across the product.
Start Listening from the toolbar
When the toolbar appears, click Start Listening. Sutra AI begins capturing system audio from your call so it can detect questions and prepare answers in real time.
Allow permissions on first launch
Grant microphone and screen/audio permissions when prompted. Without them, screenshots and live question detection can fail or remain incomplete.
Let Sutra AI listen, detect, and stream answers
Once a session is active, the toolbar and answer window give you the main cues you need without pulling attention away from the conversation.
How question detection works
Sutra AI listens to the conversation, detects interviewer questions, and automatically starts generating an answer. If the interviewer asks a follow-up or the automatic trigger misses something, you can force a response with Ctrl+Enter.
What the LIVE toolbar shows
The toolbar shows when the app is Ready, Listening..., Processing..., or Speaking. It also keeps the session timer and credit balance visible so you know the app is active and tracking usage.
How to read the answer panel
The answer panel is your live response surface. Watch for the first tokens to appear, then skim the structure and key phrases instead of trying to read every word. Use it as a speaking guide, not a script.
Manual control stays available
If the room is noisy, the interviewer speaks softly, or multiple people overlap, keep using the toolbar shortcuts. They let you recover quickly without restarting the session.
The fastest way to operate Sutra AI mid-interview
These shortcuts are the core control surface for live usage. Learn them once and most interactions become muscle memory.
Use screenshots when the problem is visual or too dense to hear cleanly
Screenshot analysis is ideal for coding prompts, shared documents, diagrams, and interviewer screens where spoken context alone is not enough.
When to press Ctrl+S
Use Ctrl+S when the interviewer shares a coding problem, design prompt, spreadsheet, diagram, or written instructions. Sutra AI reads the visible content and builds an interview-ready answer around it.
What Sutra AI can detect
The screenshot flow works best for code editors, browser problem statements, whiteboards, plain text notes, and visual prompts. It also uses recent conversation context to decide what the screenshot is asking you to solve.
Continuation screenshots
If the first capture does not include the full prompt, Sutra AI can ask for more context. Scroll to the next portion and press Ctrl+S again so the answer continues instead of restarting from scratch.
Move through saved answers without losing the latest response
Sutra AI keeps answers from the current session so you can revisit earlier guidance when a follow-up question appears.
Pagination controls
The answer panel shows pagination when more than one answer exists. Use Cmd+Shift+P and Cmd+Shift+N to move backward and forward through saved answers.
Jump back to the newest answer
If you are reviewing an older answer and want to return to the newest live response immediately, press Cmd+Shift+C to jump back to the current answer.
What the badge dot means
The dot badge in the pagination bar means a newer answer is ready while you are still viewing an older one. It disappears once you return to the active answer.
Best way to use history
History is most useful for follow-up questions. Re-open a previous answer, grab the framing or examples you need, then jump back to the latest answer as soon as the interview moves forward.
Give Sutra AI the target role so answers feel more aligned
Adding the role description helps the model prioritize the right technologies, responsibilities, and language for the company you are interviewing with.
How to add it
Open the dashboard, find the Job Description card, paste the role description, and save it before you begin a session. This keeps the context attached to your account.
How it improves answers
When enabled, Sutra AI can bias answers toward the exact stack, seniority, and responsibilities in the role. That makes behavioral and technical responses feel more relevant to the position.
How to disable it
If the role changes or you want generic interview support again, switch the Job Description toggle off in the dashboard. Future sessions will run without that role-specific prompt context.
Small setup habits make a noticeable difference
Keep system audio active
If the call audio is muted at the OS level or routed away from the default output, question detection becomes unreliable. Confirm you can hear the meeting normally before the session starts.
Reduce background noise
Sutra AI works best when the interviewer audio is clear. Use headphones when possible, avoid noisy rooms, and keep overlapping audio sources to a minimum.
Use a monospace or code-friendly view for coding rounds
When reading generated coding answers or inspecting shared code, keep the relevant content in a clean code view so screenshots and follow-up answers remain easy to parse.
Close the answer window between major topic changes
If you are done with one question, use the close control on the answer window and let the next answer start fresh. This helps you avoid visual clutter while the conversation moves on.
Fast fixes for the most common issues
Question not detected
If the interviewer finishes a question and nothing appears, press Ctrl+Enter. That manually triggers the model on the most recent transcript instead of waiting for the automatic detector.
Answer feels too generic
Add your resume and job description in the dashboard so Sutra AI has stronger context about your background and the role you are targeting. This usually sharpens both technical and behavioral answers.
Screenshot is not analyzing
Check screen capture permissions first. If permissions are fine, try taking the screenshot again with the full problem visible or continue the capture with a second screenshot for the missing section.
Session feels out of sync
Return to the latest answer with Cmd+Shift+C, confirm the toolbar still shows Listening... or Ready, and restart listening if the session has gone idle.