Invocation & Placement

Entry points, interface patterns, and context scoping across 12 AI systems—5 standalone, 2 specialized, 5 integrated.

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Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI
Interface Patterns: Where AI Appears
Context Awareness: What AI Can See

Introduction

Before users can interact with AI, they must first invoke it and understand where the interaction will happen. Across 12 AI systems—5 standalone chat applications, 2 specialized tools, and 5 integrated productivity systems—we found dramatically different approaches to entry points and interface placement.

Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI

Entry Point Distribution

Entry Point	Count	%	Systems
Always visible (persistent interface)	7	58%	ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, v0, Retool AI

AI Input Patterns: How Users Access AI & Where It Appears | Northbase

Invocation & Placement

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Table of Contents

Introduction

Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI

Entry Point Distribution

Invocation & Placement

Have questions about AI Input & Context?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI

Entry Point Distribution

Pattern A: Always Visible (Persistent Interface)

Pattern B: Slash Command (`/`)

Pattern C: Keyboard Shortcut

Pattern D: Menu Item / Button Click

Pattern E: Multiple Entry Points (Redundant Access)

Invocation & Placement

Have questions about AI Input & Context?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI

Entry Point Distribution

Invocation & Placement

Have questions about AI Input & Context?

Table of Contents

Introduction

Entry Points: How Users Invoke AI

Entry Point Distribution

Pattern A: Always Visible (Persistent Interface)

Pattern A: Always Visible (Persistent Interface)

Pattern B: Slash Command (/)

Pattern B: Slash Command (/)

Pattern C: Keyboard Shortcut

Pattern C: Keyboard Shortcut

Pattern D: Menu Item / Button Click

Pattern D: Menu Item / Button Click

Pattern E: Multiple Entry Points (Redundant Access)

Pattern E: Multiple Entry Points (Redundant Access)

Pattern B: Slash Command (`/`)