# Team projects

> Share projects with your team, start team conversations and understand which machine runs the AI and which one runs the tools.

Team projects let several people work on the same repository with agents, each on their own computer. Your files never move: the team only shares the project's identity and the conversations about it.

## What a team project is

A team project is the stable identity of a repository, not a folder on a server. Each member keeps their own copy (a *checkout*) on their computer. No absolute path ever leaves a member's machine.

A project is created in one of two ways:

- **Automatically.** Switch to your **Team workspace**, then open a project folder. Vato registers the project for the team and registers your copy as a checkout.
- **Manually.** In the Team view, go to **Projects** and click **New project**. Fill in:
  - **Name**
  - **Git remote (optional)**, for example `github.com/owner/repo`
  - **Default branch (optional)**, for example `main`

  Then click **New project** again to create it. Leave the remote empty for a project without a repository: its identity is then its name.

Creating a project manually requires the **Owner**, **Administrator** or **Manager** role.

## See who works on a project

In **Projects**, click a project to expand it:

- **Checkouts** lists the members who have a copy of it. **Live** means their copy checked in recently; otherwise you see when it was last seen.
- **Conversations** lists the team conversations attached to the project. Click one to read it.

## Start a team conversation

1. Use the **Personal / Team** switch in the title bar to select your **Team workspace**.
2. Open the project on your computer.
3. Click **New Agent** and write your request, like in any [conversation](../agents/first-conversation.md).
4. In the account picker of the message field, choose **Team account** to use the team's Claude or Codex.

The model picker only offers the models your team granted you. If **Team account** is marked **Unavailable**, the team's machine doesn't publish any model for this provider.

## Which machine does what

A team conversation that uses a **Team account** splits the work between two machines:

| | Where it runs |
| --- | --- |
| Claude or Codex, and their credentials | The team's central host, a Vato Connect machine chosen by the team |
| Searches, file reads, edits and commands in your project | Your computer, in your own checkout |

Only encrypted tool requests and responses travel between the two. Your files stay on your computer, and the team's provider credentials stay on the central host.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> The central host must be online for team conversations to run. When it is offline, Vato shows **Leader PC offline**. Vato never silently moves the turn to your own accounts.

If your team allows it, you can instead pick one of your own accounts in the same account picker. The turn then runs on your personal subscription with the team's policy.

## Find team conversations

In the Team view, **Conversations** lists the team's conversations. Your own conversations open normally. Conversations from other members open read-only.

Reading every member's conversations requires the **Owner**, **Administrator**, **Manager** or **Auditor** role.

## Related pages

- [Set up the central host](central-host.md)
- [Invite members and choose their models](invite-members.md)

Source: https://vatoide.com/docs/team/team-projects