What is Purple?

Purple is UW’s generative AI tool aiming to support teaching, learning, research, and daily operations across campuses. It will help you work smarter, faster, and more creatively. All while ensuring that UW’s values of trust, integrity, and responsible innovation are at the core.

Getting Started with Purple 

On this page:

• Step-By-Step Instructions
• Understand the Landing Page
• Agent Directory & Cards 
  • What Is an Agent? 
  • Agent Search Bar 
  • Left Sidebar 
• How to Start a Chat 
• Tips for Asking Good Questions 
• Data Privacy & Compliance 
• Need Help or Have Feedback? 

Step-By-Step Instructions 

Log in to Purple 

• Go to: https://purple.uw.edu

• Click the "Sign in with Microsoft" button.
• Enter your UW email address and password when prompted.
• Complete authentication with Duo.
  • New to Duo? View Duo guides

Understand the Landing Page 

After logging in, you’ll see the Landing Page, which is your starting point for using Purple. It includes the following sections: 

• Agent Directory (grid of cards) – browse available agents
• Left Sidebar – switch between Chats and Agents tabs, view history, pinned items, and recent activity 

Agent Directory & Cards 

The Agent Directory displays a grid of available AI agents. Each agent is shown as a card, and you’ll choose one based on the task you need help with. 

Each agent card includes:

• Agent Name
• Brief Description – what the agent can help you with (Hover over the card to see the full description.)
• “Chat” Button – click to start a conversation 

What Is an Agent? 

Agents in Purple are smart, task-specific digital assistants. Each one is designed to help with a particular kind of work, from answering policy questions to formatting accessible documents. Depending on the agent, they may also use tools like file uploads, web search, or image generation to support your task. 

Here are the three agents currently available in Purple (developed by UW-IT): 

• Pure Purple: Pure Purple is your go-to guide for campus life and beyond. Whether you need help with policies, writing, coding, or finding the right resource, Pure Purple simplifies the details so you can focus on what matters most.
• Purple Help: Your trusted Purple guide. Purple Help lets you get the most out of the UW’s AI platform. It explains features, answers questions about responsible use, and connects you with documentation and training. Think of it as your compass for navigating the Purple system.
• Deep Purple: This agent helps you dig beneath the surface to find credible, well-cited sources. From peer-reviewed publications to authoritative databases, Deep Purple delivers research-backed answers you can rely on for academic work and projects.

Note: Purple launches with these three UW-IT-approved agents. More agents will appear in the directory as they’re developed and approved. 

Agent Search Bar 

Use the Search Bar to quickly find a specific agent by name. While you can browse the page to choose an agent, this feature becomes especially helpful as more agents are added to Purple. 

Left Sidebar 

The Sidebar gives you quick access to your activity and favorite agents. From here, you can: 

• Return to past conversations, with options to rename, archive, delete, or export your chats
• Revisit recently used agents, and pin agents you use often for easy access 

Note: Your chat history can be manually deleted

How to Start a Chat 

To use Purple, follow these steps: 

• Click on an agent card to open a chat window.

• Read and accept the usage guidelines. 

• Explore the suggested prompts to see what the agent can do, or type your own question in the message box. 

• Send your message and view the agent’s response.

Tips for Asking Good Questions 

Start with your goal. 

• “I need to write an email to a student …”
• “I want to explain this policy …” 

Don’t chase perfect wording. Type naturally: Treat Purple AI like a colleague and refine together. 

Quick examples 

• “Summarize this policy.”
• “Explain this error.”
• “Draft the first paragraph of a grant proposal.” 

Data Privacy & Compliance