docs/api/rest.md

@@ -135,6 +135,16 @@ Behavior notes:
 ### `GET /v1/searches/:searchId`
 - Response: `{ "search": SearchDetail }`
 
+### `POST /v1/searches/:searchId/chat`
+- Body: `{ "title"?: string }`
+- Response: `{ "chat": ChatSummary }`
+- Not found: `404 { "message": "search not found" }`
+
+Behavior notes:
+- Creates a new chat seeded with a hidden `system` message containing the search query, answer text, answer citations, and top search results.
+- Clients should include existing `system` messages when sending the chat history to `/v1/chat-completions` or `/v1/chat-completions/stream`; they may hide those messages in the transcript UI.
+- The default chat title is `Search: <query-or-title>`, unless `title` is supplied.
+
 ### `POST /v1/searches/:searchId/run`
 - Body:
 ```json

ios/Packages/Sybil/Sources/Sybil/SybilAPIClient.swift

@@ -96,6 +96,16 @@ actor SybilAPIClient {
         return response.search
     }
 
+    func createChatFromSearch(searchID: String, title: String? = nil) async throws -> ChatSummary {
+        let response = try await request(
+            "/v1/searches/\(searchID)/chat",
+            method: "POST",
+            body: AnyEncodable(SearchChatCreateBody(title: title)),
+            responseType: ChatCreateResponse.self
+        )
+        return response.chat
+    }
+
     func deleteSearch(searchID: String) async throws {
         _ = try await request("/v1/searches/\(searchID)", method: "DELETE", responseType: DeleteResponse.self)
     }
@@ -552,3 +562,7 @@ private struct SearchCreateBody: Encodable {
     var title: String?
     var query: String?
 }
+
+private struct SearchChatCreateBody: Encodable {
+    var title: String?
+}

ios/Packages/Sybil/Sources/Sybil/SybilSearchResultsView.swift

@@ -5,23 +5,60 @@ struct SybilSearchResultsView: View {
     var search: SearchDetail?
     var isLoading: Bool
     var isRunning: Bool
+    var isStartingChat: Bool = false
+    var onStartChat: (() -> Void)? = nil
 
     var body: some View {
         ScrollView {
             VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
                 if let query = search?.query, !query.isEmpty {
-                    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
-                        Text("Results for")
-                            .font(.sybil(.footnote))
-                            .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.textMuted)
-                        Text(query)
-                            .font(.sybil(.title3, weight: .semibold))
-                            .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.text)
-                            .fixedSize(horizontal: false, vertical: true)
+                    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 12) {
+                        VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
+                            Text("Results for")
+                                .font(.sybil(.footnote))
+                                .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.textMuted)
+                            Text(query)
+                                .font(.sybil(.title3, weight: .semibold))
+                                .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.text)
+                                .fixedSize(horizontal: false, vertical: true)
 
-                        Text(resultCountLabel)
-                            .font(.sybil(.caption))
-                            .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.textMuted)
+                            Text(resultCountLabel)
+                                .font(.sybil(.caption))
+                                .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.textMuted)
+                        }
+
+                        if let onStartChat {
+                            Button {
+                                onStartChat()
+                            } label: {
+                                HStack(spacing: 8) {
+                                    if isStartingChat {
+                                        ProgressView()
+                                            .controlSize(.small)
+                                            .tint(SybilTheme.text)
+                                    } else {
+                                        Image(systemName: "bubble.left.and.text.bubble.right")
+                                            .font(.system(size: 14, weight: .semibold))
+                                    }
+                                    Text(isStartingChat ? "Starting chat..." : "Chat with results")
+                                        .font(.sybil(.caption, weight: .semibold))
+                                }
+                                .foregroundStyle(SybilTheme.text)
+                                .padding(.horizontal, 12)
+                                .padding(.vertical, 9)
+                                .background(
+                                    RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 10)
+                                        .fill(SybilTheme.primary.opacity(0.14))
+                                        .overlay(
+                                            RoundedRectangle(cornerRadius: 10)
+                                                .stroke(SybilTheme.primary.opacity(0.30), lineWidth: 1)
+                                        )
+                                )
+                            }
+                            .buttonStyle(.plain)
+                            .disabled(!canStartChat)
+                            .opacity(canStartChat ? 1 : 0.55)
+                        }
                     }
                 }
 
@@ -76,6 +113,13 @@ struct SybilSearchResultsView: View {
         return "\(count) result\(count == 1 ? "" : "s")"
     }
 
+    private var canStartChat: Bool {
+        guard let search, !isLoading, !isRunning, !isStartingChat else {
+            return false
+        }
+        return search.answerText?.isEmpty == false || !search.results.isEmpty
+    }
+
     @ViewBuilder
     private var answerCard: some View {
         VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 10) {

ios/Packages/Sybil/Sources/Sybil/SybilViewModel.swift

@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ final class SybilViewModel {
     var isLoadingCollections = false
     var isLoadingSelection = false
     var isSending = false
+    var isCreatingSearchChat = false
     var errorMessage: String?
 
     var composer = ""
@@ -202,20 +203,20 @@ final class SybilViewModel {
     }
 
     var displayedMessages: [Message] {
-        let canonical = selectedChat?.messages ?? []
+        let canonical = displayableMessages(selectedChat?.messages ?? [])
         guard let pending = pendingChatState else {
             return canonical
         }
 
         if let pendingID = pending.chatID {
             if case let .chat(selectedID) = selectedItem, selectedID == pendingID {
-                return pending.messages
+                return displayableMessages(pending.messages)
             }
             return canonical
         }
 
         if draftKind == .chat {
-            return pending.messages
+            return displayableMessages(pending.messages)
         }
 
         return canonical
@@ -473,6 +474,36 @@ final class SybilViewModel {
         isSending = false
     }
 
+    func startChatFromSelectedSearch() async {
+        guard let search = selectedSearch, !isCreatingSearchChat, !isSending else {
+            return
+        }
+
+        isCreatingSearchChat = true
+        errorMessage = nil
+
+        do {
+            let client = try client()
+            let chat = try await client.createChatFromSearch(searchID: search.id)
+            draftKind = nil
+            pendingChatState = nil
+            composer = ""
+
+            chats.removeAll(where: { $0.id == chat.id })
+            chats.insert(chat, at: 0)
+
+            selectedItem = .chat(chat.id)
+            selectedSearch = nil
+
+            await refreshCollections(preferredSelection: .chat(chat.id))
+        } catch {
+            errorMessage = normalizeAPIError(error)
+            SybilLog.error(SybilLog.ui, "Create chat from search failed", error: error)
+        }
+
+        isCreatingSearchChat = false
+    }
+
     private func loadInitialData(using client: SybilAPIClient) async {
         isLoadingCollections = true
         errorMessage = nil
@@ -974,6 +1005,10 @@ final class SybilViewModel {
         }
     }
 
+    private func displayableMessages(_ messages: [Message]) -> [Message] {
+        messages.filter { $0.role != .system }
+    }
+
     private func chatTitle(title: String?, messages: [Message]?) -> String {
         if let title = title?.trimmingCharacters(in: .whitespacesAndNewlines), !title.isEmpty {
             return title

ios/Packages/Sybil/Sources/Sybil/SybilWorkspaceView.swift

@@ -37,8 +37,13 @@ struct SybilWorkspaceView: View {
                     SybilSearchResultsView(
                         search: viewModel.selectedSearch,
                         isLoading: viewModel.isLoadingSelection,
-                        isRunning: viewModel.isSending
-                    )
+                        isRunning: viewModel.isSending,
+                        isStartingChat: viewModel.isCreatingSearchChat
+                    ) {
+                        Task {
+                            await viewModel.startChatFromSelectedSearch()
+                        }
+                    }
                 } else {
                     SybilChatTranscriptView(
                         messages: viewModel.displayedMessages,

server/src/routes.ts

@@ -108,6 +108,13 @@ function mapSearchResultPreview(result: any, index: number) {
   };
 }
 
+function truncateContextPart(value: string | null | undefined, maxLength: number) {
+  const trimmed = value?.trim();
+  if (!trimmed) return null;
+  if (trimmed.length <= maxLength) return trimmed;
+  return `${trimmed.slice(0, maxLength - 1).trimEnd()}...`;
+}
+
 function parseAnswerText(answerResponse: any) {
   if (typeof answerResponse?.answer === "string") return answerResponse.answer;
   if (answerResponse?.answer) return JSON.stringify(answerResponse.answer, null, 2);
@@ -153,6 +160,57 @@ function normalizeUrlForMatch(input: string | null | undefined) {
   }
 }
 
+function buildSearchChatContext(search: any) {
+  const query = truncateContextPart(search.query, 500) ?? truncateContextPart(search.title, 500) ?? "Untitled search";
+  const lines: string[] = [
+    "You are Sybil. The user started this chat from a saved web search. Use the search answer and result context below when answering follow-up questions. If the context is insufficient, say so and use available tools when appropriate.",
+    "",
+    `Search query: ${query}`,
+  ];
+
+  const answer = truncateContextPart(search.answerText, 6000);
+  if (answer) {
+    lines.push("", "Search answer:", answer);
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(search.answerCitations) && search.answerCitations.length) {
+    lines.push("", "Answer citations:");
+    for (const [index, citation] of search.answerCitations.slice(0, 8).entries()) {
+      const title = truncateContextPart(citation?.title, 160);
+      const url = truncateContextPart(citation?.url ?? citation?.id, 400);
+      if (title || url) {
+        lines.push(`${index + 1}. ${[title, url].filter(Boolean).join(" - ")}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  if (Array.isArray(search.results) && search.results.length) {
+    lines.push("", "Search results:");
+    for (const result of search.results.slice(0, 10)) {
+      const title = truncateContextPart(result.title, 180) ?? result.url;
+      const url = truncateContextPart(result.url, 500);
+      const published = truncateContextPart(result.publishedDate, 80);
+      const author = truncateContextPart(result.author, 120);
+      const text = truncateContextPart(result.text, 1000);
+      const highlights = Array.isArray(result.highlights)
+        ? result.highlights
+            .map((highlight: unknown) => truncateContextPart(typeof highlight === "string" ? highlight : null, 360))
+            .filter(Boolean)
+        : [];
+
+      lines.push(`${result.rank + 1}. ${title}`);
+      if (url) lines.push(`   URL: ${url}`);
+      if (published || author) lines.push(`   Source detail: ${[published, author].filter(Boolean).join(" - ")}`);
+      if (text) lines.push(`   Text: ${text}`);
+      for (const highlight of highlights.slice(0, 2)) {
+        lines.push(`   Highlight: ${highlight}`);
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
+  return lines.join("\n");
+}
+
 function buildSseHeaders(originHeader: string | undefined) {
   const origin = originHeader && originHeader !== "null" ? originHeader : "*";
   const headers: Record<string, string> = {
@@ -370,6 +428,54 @@ export async function registerRoutes(app: FastifyInstance) {
     return { search };
   });
 
+  app.post("/v1/searches/:searchId/chat", async (req) => {
+    requireAdmin(req);
+    const Params = z.object({ searchId: z.string() });
+    const Body = z.object({ title: z.string().optional() });
+    const { searchId } = Params.parse(req.params);
+    const body = Body.parse(req.body ?? {});
+
+    const search = await prisma.search.findUnique({
+      where: { id: searchId },
+      include: { results: { orderBy: { rank: "asc" } } },
+    });
+    if (!search) return app.httpErrors.notFound("search not found");
+
+    const fallbackTitle = search.query?.trim() || search.title?.trim() || "Search results";
+    const title = body.title?.trim() || `Search: ${fallbackTitle.slice(0, 72)}`;
+    const context = buildSearchChatContext(search);
+
+    const chat = await prisma.chat.create({
+      data: {
+        title,
+        messages: {
+          create: {
+            role: "system" as any,
+            content: context,
+            metadata: {
+              kind: "search_context",
+              searchId: search.id,
+              query: search.query,
+              resultCount: search.results.length,
+            },
+          },
+        },
+      },
+      select: {
+        id: true,
+        title: true,
+        createdAt: true,
+        updatedAt: true,
+        initiatedProvider: true,
+        initiatedModel: true,
+        lastUsedProvider: true,
+        lastUsedModel: true,
+      },
+    });
+
+    return { chat };
+  });
+
   app.post("/v1/searches/:searchId/run", async (req) => {
     requireAdmin(req);
     const Params = z.object({ searchId: z.string() });

web/src/App.tsx

@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import { ChatMessagesPanel } from "@/components/chat/chat-messages-panel";
 import { SearchResultsPanel } from "@/components/search/search-results-panel";
 import {
   createChat,
+  createChatFromSearch,
   createSearch,
   deleteChat,
   deleteSearch,
@@ -164,6 +165,10 @@ function isToolCallLogMessage(message: Message) {
   return asToolLogMetadata(message.metadata) !== null;
 }
 
+function isDisplayableMessage(message: Message) {
+  return message.role !== "system";
+}
+
 function buildOptimisticToolMessage(event: ToolCallEvent): Message {
   return {
     id: `temp-tool-${event.toolCallId}`,
@@ -427,6 +432,7 @@ export default function App() {
   const [isLoadingCollections, setIsLoadingCollections] = useState(false);
   const [isLoadingSelection, setIsLoadingSelection] = useState(false);
   const [isSending, setIsSending] = useState(false);
+  const [isStartingSearchChat, setIsStartingSearchChat] = useState(false);
   const [pendingChatState, setPendingChatState] = useState<{ chatId: string | null; messages: Message[] } | null>(null);
   const [composer, setComposer] = useState("");
   const [provider, setProvider] = useState<Provider>("openai");
@@ -699,14 +705,14 @@ export default function App() {
     selectedItem?.kind === "chat" &&
     selectedItem.id === pendingChatState.chatId;
   const displayMessages = useMemo(() => {
-    if (!pendingChatState) return messages;
+    if (!pendingChatState) return messages.filter(isDisplayableMessage);
     if (pendingChatState.chatId) {
       if (selectedItem?.kind === "chat" && selectedItem.id === pendingChatState.chatId) {
-        return pendingChatState.messages;
+        return pendingChatState.messages.filter(isDisplayableMessage);
       }
-      return messages;
+      return messages.filter(isDisplayableMessage);
     }
-    return isSearchMode ? messages : pendingChatState.messages;
+    return (isSearchMode ? messages : pendingChatState.messages).filter(isDisplayableMessage);
   }, [isSearchMode, messages, pendingChatState, selectedItem]);
 
   const selectedChatSummary = useMemo(() => {
@@ -1149,6 +1155,47 @@ export default function App() {
     await refreshCollections({ kind: "search", id: searchId });
   };
 
+  const handleStartChatFromSearch = async () => {
+    if (!selectedSearch || isStartingSearchChat || isSending) return;
+
+    setError(null);
+    setIsStartingSearchChat(true);
+    try {
+      const chat = await createChatFromSearch(selectedSearch.id);
+      setDraftKind(null);
+      setPendingChatState(null);
+      setComposer("");
+      setChats((current) => {
+        const withoutExisting = current.filter((existing) => existing.id !== chat.id);
+        return [chat, ...withoutExisting];
+      });
+      setSelectedItem({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
+      setSelectedChat({
+        id: chat.id,
+        title: chat.title,
+        createdAt: chat.createdAt,
+        updatedAt: chat.updatedAt,
+        initiatedProvider: chat.initiatedProvider,
+        initiatedModel: chat.initiatedModel,
+        lastUsedProvider: chat.lastUsedProvider,
+        lastUsedModel: chat.lastUsedModel,
+        messages: [],
+      });
+      setSelectedSearch(null);
+      await refreshCollections({ kind: "chat", id: chat.id });
+      await refreshChat(chat.id);
+    } catch (err) {
+      const message = err instanceof Error ? err.message : String(err);
+      if (message.includes("bearer token")) {
+        handleAuthFailure(message);
+      } else {
+        setError(message);
+      }
+    } finally {
+      setIsStartingSearchChat(false);
+    }
+  };
+
   const handleSend = async () => {
     const content = composer.trim();
     if (!content || isSending) return;
@@ -1388,7 +1435,13 @@ export default function App() {
             {!isSearchMode ? (
               <ChatMessagesPanel messages={displayMessages} isLoading={isLoadingSelection} isSending={isSendingActiveChat} />
             ) : (
-              <SearchResultsPanel search={selectedSearch} isLoading={isLoadingSelection} isRunning={isSearchRunning} />
+              <SearchResultsPanel
+                search={selectedSearch}
+                isLoading={isLoadingSelection}
+                isRunning={isSearchRunning}
+                isStartingChat={isStartingSearchChat}
+                onStartChat={selectedSearch ? handleStartChatFromSearch : undefined}
+              />
             )}
             <div ref={transcriptEndRef} />
           </div>

web/src/components/search/search-results-panel.tsx

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import { useEffect, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 import type { SearchDetail } from "@/lib/api";
 import { MarkdownContent } from "@/components/markdown/markdown-content";
 import { cn } from "@/lib/utils";
+import { MessageSquare } from "lucide-preact";
 
 function formatHost(url: string) {
   try {
@@ -29,6 +30,8 @@ type Props = {
   className?: string;
   enableKeyboardNavigation?: boolean;
   openLinksInNewTab?: boolean;
+  isStartingChat?: boolean;
+  onStartChat?: () => void;
 };
 
 export function SearchResultsPanel({
@@ -38,6 +41,8 @@ export function SearchResultsPanel({
   className,
   enableKeyboardNavigation = false,
   openLinksInNewTab = true,
+  isStartingChat = false,
+  onStartChat,
 }: Props) {
   const ANSWER_COLLAPSED_HEIGHT_CLASS = "h-[3rem]";
   const [isAnswerExpanded, setIsAnswerExpanded] = useState(false);
@@ -133,17 +138,31 @@ export function SearchResultsPanel({
   const isAnswerLoading = isRunning && !hasAnswerText;
   const hasCitations = citationEntries.length > 0;
   const isExpandable = hasAnswerText && (canExpandAnswer || hasCitations);
+  const canStartChat = !!search && !isLoading && !isRunning && !isStartingChat && (!!search.answerText || search.results.length > 0);
 
   return (
     <div className={className ?? "mx-auto w-full max-w-4xl"}>
       {search?.query ? (
-        <div className="mb-5">
-          <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">Results for</p>
-          <h2 className="mt-1 break-words text-xl font-semibold text-violet-50">{search.query}</h2>
-          <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
-            {search.results.length} result{search.results.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}
-            {search.latencyMs ? ` • ${search.latencyMs} ms` : ""}
-          </p>
+        <div className="mb-5 flex flex-col gap-3 md:flex-row md:items-start md:justify-between">
+          <div className="min-w-0">
+            <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">Results for</p>
+            <h2 className="mt-1 break-words text-xl font-semibold text-violet-50">{search.query}</h2>
+            <p className="mt-1 text-xs text-muted-foreground">
+              {search.results.length} result{search.results.length === 1 ? "" : "s"}
+              {search.latencyMs ? ` • ${search.latencyMs} ms` : ""}
+            </p>
+          </div>
+          {onStartChat ? (
+            <button
+              type="button"
+              className="inline-flex h-10 shrink-0 items-center justify-center gap-2 rounded-lg border border-violet-300/24 bg-violet-300/10 px-3 text-sm font-medium text-violet-50 transition hover:bg-violet-300/16 disabled:cursor-not-allowed disabled:opacity-50"
+              onClick={onStartChat}
+              disabled={!canStartChat}
+            >
+              <MessageSquare className="h-4 w-4" />
+              {isStartingChat ? "Starting chat..." : "Chat with results"}
+            </button>
+          ) : null}
         </div>
       ) : null}
 

web/src/lib/api.ts

@@ -239,6 +239,14 @@ export async function getSearch(searchId: string) {
   return data.search;
 }
 
+export async function createChatFromSearch(searchId: string, body?: { title?: string }) {
+  const data = await api<{ chat: ChatSummary }>(`/v1/searches/${searchId}/chat`, {
+    method: "POST",
+    body: JSON.stringify(body ?? {}),
+  });
+  return data.chat;
+}
+
 export async function deleteSearch(searchId: string) {
   await api<{ deleted: true }>(`/v1/searches/${searchId}`, { method: "DELETE" });
 }