> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.stratta.ch/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Ask your first question

> Prompt patterns that get accurate, well-cited answers from Stratta.

Once the MCP server is installed, you talk to Claude the way you normally would. These patterns
help Claude use Stratta well and return answers you can verify.

## Just ask in plain language

You don't need special syntax. Mention the norm if you know it, and ask for citations:

```text theme={null}
Using SIA 261, what variable loads apply to an office floor,
and how do I combine them at ULS? Cite the exact sections.
```

Claude will list the norms, open the table of contents, read the relevant sections, follow
cross-references, and answer with citations such as `[SIA 261, 8.2, p. 44]`.

## Patterns that work well

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Name the norm when you know it" icon="hashtag">
    "In **SIA 263**, how is the buckling resistance of a steel column verified?" — naming the norm
    lets Claude go straight to the right document instead of searching across all of them.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ask for the citation explicitly" icon="quote-left">
    Adding "cite the exact section and page" nudges Claude to back every claim with a reference
    you can open in the printed norm.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Let it follow cross-references" icon="link">
    For combination or safety-factor questions, ask the full question. SIA splits rules across
    norms (the action in 261, the factors in 260). Claude follows the links — don't artificially
    restrict it to one norm.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Ask to see a figure" icon="image">
    "Show me the figure for the wind pressure coefficient zones." Claude retrieves the figure and
    includes a link to view it full-size.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Why answers are trustworthy

Claude is instructed to back every technical claim with a citation to a section it actually
opened — never from memory. If a value depends on another norm, it follows the cross-reference
before concluding. This is the core of [how Stratta works](/en/how-it-works).

<Tip>
  If an answer lacks a citation, just ask: "Which section and page is that from?" Claude will
  open the source and cite it.
</Tip>

## What Claude can't do

* **Answer about norms you haven't ingested.** Stratta only knows the norms in your workspace.
  See [Supported norms](/en/resources/supported-norms) and [Ingest a norm](/en/guides/ingest-a-norm).
* **Replace engineering judgment.** Stratta retrieves and cites the norm accurately; the
  responsibility for the design decision remains yours.

## Next steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Ingest a norm" icon="file-arrow-up" href="/en/guides/ingest-a-norm">
    Add the norms you need to your workspace.
  </Card>

  <Card title="MCP read tools" icon="book-open" href="/en/mcp/read-tools">
    Exactly what Claude calls under the hood.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>