> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.hex-rays.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.hex-rays.com/ida-9.5/add-ons/assist/overview.md). # Overview Assist is an AI harness for reverse engineering, docked directly inside IDA. Ask about your usual reverse-engineering task in plain language; Assist reads functions, types and cross-references the way a reverser would, then renames and retypes what it finds, with your approval. Designed for every IDA user, from junior reverse engineers to seasoned experts, Assist ships with its own built-in user guide, so you can learn what it can do as you go. ## Bring your own model Assist has no model of its own: choose the built-in agent, or bring one you already use, e.g., Claude Code, ChatGPT, Grok, or an API key/local endpoint. Existing sign-ins on your machine are detected automatically during setup. ## Intuitive installation and setup Assist is distributed as an add-on, with its own interactive wizard that guides you from installation to first setup. After configuration, it's dockable like any other IDA view. ## What makes it different from a general AI chatbot? * **A real AI harness, not a chatbot.** Assist trains general-purpose LLMs to reason like reverse engineers, steering them toward IDA-specific workflows and terminology instead of generic coding advice. * **Model-agnostic.** Works with 10+ leading models, including OpenAI, Anthropic, Google Gemini, xAI Grok, Meta, Mistral, Alibaba Qwen, DeepSeek, Moonshot AI Kimi, and Z.ai GLM. Any OpenAI-API-compatible model is natively supported, alongside Grok and Claude Code specifically. * **Built-in reverse engineering expertise.** Combines IDA-analysis tools, like disassembly and decompilation, rather than relying on the model alone. ## What it can do? Assist has over a hundred tools on the database. Describe the outcome, and it picks the tools. Six kinds of work: * **Understand code**: explain functions, follow cross-references, trace values. * **Recover structure**: name symbols, fix prototypes, build structs, add enums. * **Repair and patch**: fix wrong decompilation, patch bytes, NOP out checks. * **Run code**: emulate functions, explore branches, step a debug session, hook with Frida. * **Triage and detect**: survey an unfamiliar binary, write byte signatures, generate YARA rules. * **Draw it**: diagram call paths, struct layouts, memory maps, patch previews. Each comes with ready-to-use example prompts you can try directly. Open **Settings → Guide → What it can do** to see them. {% hint style="info" %} Assist is built for interactive, in-IDA use. For bulk, headless analysis or integration into agentic pipelines, see [IDA MCP](/ida-9.5/core/mcp/overview.md). {% endhint %} ## Licenses and Versions Assist add-on is available on IDA 9.3, 9.4 or 9.5, with IDA Home and IDA Pro (Essential/Expert/Ultimate). ## What's next? Check the [Getting Started](/ida-9.5/add-ons/assist/getting-started.md) guide to get you ready with Assist. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter, and the optional `goal` query parameter: ``` GET https://docs.hex-rays.com/ida-9.5/add-ons/assist/overview.md?ask=&goal= ``` `ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language. `goal` is optional and describes the broader end goal you are ultimately trying to accomplish on behalf of the user. GitBook uses it to tailor the answer towards what is most useful for that goal. The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation. Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.