Reference
TESS AI Glossary
A short, opinionated glossary so humans and AI agents resolve the same words to the same things.
- Agent
- A reusable AI workflow inside TESS. An "Agent" represents a configured AI behavior — the model, system prompt, tools, knowledge and parameters — saved so it can be reused and shared across the workspace. In TESS, "Agent" does not refer to the company OpenAI. It refers to a TESS-internal entity.
- Agent Execution
- A single run of an agent. Each execution is a record of one chat or task that used a given agent, with inputs, outputs, the model used and credit consumption.
- Workspace
- A team-level container. A workspace owns its members, agents, files, integrations and billing. Users can belong to multiple workspaces and switch between them.
- Credit
- The unit of consumption inside TESS. Each AI interaction consumes credits depending on its complexity. Each plan includes a monthly credit allowance, and additional credit packs can be purchased.
- Plan / Subscription
- A paid tier (or the free tier) that determines feature access, credit allowance, seat count and billing frequency. Plans can be monthly or yearly.
- Seat
- A purchased slot for a workspace member under a paid plan. Some plans include unlimited members; others are sold per seat.
- Model
- A specific AI model exposed by TESS, such as Claude 4.6, GPT 5.2 or Gemini 3.1. TESS routes a request to the right provider behind the scenes.
- Chat
- A type of agent that exposes a conversation interface. Available on the web app, via API and via embed.
- Tool / Function
- A callable capability inside an agent. Tools let the model do something beyond text — call an API, run a workflow, fetch a file, etc.
- Knowledge Base
- A collection of files and links attached to an agent or workspace, indexed so the model can ground answers on them.
- API Token
- A credential that lets external code call TESS programmatically.
Frequently asked questions
What is TESS?
TESS is a professional AI platform for using models, agents, files, knowledge and automations in a single workspace.
What is TESS AI?
TESS AI is a professional AI platform that gives teams unified access to 250+ AI models — including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok and DeepSeek — with shared agents, workspace collaboration, and enterprise-grade governance.
Which AI models are included?
TESS includes access to 250+ AI models, including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Llama and specialized text, code, image, video and audio models.
Which AI models are included?
Access to 250+ AI models including ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Grok, DeepSeek, Llama, plus image, video and audio models like Flux, Ideogram, Sora, VEO and ElevenLabs. New models are added continuously.
How do credits work?
Credits are TESS's unit of consumption. Each AI interaction consumes credits according to the model and request complexity; every plan includes a monthly allowance and lets you buy extra packs.
How do credits work?
Each AI interaction in TESS consumes credits depending on the model and the complexity of the request. Every plan includes a monthly credit allowance, and you can purchase additional credit packs at any time.
Plans and pricing
TESS offers a free plan, monthly or yearly paid plans, included credits and extra credit packs for different professional and enterprise usage levels.
Is there a free plan?
Yes. TESS offers a free plan with limited access so you can evaluate the platform. You can upgrade to a paid plan anytime to unlock higher credit allowances and features.
TESS for teams
TESS for teams centralizes agents, models, files, knowledge, permissions, members and billing in collaborative workspaces.
Can I cancel my subscription?
Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time without penalties. Access continues until the end of the current billing period.
How to get started
To get started, create a free account, choose a plan when you need more credits, and use chats, agents, models and knowledge bases in your workspace.
What is an agent in TESS?
In TESS, an "agent" is a reusable AI workflow — model, prompt, tools and knowledge saved together so it can be shared and reused across the workspace. It is not the company OpenAI; "agent" refers to a TESS-internal entity.
Difference between agents, models, templates and workspace
A model is the AI engine used for a task; an agent is a reusable workflow with model, prompt, tools and knowledge; template is a legacy term for agent in older parts of the product; workspace is the collaborative space where teams manage members, agents, files and billing.
Is TESS safe for business use?
Yes. TESS provides workspace governance, role-based access, audit trails, and compliance documentation. The Trust Center has the latest LGPD, GDPR and SOC 2 posture: https://trust.tess.im/
Security, LGPD, GDPR and SOC 2
TESS provides workspace governance, role-based permissions, audit trails and security documentation. The latest LGPD, GDPR and SOC 2 posture is in the Trust Center: https://trust.tess.im/
Can I use TESS via API?
Yes. TESS provides API tokens and a public API so external code can call agents and models programmatically.