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Documentation Index

Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://becivic.be/llms.txt

Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

Most people who land on Be Civic already have an AI assistant they like — they just paste “Load <skill URL> and walk me through it” and they’re done. If that’s you, browse the skills list and pick one. If you don’t have an AI yet, or yours isn’t loading skills properly, this page walks you through picking and setting up an assistant. About five minutes.

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Quickest path: Claude Desktop with Cowork

If you have no preference, install Claude Desktop with the Cowork module on. It’s the easiest path to the full Be Civic experience: the AI fetches the skill, asks the right questions, prepares your application packet on your computer, and drafts the appointment email — all in one conversation. Step 1 — Download Claude Desktop. Go to claude.com/download and install the app for macOS or Windows. Step 2 — Sign in. Free tier works. A paid plan gives you longer conversations and more usage; not required to use Be Civic. Step 3 — Turn on Cowork. Open Settings → Customise → Cowork and enable it. Cowork is Anthropic’s agentic mode — it lets Claude take multi-step actions on your computer (read files, save documents, run procedures) instead of just chatting. Step 4 — Connect a folder. Still in Settings → Connectors, add the Filesystem connector and pick a folder where Claude can save documents (a fresh folder like ~/be-civic is fine). This is where your application packets and drafts will land. Step 5 — Try your first skill. Browse the skills list, click into one that fits your situation, and copy the URL. Back in Claude, paste: 
Load <skill URL from Be Civic> and walk me through it for my situation.
Claude will fetch the skill, ask a few clarifying questions, and walk you through the procedure. If you’ve enabled file access, it’ll also save copies of the documents and drafts into the folder you connected.

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Other options

If you’re already invested in another AI, these also work with Be Civic. The list is grouped by capability.

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Reads and writes your files (full experience)

For compiling application packets, saving documents, drafting emails alongside walking through a skill.
  • Claude Code (Anthropic). Terminal-based agent. See claude.com/product/claude-code. Best if you’re comfortable with a command line.
  • ChatGPT Desktop (OpenAI). Install from chatgpt.com/download. Supports MCP servers for scoped folder access.
  • Gemini for Mac / Windows (Google). Native desktop apps with local file access. Mac: gemini.google/mac. Windows app available through the Google app store. Free for all users. Also integrates with Google Drive.
  • Microsoft 365 Copilot (Microsoft). Inside Word, Excel, Outlook, etc., Copilot has access to your M365 files. Install the Copilot app from microsoft.com/copilot. Useful if you already work in M365.
  • Perplexity Comet with Personal Computer. Browser-based AI with local file editing. macOS available now; Windows coming. See perplexity.ai/comet.
  • Cursor (cursor.com) and Windsurf (windsurf.com). AI-native code editors with full file-system access. Aimed at developers but workable for anyone willing to learn an editor.

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Browse and chat (no local file access)

Fine for “what do I need to do” questions; you’ll handle the paperwork yourself.

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Your first skill

Whichever AI you picked, the flow is the same:
  1. Browse the skills list. becivic.be/#skills
  2. Pick one that fits your situation.
  3. Copy the page URL.
  4. Paste this prompt into your AI, with the URL filled in: 
    Load <skill URL> and walk me through it for my situation.
The AI fetches the skill, asks a few clarifying questions about your specific situation, and walks you through the procedure step by step. Each claim links to the underlying law — if you’re curious where a rule comes from, ask your AI to show you the citation.

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If something goes wrong

“My AI says it can’t fetch the URL.” Some assistants (mostly free tiers without web browsing enabled) can’t fetch URLs directly. In that case: open the skill page in your browser, copy the page text, and paste it into your conversation alongside your question. The skill body is plain text — your AI will still understand it. “My AI can’t access my files.” Check that you’ve granted file-system access. In Claude Desktop, that means enabling Cowork and the Filesystem connector pointing at a real folder. In ChatGPT Desktop, check that the MCP server is configured and running. Browse-only tools (anything in the second list above) don’t have local file access by design — pick a tool from the first list instead. “The skill mentions a Belgian term I don’t recognise.” Just ask your AI to explain it (“what is a mutualité?”, “what’s the Office des Étrangers?”). The skills are written for AI consumption — your assistant has no problem unpacking the jargon for you.

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Privacy

Be Civic itself doesn’t see your conversations. Your AI fetches the skill from becivic.be (which is a public document, the same for everyone), and the conversation about your situation stays between you and your AI provider. What your AI does with your details is governed by your AI provider’s privacy terms.