File Sources

Upload PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, and Markdown files to build your agent's knowledge base

File Sources#

Upload documents to your agent's knowledge base. AlonChat extracts text from your files, processes it, and indexes it so your agent can answer questions using that content.

Supported File Formats#

FormatExtensionsBest ForNotes
PDF.pdfDocuments, manuals, reportsText-based PDFs only (scanned images are not supported)
Microsoft Word.docxDocuments, policies, guidesText and structure are extracted
Microsoft Excel.xlsx, .csvPrice lists, data tablesTables are converted to text
Markdown.mdTechnical docs, README filesFormatting is preserved

Step-by-Step: Adding a File Source#

1. Navigate to Sources#

  1. Go to your agent's dashboard
  2. Click Sources in the sidebar
  3. Open Files
  4. Click Add Source

2. Upload Your File#

Option A: Drag and Drop

  1. Drag your file into the upload area
  2. The file name appears when the upload completes

Option B: Click to Browse

  1. Click Choose File
  2. Select a file from your computer
  3. Click Open

3. Configure Source Settings#

Source Name (required)

  • Give this source a descriptive name
  • Examples: "Product Manual 2026", "Pricing Sheet", "Policy Document"
  • This helps you identify sources later in the dashboard

Priority (optional)

  • Normal (default): Standard retrieval weight
  • High: More likely to be retrieved when relevant (use for important information)
  • Low: Lower retrieval priority (use for background or supplementary information)

Mark as Price Information (checkbox)

  • Check this if the file contains pricing information
  • Pricing questions will prioritize this source in results

4. Upload and Train#

  1. Click Upload File
  2. Wait for the upload to complete (you will see a progress indicator)
  3. The source appears with a "Processing" status
  4. Click Train Agent to process the file
  5. Wait for the status to change to "Ready"

Your agent can now answer questions using this file's content.

Processing Time#

  • Small files (under 1MB): 30-60 seconds
  • Medium files (1-10MB): 1-3 minutes
  • Large files (10MB+): 5-10 minutes

Best Practices#

File Preparation#

Do:

  • Use clear, descriptive filenames
  • Use searchable PDFs (created from Word, Google Docs, or similar)
  • Organize content with headings and sections
  • Remove unnecessary pages (covers, blank pages, appendices you do not need)

Don't:

  • Upload scanned images (text cannot be extracted from image-only PDFs)
  • Include password-protected files
  • Upload corrupted files
  • Use special characters in filenames

PDF Best Practices#

Good PDFs:

  • Text-based (created digitally, not scanned)
  • Clear structure with headings
  • Tables with selectable text
  • You can highlight and copy text from the document

Problematic PDFs:

  • Scanned documents (images, not text)
  • Password-protected files
  • Heavily image-based layouts
  • Complex multi-column layouts

If you have a scanned PDF, use OCR software (such as Adobe Acrobat or an online OCR tool) to convert it to searchable text first.

Excel and CSV Best Practices#

Good spreadsheets:

  • Clear column headers in the first row
  • One table per sheet
  • Simple formatting without merged cells

Problematic spreadsheets:

  • Multiple unrelated tables on one sheet
  • Heavily merged cells
  • Charts and graphs (these will not be processed)

For complex Excel files, consider exporting relevant data to CSV or creating a Text source with the important data instead.

Word Document Best Practices#

Good Word documents:

  • Clear headings (Heading 1, Heading 2, etc.)
  • Bulleted or numbered lists
  • Simple tables
  • Primarily text content

Problematic Word documents:

  • Complex formatting (text boxes, multi-column layouts)
  • Embedded objects (videos, complex charts)
  • Track changes enabled (may cause parsing issues)

Updating File Sources#

Editing Settings#

  1. Find the source in the Files list
  2. Click Edit (pencil icon)
  3. Update the name, priority, or pricing flag
  4. Click Save
  5. Retrain your agent for changes to take effect

Replacing File Content#

  1. Delete or archive the old source
  2. Upload the new file as a new source
  3. Train your agent

Reprocessing a File#

If processing failed or you suspect issues:

  1. Find the source in the Files list
  2. Click Reprocess (refresh icon)
  3. Wait for processing to complete
  4. Check the status

Troubleshooting#

"Upload Failed"#

Common causes:

  • File is too large
  • Network connection was interrupted
  • File format is not supported
  • File is corrupted

Solutions:

  • Check file size and compress if needed
  • Try uploading again on a stable connection
  • Convert to a supported format (e.g., export to PDF)
  • Verify the file opens correctly on your computer

"Processing Failed"#

Common causes:

  • File is password-protected
  • File is corrupted or malformed
  • Text extraction failed (scanned PDF without OCR)

Solutions:

  • Remove password protection before uploading
  • Try re-exporting the file from its original application
  • Convert scanned PDFs to searchable text using OCR
  • Try converting to plain PDF or TXT

"Agent Not Using File Content"#

Common causes:

  • You did not retrain after uploading
  • The file is still processing
  • Questions are not related to the file content
  • Priority is set too low

Solutions:

  • Click the Train Agent button
  • Wait for the source status to show "Ready"
  • Test with questions that directly reference content in the file
  • Increase the priority to "High" for important sources

Examples#

Example 1: Product Manual#

File: product-manual-v2.pdf (8.5MB, 120 pages)

Settings:

  • Name: "Product Manual v2 (2026)"
  • Priority: High
  • Is Price: No

Example questions your agent can answer:

  • "How do I install the product?"
  • "What are the technical specifications?"
  • "How do I troubleshoot error codes?"

Example 2: Price List#

File: pricing-2026.xlsx (250KB, 3 sheets)

Settings:

  • Name: "2026 Pricing"
  • Priority: High
  • Is Price: Yes

Example questions your agent can answer:

  • "How much does the Pro plan cost?"
  • "What's included in the Enterprise tier?"
  • "Do you offer discounts for annual plans?"

Example 3: Company Policies#

File: employee-handbook.docx (2.1MB, 45 pages)

Settings:

  • Name: "Employee Handbook 2026"
  • Priority: Normal
  • Is Price: No

Example questions your agent can answer:

  • "What's the vacation policy?"
  • "What are the work-from-home guidelines?"
  • "What benefits do employees get?"

Limits#

File size limits and the maximum number of sources vary by plan. Check your plan details in Settings for the specific limits that apply to your account.

Next Steps#