File Uploads
You can attach files directly to your messages — documents, spreadsheets, images, and more. Cumulus reads and analyzes the content so you can ask questions about it, get summaries, and extract insights.
How to attach a file
There are two ways:
Option 1 — Drag and drop Drag any file from your computer and drop it onto the chat area. The file is automatically attached.
Option 2 — Click the + button Click the + icon to the left of the message input to open a file picker.
Supported file types
| Format | Extensions |
|---|---|
| Documents | .pdf, .docx, .txt, .md |
| Spreadsheets | .csv, .xlsx |
| Data | .json, .xml |
| Images | .png, .jpg, .gif, .webp |
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Per file | 50 MB |
| Files per chat session | 10 assets |
| Sources per project | 20 sources |
File status indicators
After attaching a file, a chip appears in the input area showing the file’s status:
| Status | What it means |
|---|---|
| ⟳ Spinner | File is uploading |
| ✓ Checkmark | Ready to send with your message |
| ⚠ Triangle | Upload failed — try again |
You can remove an attached file by clicking the X on its chip before sending.
What happens after upload
Once you send a message with a file attached, Cumulus begins ingesting it. Large documents move through a progressive pipeline:
Extract
The document’s text and structure are extracted from the raw file.
Chunk
The content is split into segments sized for AI retrieval.
Embed
Each chunk is converted into a vector embedding and indexed for search.
Ready
The file is fully indexed. Cumulus notifies you in chat when it’s ready to query — for long documents, expect a short wait while this completes.
For large documents, be specific about what you want. “Summarize section 3” is faster and more accurate than “summarize everything.”
What to ask once a file is ready
- Summarize — “Summarize the key points from this document”
- Analyze data — “What are the trends in this spreadsheet?”
- Answer questions — “Does this PDF mention anything about the refund policy?”
- Extract information — “List all action items from this meeting notes document”
- Compare — “Compare the content of these two files”
Citations
Once a file is ingested, Cumulus cites it in its answers — linking the specific passage or table it drew from. See Citations for how citation links work and how to navigate them.
For SharePoint or Google Drive documents, you don’t need to upload files manually — they’re available directly through the relevant integration.
Related
- AI Chat — the main chat interface
- Knowledge Base — org-wide persistent document library
- Citations — how Cumulus links answers back to source content
- SharePoint Integration — connect your document library for hands-free file access