Encrypted Files

What this covers

This guide explains how Obvious handles password-protected files. If you've uploaded an encrypted PDF, Word doc, or Excel file, you'll learn how to provide the password so the agent can read and work with it.

Supported file types

Obvious detects encryption at upload for the following formats:

• PDF (.pdf)

• Word documents (.docx)

• Excel workbooks (.xlsx, .xlsm, and other OOXML formats)

• PowerPoint presentations (.pptx)

If a file of one of these types is password-protected, Obvious flags it during ingest and handles it differently from regular files.

How the password prompt works

When you ask the agent to read or work with an encrypted file, it detects that the file requires a password and pauses to ask you for it. A question card appears in the chat with a prompt to enter the password.

1. The agent attempts to access the encrypted file.

2. A question card appears in the chat asking for the file's password.

3. Enter the password in the text field and submit.

4. The agent decrypts the file and continues processing it.

Once decrypted, the file is handled like any other file in your project — the agent can read its contents, extract data, summarize it, answer questions about it, and more.

Note: Obvious stores the validated password securely using KMS-based encryption so you won't need to re-enter it for the same file later in the session.

What happens if the password is wrong

If you enter an incorrect password, the agent notifies you and gives you another chance. After three failed attempts, the agent skips the file with a warning and continues with any other work in progress.

If you hit three failed attempts and need to try again, mention the file to the agent and it will prompt you for the password once more.

Troubleshooting

The agent didn't ask for a password and the file wasn't processed. The file may have been skipped due to a prior failed attempt, or the encryption format wasn't recognized. Try mentioning the file explicitly in your message — the agent will re-attempt access.

You're sure the password is correct but it keeps failing. Some files are protected with non-standard or legacy encryption that Obvious can't currently decrypt. If the issue persists after multiple correct attempts, contact help@obvious.ai with the file type and a description of the issue.

The file is showing as uploaded but the agent can't see its contents. If the file is encrypted and no password prompt has appeared, try referencing the file by name in the chat. This triggers the agent to re-check the file's access state.