Uploading & Managing Files

This guide covers how to get files into your project, where they live once they're there, and how to share them with your team.

Upload a file

The quickest way: ask the agent.

Upload this file to the project and extract the key takeaways.

Drop a file into the chat input, add context, and send. The agent picks it up immediately — it can read PDFs, spreadsheets, images, and most common file types. You go from "I have a file" to "the agent is working with it" in one step.

You can also click the paperclip icon in the chat input to browse and select files without starting a conversation.

To upload directly to the project without involving the agent:

1. Click the + button in the toolbar.
2. Select Upload file.
3. Choose one or more files from your computer.

Files appear in the Files panel on the right side of your workspace as soon as the upload completes.

How uploads work for large files

The upload method adjusts automatically based on file size — you don't need to do anything differently.

• Under 100 MB: Standard upload. Fast, straightforward.
• 100 MB and above: Obvious automatically switches to chunked upload, which splits the file into smaller pieces and uploads them in parallel. Chunk size and concurrency scale with the file — larger files get larger chunks and more parallel streams to keep things moving.
• Up to 1 GB: Fully supported on all plans. Files larger than 1 GB are available on extended plans — contact support if you need to upload very large files.

If a chunk fails mid-upload — a brief network hiccup, a connection stall — Obvious retries it automatically. You don't need to restart the upload.

Tip: For spreadsheets, Obvious can convert them into workbook sheets automatically. Drop a CSV or Excel file into the chat and ask the agent to import it — you'll have a structured, editable sheet in seconds.

Where uploaded files live

Every file you upload lands in the Files panel. Open it by clicking the paperclip icon in the right sidebar.

From there you can:

• Search files by name.
• Filter by type — images, PDFs, spreadsheets, and more.
• Sort by date or name.
• Download or delete files you no longer need.

Click any file to preview it. Obvious extracts text from PDFs and processes images automatically, so the agent can reference your files in any thread.

Share files with your team

Files belong to the project they're uploaded to. Anyone with access to the project can view, download, and reference those files — no extra steps.

To give a teammate access:

1. Click Share in the top-right corner.
2. Enter their email address.
3. Choose View or Edit access.

Once shared, your teammate sees every file in the project.

Next steps

• Key Concepts — how projects, workbooks, and files fit together.
• Collaboration & Comments — leave feedback on documents and work together in real time.