Attaching files to a chat

Written By Paolo Rufrano

Last updated 1 day ago

The paperclip button in the chat box, Add files & photos, attaches documents and images to a message.

What you can attach

Type

When

PDF

Always

PNG, JPEG, WebP

Only when the selected model accepts images

Limits: up to 2 files per message, 5 MB each.

Attaching files isn't restricted by plan. Free accounts can do it too.

Why images are sometimes rejected

Not every model can see. If the model you've selected is text-only, image files are refused and you'll see:

File type not supported. Please upload PNG, JPEG, WebP images or PDF files.

The fix is to switch model. In the model picker, look for the small image icon on a model card (Upload images), or filter under Accepts (Input) β†’ Images. See Choosing a model.

PDFs work on any model, because they're read as text before the model sees them.

The other messages you might see

File size exceeds 5 MB limit.

Compress the file or split it. For a long PDF, consider putting it in a project instead. Project files are indexed and searched rather than sent whole, which handles much larger documents. See Projects: instructions, files and memory.

Only a maximum of 2 files allowed.

Send them across two messages, or use a project.

How PDFs are read

PDFs are processed with text recognition before the model sees them, so scanned documents and images of text work, not just PDFs with a text layer. Percy Chat compresses the file on your device before uploading, which helps larger documents fit under the 5 MB cap.

Reading a PDF costs credits, as part of what the message costs. Long documents cost more.

In the conversation

Attached images appear inside your message and open full-size in a new tab when clicked. PDFs appear as a row with a PDF tag. Before sending, each attachment has a Remove file button if you change your mind.

Managing files you've uploaded

Go to Settings β†’ File Attachments for everything you've ever attached, with file name, type, size and upload date. Each row has:

  • Go to chat jumps to the conversation it was attached to

  • View file opens it

  • Delete attachment removes it permanently

Files in projects vs files in chats

Chat attachment

Project file

Scope

One message

Every chat in the project

Limit

2 per message, 5 MB

5 per project, 5 MB

How it's used

Sent whole with the message

Indexed; relevant passages retrieved

Best for

One-off questions about a document

Reference material you'll come back to

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