> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dovetail.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Attach files to Chat

> Bring a document, spreadsheet, or image into a Chat conversation without importing it, and know when to import into a project instead.

## Attach files in Chat

@-mentions scope Chat to content already in your Dovetail workspace — projects, channels, docs, data. Sometimes the material you need isn’t in Dovetail yet. File attachments let you bring in outside material for that message: a PDF, a screenshot, or a CSV.

#### Supported file types

| Type          | Formats                                      |
| ------------- | -------------------------------------------- |
| Documents     | PDF                                          |
| Images        | PNG, JPG/JPEG, GIF, WebP                     |
| Text and data | CSV, plain text (.txt), Markdown (.md)<br /> |

#### Limitations:

Size limit: 32 MB per file.

Word, Excel, PowerPoint, audio, and video files aren’t supported as Chat attachments — export to PDF or CSV first, or import the file into a project if you need it in Dovetail long term.

***

## How to attach a file to Chat

1. Open Chat from the homepage, full-page Chat, or the peek panel.
2. Click **+** (or the paperclip) and choose **Attach file**, or drag and drop a file onto the Chat area.
3. Wait for the upload to finish — you’ll see a thumbnail while it uploads.
4. Send your message, either with a question or the file alone.

You can attach multiple files to one message.

**What happens to your file**

* PDFs and images — Chat reads the file directly, including layout, charts, and visuals.
* CSV, text, and Markdown — Chat reads the text content.

Attachments stay with the message you sent and remain available in that conversation for follow-up questions. This isn’t the same as importing data into a project — attachments are for quick, in-the-moment analysis, not your shared research library.

***

## Ways to use file attachments in Chat

#### Analyze content that isn’t in Dovetail, yet

* A report or spec someone emailed you, notes exported from another tool, or a survey export.
* Voice of Customer can analyze a `market research` report with the web search tool on to help with writing up market analysis and competitor docs
* Research teams can analyze survey exports from other platforms in conjunction with their research analysis that happens in Dovetail

#### Validating and stress-testing design concepts

* Drop in design mockups or whiteboard user flows and ask a Digital Twin "What do you think of this design?" to quickly validate a design direction or ask a research coach agent "will this design concept test the assumptions I have?" with their research plan context on

#### Lightweight spreadsheet analysis

* Export NPS results or support tickets and ask chat to "Summarize the themes in this file." for quick analysis without waiting for a channel to classify

#### Review visuals

* UI screenshots, mockups, or photos of whiteboards. Ask "What stands out in this design?"

#### Explore spreadsheet exports

* NPS results or support ticket exports. Ask "Summarize the themes in this file."

#### Combine with workspace context

* Attach a file and @-mention a project or channel: "How does this spec compare to what we heard in @Customer interviews?"

#### Cross-context analysis

* Product teams can attach a file and @-mention a project or channel to ask "How does this spec compare to what we heard in @Customer interviews"

***

## Chat attachment vs. importing into a project

|             | Chat attachment                   | Import into a project               |
| ----------- | --------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- |
| Best for    | Quick questions, one-off analysis | Long-term research, tagging, search |
| Setup       | Attach and ask immediately        | Upload to a project or data entry   |
| Team access | Stays in that Chat conversation   | Part of your research library       |

***

## Troubleshooting attachments in Chat

| Issue                                  | What to try                                                                          |
| -------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| "File type isn’t supported"            | Use PDF, PNG, JPG, GIF, WebP, CSV, .txt, or .md only — renaming a file isn’t enough. |
| "Files must be 32 MB or smaller"       | Compress the file or split the content.                                              |
| "Already attached"                     | You added the same file twice — remove the duplicate.                                |
| "Upload failed"                        | Check your connection and try again, or try a smaller file or different format.      |
| Message sent but Chat ignored the file | The upload may have failed — check the thumbnail showed a checkmark, not an error.   |