---
title: "Upload recordings and documents"
url: "https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/ideate/upload-recordings-and-documents/"
---
# Upload recordings and documents

Add files to a project so that the project can read them and so that people can open them later. A project reads every file when it arrives: recordings are transcribed, and documents, decks, spreadsheets and code have their text pulled out.

## Prerequisites

- Editor or Owner access on the project.
- Files of a type Ideate can read. The type comes from the extension:

    | Kind | Extensions |
    |---|---|
    | Documents | pdf, docx, pptx, xlsx, csv, md, txt |
    | Images | png, jpg, webp |
    | Audio and video | common audio and video formats |
    | Other | code files, zip |

    A type Ideate cannot read is rejected before anything is created.

=== "Console"

    1. Open the project and click **Contributions**.
    2. Drag the files onto the page (**Drop files to upload**), or click **Add contribution** and then **Upload files**.
    3. In the note box, say what the files are and why they matter, especially when the file names do not.
    4. Click **Add contribution**.

    One upload with several files becomes one contribution with a tile per file.

=== "CLI"

    ```bash title="Terminal"
    alis ideate add files --project <project> review.pdf figures.xlsx --note "Board pack for the June review; the figures sheet has the churn numbers"
    ```

    Several files become one contribution. `--new-project "<title>"` in place of `--project` starts a new project with these files as its first contribution. Pass `--yes` to skip the confirmation prompt.

## Know when a file is ready

Each file tile reports its progress:

- **Uploading this file.** The upload is still in flight.
- **Still reading this file. Insights appear here when it is done, and you can keep working meanwhile.** The project is transcribing or extracting text.
- When the tile shows insights (sections, duration, tone, challenges and so on), the file is ready and the Synthesis will reflect it on its next refresh.

From the CLI, `alis ideate context <project>` shows a **Still settling** note while any contribution is still processing, and `alis ideate contribution <contribution> --project <project>` prints a file's state with its text.

## Read an uploaded file

=== "Console"

    Click a tile to open the preview. The left side shows the file (PDF pages, a spreadsheet's sheets, a video player, a transcript); the right side shows the insights Ideate extracted. Switch between **List view** and **Preview view**, filter by **Contribution type**, or **Group by parent contribution** in the filter bar.

=== "CLI"

    ```bash title="Terminal"
    alis ideate contribution <contribution> --project <project>
    ```

    prints the note and a map of the files: what each holds, how long it runs, and the sections it divides into. Then:

    ```bash title="Terminal"
    alis ideate contribution <contribution> --project <project> --file 1 --lines 120-240
    ```

    prints lines 120 to 240 of the first file's text. Read a long recording a topic at a time this way rather than downloading it. Download links in the output expire after about twenty minutes; run the command again rather than reusing one.

!!! warning "Uploads are visible to everyone on the project"
    Every file you add is readable and downloadable by everyone with access to the project. Add only what the project's members should see.

## Related

- [Add notes and contributions](https://docs.alisx.com/how-to/ideate/add-notes-and-contributions.md)
- Reference: [`alis ideate add files`](https://docs.alisx.com/reference/projects/cli.md#alis-ideate-add-files), [`alis ideate contribution`](https://docs.alisx.com/reference/projects/cli.md#alis-ideate-contribution)