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Upload files to Chat to provide context to Orion or use as data sources in analyses.

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Upload Scope

You have two options for where to upload files:
  • Chat: Upload a file directly in any chat conversation. The file is available to Orion within that conversation only.
  • Project: Upload a file to the project itself so it’s available as context across all chats in that project.
Use chat uploads for one-off files relevant to a specific question, and project uploads for reference material you want Orion to draw on consistently.

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How to Upload a File

  1. Click the plus icon (+) in the chat text input area
  2. Select Add File
  3. Choose one or more files from your computer
  4. The files will appear in the chat before you send your message
  5. Send your message to include the files in the conversation
You can upload multiple files at once. The maximum is 5 files per message.

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Supported File Types

Orion supports the following file formats for upload:
  • PDF (.pdf) - PDFs and documents
  • Word Documents (.doc, .docx) - Microsoft Word files
  • Excel Spreadsheets (.xlsx) - Excel workbooks
  • CSV Files (.csv) - Comma-separated values
  • Text Files (.txt) - Plain text documents
  • Markdown Files (.md, .markdown) - Markdown documents
  • Images (.jpg, .jpeg, .png) - JPG and PNG images
Each file can be up to 20MB. Excel workbooks can be up to 256MB, and CSV files up to 1GB. Project uploads accept fewer formats: see Projects.

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Two Ways Files Are Used

Orion intelligently determines how to use uploaded files based on context:

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1. Context for Chat Conversations

Use files to provide context that Orion will read and reason with:
  • Company policies or SOPs - Help Orion understand your processes
  • Meeting transcripts - Reference discussions and decisions
  • Research documents - Provide background information
  • Product specifications - Share technical details
  • Data samples - Show examples of data structure or format
  • Analysis guidelines - Specify how to perform calculations or analysis
When files are used for context in Chat, Orion reads the file content to inform its responses but doesn’t create a separate data source.

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2. Data Sources in Analysis

Upload a CSV or Excel (.xlsx) file and tell Orion what to calculate. For a workbook, name the sheets you want, or Orion uses the first one. Upload several files to compare or combine them. For example: “Use the Orders sheet in this workbook to compare revenue by region.” Files attached to a conversation are listed on the Context tab of the Session drawer: see Session.
Orion automatically detects whether you’re providing a file for context or as a data source based on your request. For analyses, structure your Excel files as clean tables with clear column headers.

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Preparing Data for Analysis

A file can upload and still fail to load into an analysis. To load, it needs:
  • A header row that names every column, and at least one row of data
  • No more than 1,000 columns
  • For CSV, UTF-8 text with commas between fields
  • For Excel, the header in row 1 of a regular worksheet, not a chart sheet
If Orion reports a loading limit, split the file or remove columns you do not need.

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Providing Context for File Uploads

When uploading files, especially new documents that Orion hasn’t seen before, provide supplemental context about the file to help Orion interpret it correctly:
  • Describe the file contents - Explain what the file contains and its purpose
  • List column names (for spreadsheets) - Specify what columns are included
  • Indicate the source - Mention where the file came from (e.g., “downloaded from GitHub”, “exported from our CRM”)
  • Explain the context - Share relevant details about the data (e.g., “this contains merge history for my team members”)
Orion can examine the first few rows of a file and make assumptions, but providing this additional context upfront makes a substantial difference in how Orion interprets and uses the file in your analysis.

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File Upload Tips

  • File size - Smaller files upload faster. See Supported File Types for the limits
  • Multiple files - Upload multiple XLSX files at once for complex analyses
  • Excel structure - Use clear column headers and avoid merged cells for best results in analyses
  • Privacy - Only upload files with appropriate data you’re comfortable sharing with Orion
Be cautious when uploading files containing sensitive information. Ensure you have appropriate permissions to use the data.