# Attachments

> Attach a file, a recording or existing work to a chat, see how Endless reads each kind, and know who can see an attachment afterwards.

Source: https://endless.okinawa/docs/chat/attachments

Anything you attach stays available for the rest of the conversation, so you don't need to
attach it again for a second question.

## Attach something

* **Add menu**: select **"Open add menu"** next to the composer, then **"Attachments"**. This
  opens a picker over your **Library**, with its search and filters, and an **"Upload file"**
  button.
* **Drag and drop** files anywhere over the chat.
* **Paste** a screenshot or copied image into the composer. A copy that also carries text, such
  as a spreadsheet selection, pastes as text.
* **Library panel**: **"Show library"** opens the library beside the chat. Select **"Use in
  chat"** on a tile, or drag the tile onto the conversation.

Existing files come from the picker, not from `@`. See [mentions](/docs/chat/mentions).

## What you can attach

| Kind                                                       | Size limit | How Endless reads it                                                                                                                   |
| ---------------------------------------------------------- | ---------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Images                                                     | 100 MB     | Looks at the picture, so you can ask about it, edit it or use it as a reference.                                                       |
| Documents and text (PDF, Word, Excel, CSV, Markdown, JSON) | 100 MB     | Extracted as text. Scanned PDF pages are read with OCR, up to 100 pages per file; Endless is told which pages it skipped.              |
| Video and audio                                            | 2 GB       | Not watched automatically. Endless looks at it when the question needs it. For speech, make a [transcript](/docs/transcripts) instead. |

* Up to **20 files per batch**. A larger batch is refused with *"You can upload up to 20 files
  at a time"*. Further batches add up, with no total limit per message.
* A file over its size limit is refused with a message naming the file and the limit.
* **Documents can be dropped silently well below 100 MB.** If Endless answers as if a document
  isn't there, split it or attach only the part you need.
* If the chat's model can't read images, sending is blocked with *"…can't analyze images. Pick
  another model"*. Switch model and send again.

## What happens to an attachment

* **Uploaded images, video and audio** are saved to the **Library**, private to you.
* **Documents from your device** are used by the chat but **not** added to the Library. To keep
  one, upload it in the Library first and pick it from there.
* **Anyone who can open the chat can view files you attached that you own.** Attaching a file
  you can only view gives nobody new access. Attaching never makes a file public or editable by
  others. See [assets and visibility](/docs/concepts/assets-and-visibility).

## If an attachment won't send

* *"Wait for the upload to finish before sending"*: an image, video or audio file is still
  uploading. Send again in a moment. A document still uploading doesn't block you: its chip reads
  *"Sending when the upload finishes"*.
* *"An error occurred while uploading an attachment. Retry or remove it first"*: select the chip
  to retry, or remove it.
* *"An attached file can't be sent. Remove it and try again"*: an older library item a model
  can't read. Attach a current one.

Uploading needs the **Library** turned on for your workspace and permission to create content.
A **Viewer** can't upload. See [roles and permissions](/docs/governance/roles-and-permissions).

## Related

* [Mentions](/docs/chat/mentions)
* [Transcripts](/docs/transcripts)
* [Assets and visibility](/docs/concepts/assets-and-visibility)