Chatting & citations

Where chat runs

Document chat is built for the installed desktop app. If you open PrivateDocs AI in a normal web browser, you are usually taken to your account dashboard instead of the full chat workspace. Install and open the desktop app on your computer to use the features below.

Composing and sending messages

• Message box: Type in the main field (it may show something like Send a message…). Press send or use the on-screen send button. If the app is still starting, you may see a short status message first.
• Files with your message: You can attach one or more files and send them in the same step as your text. After you send, the attachment list clears so you can start fresh.
• Add files to your vault: The + button opens Add Files with a drop zone. Files you add there are copied into your local vault and prepared for search—not only pasted into the chat as a one-off attachment. The vault accepts PDF, TXT, DOCX, Markdown (.md), CSV, and PowerPoint (.pptx); see File types & limitations for details.
• Drag and drop on the chat area: Dropping files on the chat region shows Drop to add document and adds them the same way as the Add Files flow.
• While the assistant is replying: You can stop an answer in progress with the stop control. You need to wait for the current reply to finish or stop before you send something new; if you try too soon, the app will let you know.
• Jump to latest: If you scroll up in the thread, a Scroll to bottom control appears so you can return to the newest messages quickly.

While a new file is being added, you may see Processing and indexing local document… with the filename until the app is ready to search that document.

Which documents the assistant uses

The documents sidebar lists everything in your vault. Use the checkboxes to choose which files should be considered for the next question. A label above the input shows either General chat (no documents) when nothing is selected, or Using N document(s) when one or more files are checked. Narrowing the selection helps keep answers focused on the files you care about.

Citations and checking answers

When the reply includes sources, you will see a line such as Context analyzed: with numbered chips [1], [2], and so on.

Point at or focus a chip to read a short hint: usually the file name, and sometimes a page number (for example Found in contract.pdf, Page 4). If a brief excerpt is available, you may see the opening lines of the matching passage.

These chips do not open the PDF inside the app or jump to a preview pane. They tell you which file (and page, when shown) supported a statement so you can open the original and verify. Always double-check important details in your source files—the disclaimer under the input reminds you that answers can be incomplete or wrong.

Managing chat history

The left Conversations sidebar lists your saved threads. From there you can:

• Open a conversation: Click a row to open that thread.
• Start fresh: Use the + button in the sidebar header to begin a new conversation and clear the current transcript.
• Rename: On desktop, move the pointer over a row to show actions. Choose the pencil icon to edit the title. Press Enter to save, Escape to cancel, or click away to save. Check and cancel icons also appear while you edit.
• Delete: The trash icon asks you to confirm. Confirmed deletion removes that conversation from your account. If you delete the conversation you are viewing, the app starts a new chat afterward.
• Show or hide the list: On larger screens, a chevron can collapse the conversation list; a floating control can open it again. On small screens, the list slides over the chat with open and close controls.

New conversations get a title from your first message (shortened if it is long). There is no built-in export button for chat transcripts today—copy text manually if you need a record outside the app.

Prompting tips for document Q&A

The assistant only considers the documents you selected in the sidebar. Clear questions that name the topic, party, or section you care about usually work better than very vague prompts.