Skip to main content

Local file access

The desktop application can work with files on your computer. This lets you use local documents in a chat or in a long-running task.

Set up a folder​

During onboarding, you choose one default folder. The desktop app uses this folder when you do not choose another working folder for the chat on the home screen.

On the home screen, you also choose a folder for a new chat:

  1. Choose New chat at the top of the sidebar, or click + next to a folder in the sidebar
  2. Under "What would you like to work on?", click the folder button
  3. Choose a project, your default folder (marked as "default"), or another approved folder, or approve a new folder with Add folder…
  4. The selected folder takes precedence over the default folder for that chat and remains selected for your next new chat
Multiple folders

You can add multiple folders. The onboarding folder and later added folders belong to the same local list of approved folders. They are therefore not managed in two separate places.

On the right side of the top bar, you see the name of the active working folder for the chat, for example "Documents". Hover over the name to see the full path. Check this path before giving a file instruction.

What can the AI do with local files?​

Within a chosen folder, the AI can, among other things:

  • read and summarize one or more documents;
  • create files and modify existing files;
  • combine information from multiple documents;
  • search, sort, move, and rename files;
  • create new subfolders for results.

Make it clear in your prompt which files may be used, what may be changed, and where new files should be saved.

The folder you choose on the home screen is both your current working folder and an explicitly approved folder. If you do not choose one there, the desktop app uses the default folder from onboarding. One working folder is active per chat. The AI only works in that active working folder and, in a project chat, also in the other folders of the project. Outside approved folders, the AI cannot open or modify local files.

If you ask the AI to delete a file or subfolder, the desktop app moves the item to the system trash. This works on Windows, macOS, and Linux. The approved root folder itself cannot be moved to the trash via the AI.

The list of approved folders and the default folder are stored only on this computer, in the same local database as the task checkpoints. They are not synchronized with your account.

Projects​

With Projects, you bundle folders on your computer that belong together, for example "Policies" and "Reports".

  1. In the side menu, choose Projects and then New project.
  2. Give the project a name.
  3. Add folders with Choose folder or Previously chosen folder.
  4. Mark one folder as Main folder.
  5. Under Project instructions, write what the assistant should know in every chat in this project, for example who your texts are intended for.

With New chat in project, you start a chat that works in the main folder and may also read and modify the other project folders. Move existing chats via History > Move to project. Projects are stored on this computer.

Pinning and archiving​

In History, pin important chats; they will appear at the top. Archived chats disappear from the list. Use Archived to view them and restore them.

File types​

The desktop application can work with commonly used text files, documents, spreadsheets, presentations, images, and PDF files. Which actions are possible depends on the file and the chosen AI model.

For simple notes, these formats are useful:

Plain text (.txt)​

Simple text files without formatting.

My notes from today:
- Meeting at 14:00
- Project deadline Friday
- Work out idea for presentation

Useful for:

  • Quick notes
  • Simple lists
  • Temporary notes

Markdown (.md)​

Text files with lightweight formatting that are readable everywhere.

# Meeting notes

## Topics
- **Budget** discussion
- Q2 planning
- New team members

## Action items
1. Finish report
2. Send email to client
3. Prepare presentation

Useful for:

  • Structured documents
  • Documentation
  • Notes with headings and formatting
  • README files for projects

Usage examples​

Taking notes​

"Create a new file meeting-notes.md with the following points we discussed..."

The AI creates the file in your chosen folder with neat formatting.

Managing lists​

"Add 'go grocery shopping' to my todo.txt file"

The AI can read and expand existing lists.

Analyzing documents​

"Read all markdown files in the docs folder and create a summary"

The AI reads multiple files and combines the information.

Organizing files​

"Find all .txt files in this folder and move them to a subfolder 'archive'"

The AI can search files, create folders, and move files. For moving, the chat shows the current and new location for each file; only after your confirmation are the files moved, even if you trust commands or are working offline. The target folder must already exist, and an existing file is never overwritten.

Safe working​

  • Choose your folders carefully - Give access only to folders needed for your task.
  • Start with a copy - Test extensive instructions before letting the assistant modify original files.
  • Check the result - Always review created and modified files yourself.
  • Pay attention to the chosen model - Content from a file can be sent to the chosen AI model to execute your task.

Viewing files​

Choose the Files button on the right side of the top bar to see the contents of this chat's working folder. Click a folder to expand it and a file to view it without leaving the app. This works with images, PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel and CSV files, Markdown, code, and text. Show hidden files with Show hidden files.

The preview opens in the same panel next to the chat, so you can keep chatting. At the top of the panel are Back to files (the arrow), the file name, Open in default app, Show in Finder or Show in Explorer, and Close.

In File changes and in the assistant activity, there is a View button for files the assistant created or modified. Use Open in default app to open the file in, for example, Word or Excel. With Show in Finder (macOS) or Show in Explorer (Windows), you can see where it is located.

  • You can only view files in folders you have granted access to, up to 25 MB.
  • For large spreadsheets, you see the first 1000 rows and 100 columns; formulas are not recalculated.
  • Scripts and programs are never opened from the app for security reasons.

Creating and targeted editing documents​

If the assistant creates or edits a Word document, PowerPoint presentation, Excel file, or PDF, the Files panel automatically opens with a preview of that document. After each change by the assistant, the preview reloads and remains on the same slide or page. This lets you watch while the assistant works.

If you ask for a targeted change, the assistant edits that exact text in the document itself for Word and PowerPoint files. Formatting, images, and styles are preserved. The previous version goes to the trash so you can restore it. For example:

"Replace [Place] with Utrecht"

For adding or removing slides or sections, the assistant creates a new version of the document. PDFs cannot be edited in a targeted way.

For a new PowerPoint presentation, the assistant creates a title slide and one slide per heading. It then lists the slides it created; if the number differs from what you asked for, it adjusts the presentation.

Colors, layout, and formatting​

You can specify how the document should look in your prompt. The assistant applies that, even without a template:

"Create a Word document 'Newsletter October' for all employees, with a cover page, a table of contents, and the brand colors dark blue and orange."

"Create a PowerPoint about the new policy plan with a dark theme in blue and green."

  • You can name colors with a color name (dark blue, orange, green) or a color code. The first color appears in titles and table headers, the second in accent lines, bullet points, and page numbers. You can also specify a font.
  • A Word document can get a cover page, with a placeholder for the logo or a logo from your working folder, and a real table of contents. Word updates the page numbers in the table of contents when you open the file.
  • Slides get a layout that fits the content: an image next to the text, larger text for a few short points, steps as numbered cards, two columns, one large quote, or a section divider slide. You can also ask for this explicitly, for example "place the four steps side by side".
  • If the assistant recreates a document in the same task, it replaces its own previous version. That version goes to the trash so that no outdated copy remains next to it.

If you want to use your own template, place it in the working folder and mention it in your prompt. The assistant will then build the document using that template's layouts and branding.

How the assistant checks formatting​

After creating the document, the assistant reviews the pages or slides as a reader sees them, and improves anything that is not placed correctly, such as text that does not fit in a box. If LibreOffice is installed on your computer, the app uses that for the most faithful rendering. Without LibreOffice, the app uses a built-in rendering of Word, PowerPoint, and Excel files; fonts and charts may differ slightly from Office. In the Desktop status panel in settings, you can see which rendering the app is using.

Adding images​

The assistant can also place images in Word and PowerPoint documents in your working folder: an image it generates or an image it finds using the image search feature. For example:

"Generate a cheerful illustration of the water cycle and place it on the Evaporation slide in Watercycle.pptx"

"Find a photo of hailstones and place it on the Precipitation slide"

  • The image is first saved as a file (PNG or JPEG) in your working folder; large images are scaled down. Then the assistant inserts the image into the document.
  • In PowerPoint, the image appears on the chosen slide in the right half, next to the text. The text is narrowed where necessary and moves downward so nothing overlaps.
  • In Word, the image appears centered directly after the paragraph you mention, otherwise at the end. You choose from small, medium, or large.
  • The assistant can also include images from your working folder in new documents.
  • As with other targeted changes, the previous version goes to the trash. The preview next to the chat shows the result.

Images from the internet may be copyrighted, such as stock photos with a watermark. Check the rights before sharing or publishing the document. The assistant only downloads https images from the internet, never from the local network.

Excel files​

The assistant can also create an Excel file (.xlsx) in your working folder and modify it later. For example:

"Create an Excel file with the number of requests from 8 departments over three months and a column with the average (as a formula)."

"Fill in the numbers and add an Average row at the bottom with the average per month as a formula."

  • In a new Excel file, the header row gets the brand color and stays visible when you scroll. Column widths match the content, formulas are included with their result, and averages show at most two decimal places.
  • When modifying a file, the assistant adjusts the cells itself. Existing formatting, other worksheets, and charts remain unchanged; new cells inherit the formatting of their neighbors.
  • The previous version goes to the trash. Excel recalculates all formulas as soon as you open the file.
  • The preview next to the chat shows the values, including formula results.

The assistant also creates charts and formatting without extra software: bar, line, and pie charts that you can edit directly in Excel, number formats (for example euro or one decimal), bold text, colors, column widths, and frozen rows or columns.

"Create analysis.xlsx with a table of the average number of requests per department and a bar chart."

Calculating with a spreadsheet​

If you ask something from a spreadsheet, such as an average, a total, or a count, the assistant lets the app calculate it exactly instead of doing it itself. This works with .xlsx, .xls, .ods, and .csv, even with a small local model.

"Look at requests.xlsx. What is the average number of requests per department? Which departments had fewer than 10 requests in two or more months?"

PDF files​

The assistant can also create a PDF, for example a worksheet. A PDF gets the same calm layout as a Word document: a title with an accent line, headings and table headers in the brand color, and formulas. For example:

"Create a PDF with a checklist 'First day at work' for new colleagues"

"Change point 3 and adjust the explanation in the table."

The assistant cannot edit a PDF in a targeted way. If you ask for a change, it recreates the PDF with the correction. The previous version goes to the trash.

Templates, analyses, and charts with Python​

For a template, a pivot table, conditional formatting, an extensive analysis, or a chart in a Word document, the assistant uses the Python built into the app. It includes libraries for Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, for analyses (pandas), and for charts (matplotlib). You do not need to install anything for this.

  • The script works without internet and can only write in your working folder. On macOS and Linux it runs in the sandbox, without needing your permission. On Windows, the app asks for permission every time.
  • The script cannot start other programs (on macOS). Your administrator can enable or disable this Python separately, even if local commands are turned off. Without a sandbox (Windows), it is only available if local commands are enabled.

File changes​

The File changes panel shows by default what the agent changed in the last turn. Under Scope, choose Entire chat, an earlier turn, or Individual edits. For each file, you can see the total change.

Reverting​

With Revert file or Revert all, you restore files to how they were. With the arrow on a block, you revert only that block.

  • Files that you have modified yourself in the meantime are never overwritten.
  • New files from the agent remain, unless you choose to move them to the trash.
  • Every revert can be undone again with Undo.

After reverting, you immediately see what remains. Partially reverted files are shown as Partially reverted, fully reverted files as Reverted; you cannot revert them again.

Giving feedback​

Click a line number to write feedback; with Shift+click, you select multiple lines. With Send feedback, all feedback is sent to the agent in one message. If the agent is still running, it adjusts its work immediately.

Keyboard shortcuts in this panel: j and k for the next or previous file, n and p for the next or previous block.

Individual edits​

If you choose Individual edits under Scope, you see each edit separately.

The last 100 text edits in this chat. Examples remain on this device. Changes made through other tools are not shown here.

  • Added · − Deleted. This is a recording of the edit, not necessarily the current file content.

No preview available: the action is not complete, the file is too large, or it contains no supported text.

Choose the File changes button on the right side of the top bar and select a file to view the edit. With Restore previous content, you restore an existing text file. This is only possible if the content has not changed since that edit. The restoration appears as a new change. Newly created files are not deleted with this.

View HTML: View the recorded version in a separate window. External and separate local files are not loaded.

The changes overview groups edits by folder and shows the number of added and deleted lines per edit, when a text preview is available. These are not net totals per file. Use Load older edits to view more than the first 100 edits. The file filter searches the loaded edits.

Local commands and tests​

Ask the agent to run a command or test in the active working folder. Check the exact command and folder in the command card and choose Run or Deny. By default, every execution asks for permission again; in Run local commands safely you can read how to set this per folder. Without a sandbox, the command uses your user permissions: it can also work outside the working folder and on the network. Output appears immediately; use Stop to end execution. The maximum runtime is 300 seconds and output is limited to 64 KiB. Interactive input is not supported.

The output is sent as a tool result to the chosen AI model. The command cards remain available only during this app session; the model's response may include output. File changes made by commands are not covered by recovery through File changes.

Choose the Commands button on the right side of the top bar. The commands and their output appear in the panel next to the chat; a new permission request opens this panel automatically.

On this page