Chat with PDF, Word, Excel and CSV files

The picker accepts PDFs, Word documents (.docx), Excel workbooks (.xlsx and .xls) and CSV files, as well as images. The limits come from the model providers (see the Anthropic, OpenAI and Google documentation for their own file rules), and Copilotly checks them before sending:

• Spreadsheets and CSVs: up to 5 MB.
• PDFs: up to 32 MB with the OpenAI, Anthropic and DeepSeek model families and 50 MB with Google models. Anthropic's limit is also 100 pages per PDF.
• Images: sizes and counts vary by provider. Some models cannot read images at all; PDFs and spreadsheets are read as text and work with any model.
• Files per message: 5.

Scanned PDFs are the usual trouble. If a PDF is only a picture of text, the model has nothing to read unless it can interpret the page image, so check a short answer before relying on it.

Language models read documents well and do arithmetic less well, so match the question to the strength.

• Works well: summaries, finding where a document says something, pulling out lists of dates, names or clauses, explaining jargon, drafting a reply to a letter you attached, cleaning and re-labelling columns.
• Check carefully: totals, averages and any calculation across a big sheet. Ask the model to show the rows it used, or recompute in the spreadsheet.
• Not a substitute for: a lawyer reading a contract or an accountant reviewing a ledger. Use the output to prepare questions, not as advice.

The guide to AI contract review goes through what to ask of an employment contract and where AI review stops being reliable.

Chat can also produce files. Ask for a budget spreadsheet, a one-page brief or a short deck and Copilotly streams a placeholder (Creating spreadsheet, Creating document, Creating presentation) and then a file card. The viewer in the extension previews Excel and CSV sheets, Word documents and decks, and shows how many rows it is displaying, for example Showing 40 of 120 rows, with a note to download the full workbook with its formulas. Generated PDFs are not previewed in that viewer; download them to open.

Files can be Excel, Word, PDF, CSV or PowerPoint. This is the closest thing we have to the spreadsheet-AI tools people search for by name: it generates the file, but you still own the checking.

A message about a file is a normal chat message. It counts toward the daily premium-model allowance on Free (10 a day) if you choose a premium model such as Claude or Gemini, and is not capped on Pro. Fast models are not counted, and with your own API key nothing is metered. We do not list a separate daily limit for file chats.

What you attach is sent to the AI model that answers. Do not attach files you are not allowed to share with an AI provider, and remove personal data first where you can. If you want a conversation that uses no saved instructions or memories, turn on Incognito in the chat; see memory and personalization.

Contracts, reports and papers (PDF, Word)

Ask for structure first: list the section headings and what each covers. Then go to specifics: quote the clause on termination and explain it in plain English, list every deadline with the section it comes from. Asking for the section reference lets you check each answer against the page. For contracts, the AI contract review guide shows which questions are worth asking.

Spreadsheets and CSVs

Describe what you want done to the data, and ask the model to show the rows or columns it used. Useful jobs: which rows have a negative margin, find duplicate customer emails, explain what the formula in column F does, suggest cleaner column names. Because language models are weaker at arithmetic, recompute totals in the spreadsheet itself.

Bills, letters and forms

For documents like an explanation of benefits or a pay stub, ask what each line means and which ones to question. Our guides to reading an EOB and reading a pay stub list what to look for, and the chat can walk through your own copy.

Page limits and big files

A file within the size limit can still be long. If an answer ignores part of a long file, ask about that part by section or page. Split very large documents and ask about each part.

Scanned pages and images

A scanned PDF is a picture of text. Whether it works depends on the model, since some read images and some do not. Test with a short question about a sentence you can see before relying on it.

Several files at once

You can attach up to 5 files to one message, which suits comparisons: compare the notice period in these three contracts in a table. Keep the question specific and check each claim against the right file. Switching models within the same chat is useful for a second opinion; see the Claude, Gemini and ChatGPT pages for what each is like.

Spreadsheets

Say the columns, the units and the formulas you want: a budget with columns Category, Planned, Actual, Difference, and a total row. Ask for formulas rather than typed totals, then download the workbook and open it in your spreadsheet app.

Documents

Give the audience and length: a one-page brief for a client, three headings, plain English. Use the preview in the extension to check the structure, then download the Word file to edit.

Slides

Ask for the number of slides and what each should say: six slides: problem, solution, how it works, pricing, next steps. The viewer previews the deck; download the PowerPoint file to add images and branding.

The checking is still yours

A generated file is a first draft. Check numbers, sources and any statement of fact before you send it to anyone.

The file goes to the model that answers, so choose carefully what you attach. Remove names, account numbers and other personal data where you can, and do not attach documents covered by a confidentiality agreement unless you are allowed to share them with an AI provider.

Using your own key

If your organisation has an agreement with a model provider, use your own API key so requests go through your account, which is also never metered by Copilotly.

Incognito and shared links

Use Incognito for a conversation without saved memories or instructions. If you share a chat by link, remember that the link is to the conversation, so check it before you share.