# Upload and create files in chat

> How to upload files straight into a chat and how MAIA creates PDF, Word and Excel files for you.

You can upload files straight into a chat and ask about them right away, without creating a data collection first. The other way round, MAIA creates files for you on request, such as a PDF report or an Excel spreadsheet.

## Upload files in chat

### Requirements

* Uploading in chat is available on every plan except Free, so on Basic, Professional and Enterprise. CSV and Excel files also need the matching features enabled. ![“+” menu with “Upload Files”](/images/docs/0dbc0946d4303177f6d8.jpeg)

### How it works

There are three ways:

* **From the menu:** Click “+” below the chat input, then “Upload Files”. Choose the file on your computer.

  ![“+” menu with “Upload Files”](/images/docs/0dbc0946d4303177f6d8.jpeg)

* **Drag and drop:** Drag the file onto the chat window.

* **From the clipboard:** Paste a file or a screenshot into the chat input with Ctrl+V (Mac: Cmd+V).

Then:

1. Type your question and send it.

2. The file appears in the input box below your message. Click the “x” to remove it. MAIA prepares the file in the background. The file shows whether it's still uploading or being analyzed, ready, or whether something went wrong.

3. As soon as the file is ready, MAIA sends your question automatically. You don't have to wait.

   ![Uploaded file in the input box](/images/docs/d5dd7190fa052d8cdcc5.jpeg)

### Limits and formats

* Up to **3 files per chat**
* Up to **10 MB per file**
* PDFs with up to **50 pages**
* Formats: PDF, DOCX, PPTX, TXT, CSV, XLSX, JPEG, PNG and WebP

MAIA analyzes Excel files (.xlsx) directly; see [Analyze Excel files](/en/docs/maias-features/analyze-excel-files/). Older .xls files, files with macros and password-protected files are not supported. GIF images are not supported either. If you upload an .xls file, for example, MAIA shows “The file type of … is not supported here”.

![Message about a rejected .xls file](/images/docs/7fd3b932708bb257524d.jpeg)

For larger files, more files, or material your team should use long term, create a data collection in the File Manager. See [Upload and share documents](/en/docs/first-steps-with-maia/upload-and-share-documents/).

### Where the files go

MAIA saves uploaded files in the File Manager in your personal collection “Chat uploads”, listed under “Your File Collections”. After you send the message, the input box also shows the “Chat uploads” collection as selected; “Remove All” clears the selection. From the collection you can use them again in later chats via “Select Files”. Like any other collection, you can rename, share or delete it.

![File picker with the “Chat uploads” folder](/images/docs/7fc3e2df801cdec50068.jpeg)

If you upload a file with a name that already exists in the collection, MAIA adds a number, for example “Quote (2).pdf”. If your workspace storage is full, MAIA shows a message.

## Let MAIA create files

### How it works

1. Ask MAIA for a file, for example: “Summarize the results as a PDF report.” or “Create an Excel spreadsheet with all items and prices.”

2. The finished file appears as a card in the answer, with file name, format and size. The eye icon opens a preview, the arrow downloads the file. Word files have no preview; you can only download them.

   ![PDF created by MAIA as a card in the answer](/images/docs/1ff4fa27153216b17e5d.jpeg)

### Which formats MAIA creates

* **PDF:** the default. If you don't name a format, MAIA creates a PDF.
* **Word (.docx):** only if you ask for it explicitly, for example with “as a Word file”, “docx” or “editable”.
* **Excel (.xlsx):** simple tables, for example lists and analyzed figures.

![Word file created by MAIA as a card](/images/docs/48493174ec611d3d0edb.jpeg)

### Good to know

* **Changing means recreating:** MAIA doesn't edit a created file directly. Tell her what to change, and she creates the file again.
* **Not possible yet:** charts, formulas, macros, letterheads or company layouts.
* **Storage:** You find created files in the chat where they were made. They don't appear in the File Manager. If you delete the chat, they are deleted too. - **Passing files on:** There is no share option for created files in the chat. Download the file and forward it.
* **In later chats:** You won't find created files under “Select Files”. In the chat where they were made, MAIA answers questions about them, Excel files included. To use a file in another chat, download it and upload it there. - **Deleting:** When you delete the chat, the files created in it are deleted too. Download files you want to keep first.
* **Checking:** Check figures and content in created files before you pass them on.
* **From Excel files:** With an .xlsx file selected, MAIA can create a new file from it, for example a PDF that summarizes the spreadsheet.

## FAQ

**I don't see “Upload Files” in the “+” menu. Why?** Uploading in chat isn't included in every plan. Contact your workspace admin or <support@getmaia.ai>.

**MAIA answers with text instead of creating a file.** Name the format you want explicitly in your request, for example “as a PDF” or “as an Excel spreadsheet”. If the effort is set to “Low”, try “Standard”.

More about these features in [release 1.21](/en/docs/releases/1-21/) and [release 1.22](/en/docs/releases/1-22/).