Attachments in Conversations¶

Overview¶

Attach files and images directly to chat conversations for AI-powered analysis. This feature enables multimodal interactions where AI can process visual content, documents, and data files alongside text-based queries.

Key Capabilities:

Image Analysis: Upload images for visual analysis, OCR, content extraction, and AI-powered interpretation
Document Processing: Attach documents for content indexing, semantic search, and information retrieval
Data Files: Upload CSV, JSON, and other data formats for analysis and processing
Multiple Upload Methods: Click to browse, drag-and-drop, or paste from clipboard
Centralized Storage: All attachments stored in Artifact buckets with configurable retention policies

How Attachments Work¶

The attachment functionality is integrated with the Artifact Toolkit.

Storage: Every file you attach is automatically uploaded and stored in an Artifact bucket. The backend always uses the default attachments bucket — no manual Artifact Toolkit configuration is required.
Access: This allows the AI agent to access the file for analysis and also provides a centralized location for you to manage these files via the Artifacts section of the platform.
Retention: Files are subject to the retention policy of the bucket they are stored in. By default, new buckets have a retention period of 30 days, after which files are automatically deleted. Retention period can be changed manually.

For detailed information about bucket management and retention policies, see the Artifacts Documentation.

Prerequisites¶

Before using attachments, ensure you have:

Permission Level: Editor or Admin role within the project (required for Agent configuration)
Active Conversation: An existing conversation or agent

User Permissions

Any user with conversation access can attach files once attachments are enabled. Editor or Admin permissions are only required for enabling attachments on Agents.

Enabling Attachments¶

Attachments must be explicitly enabled before use.

Enable Attachments for Agents¶

Configure attachment capabilities at the Agent level to enable file uploads in all conversations using that agent.

Navigate to Agents from the main menu
Select the agent to configure
On the Configuration tab, locate the Allow attachments toggle in the INTERNAL TOOLS section (disabled by default)
Click the toggle to enable attachments
Save the agent
Click the paperclip icon — the file browser opens

Result: The Attachments internal tool is added to the agent. The backend automatically provisions storage using the default attachments bucket — no additional toolkit configuration is required. The paperclip icon becomes enabled in the message input area when using this agent in a conversation.

Enable Attachments in a Conversation¶

Enable attachments directly within an active chat session without modifying the agent configuration.

Open a new or existing conversation
Locate the paperclip icon in the message input area
Click the paperclip icon — the file browser opens directly

Result: Attachments are immediately available. No additional setup is required.

Using Agents with Attachments in Conversations¶

When you use an agent that has attachments enabled in a conversation, the paperclip icon is automatically enabled in the message input area — no additional steps are required. The attachment state is determined by the active agent's configuration.

If the active agent has Allow attachments enabled, the paperclip is active and you can attach files immediately
If you switch to an agent without attachments enabled, the paperclip becomes inactive
The same applies when the agent is used as a nested agent inside another agent

LLM Chat Conversations

In direct LLM chat conversations (without an agent), attachments are always available — no configuration is required. Click the paperclip icon to start attaching files immediately.

Using Attachments in Conversations¶

When attachments are available — either because you are in a direct LLM chat, using an agent with Allow attachments enabled, or in a conversation where attachments are active — the paperclip icon in the message input area is enabled and ready to use.

Upload Files

Three methods are available for attaching files:

Method 1: Click to Browse

Click the paperclip icon in the message input area
Browse and select files from your file system
Click Open to attach selected files

Method 2: Drag and Drop

Select files from your file explorer
Drag files directly into the message input area
Release to attach files

Method 3: Paste from Clipboard

Copy an image to your clipboard (Ctrl+C or Cmd+C)
Click inside the message input area
Paste the image (Ctrl+V or Cmd+V)

Duplicate File Handling

If you upload a file with the same name as an existing attachment, it is automatically renamed by appending a timestamp and file size (e.g., image_20251106_143022_1.50KB.png). No error is shown and both files are preserved.

Send Message with Attachments

After attaching files, thumbnails appear above the message input area
Type a text prompt describing what you want the AI to do (required)
Click the Send button

Text Required

The Send button remains disabled until you enter text. A text prompt provides context for the AI to understand how to process your attachments. When sent, each file is automatically uploaded to the default attachments Artifact bucket and can be viewed and managed from the Artifacts section in the main navigation.

Manage Attachments in Chat¶

View Attachments

Sent attachments display as clickable thumbnails in the chat history
Click any thumbnail to view the full-size image or preview the file

Download or Delete Attachments

Hover over any attachment thumbnail in the chat
Two icons appear:
- Download icon: Save the file to your local system
- Delete icon (trash can): Remove the attachment

Delete Attachments¶

When clicking the delete (trash can) icon, a confirmation dialog provides two deletion options:

Option 1: Delete from Chat Only (default)

Removes the thumbnail from the conversation
Original file remains in the Artifact bucket
File remains accessible via the Artifacts menu

Option 2: Delete from Chat and Artifacts

Check the box: "Also delete from artifact toolkit"
Removes the thumbnail from the conversation
Permanently deletes the file from the Artifact bucket
File cannot be recovered

Permanent Deletion

When "Also delete from artifact toolkit" is checked, the file is permanently deleted from storage and cannot be recovered. Use this option carefully.

Disable Attachments For Agents¶

Navigate to the Agent Configuration tab
Click the Allow attachments toggle to turn it off
Save the agent

Result: The paperclip icon becomes inactive in new conversations. Previously attached files remain visible in existing chat history.

Working with Non-Image Files¶

Non-image file attachments follow a different processing workflow than images. While images are analyzed directly by the LLM's vision capabilities, other file types are indexed for semantic search and retrieval.

Processing Workflow:

Upload: File is uploaded to the default attachments bucket
Indexing: File content is automatically extracted and indexed into a vector database
Retrieval: When you query, relevant content is retrieved through semantic search

Key Differences from Images:

Feature	Images	Non-Image Files
Processing	Sent directly to LLM	Indexed in vector DB
Analysis	Real-time vision analysis	Semantic search retrieval
Query type	Visual analysis	Content-based search
Token usage	Per image	Per retrieved chunk

Specificity Improves Results

Since content is retrieved through semantic search, specific queries that describe the information you're looking for will yield better results than general summarization requests.

Shared Collection Behavior

All non-image attachments are indexed into the same storage collection in the default attachments bucket.

Implications:

Search results may include content from previously attached files (if using the same toolkit)
Queries might retrieve information from multiple uploaded files
Results may include content you didn't intend to search

Recommendations:

Be specific in queries to avoid retrieving irrelevant content from other files
Include context in queries to help narrow down relevant content
Reference filenames when querying if you need content from a specific file

Usage Tips

Structure your queries effectively

Instead of asking "What does the file say?", ask "What are the recommended security practices mentioned in the uploaded security guidelines?"

Include context in your prompt

Reference the file type or subject: "In the uploaded project plan, what are the Q2 milestones?"

Query for specific sections

Ask for particular information: "Find all mentions of API rate limits in the uploaded documentation"

Use keywords from your files

If you know specific terms appear in your files, include them in queries to improve retrieval accuracy

Supported File Types and Limits¶

Image Formats

Images are sent directly to the LLM for visual analysis. Supported formats include:

Extension	Notes
`.jpg` / `.jpeg`	Standard compressed image format
`.png`	Lossless compression with transparency
`.gif`	First frame only for animated GIFs
`.bmp`	Uncompressed raster format
`.webp`	Modern compressed format
`.svg`	Vector-based graphics
`.tiff` / `.tif`	High-quality raster format
`.ico`	Windows icon format
`.apng`	Animated PNG format
`.avif`	Next-gen compressed format

Image Processing

Images are sent directly to the LLM's vision capabilities for analysis. Animated GIFs are processed using only the first frame.

Documents & Data Files

Documents and data files are indexed into a vector database for semantic search and retrieval. Supported types include:

Extension	Category
`.pdf`	Document
`.doc` / `.docx`	Document
`.ppt` / `.pptx`	Presentation
`.xls` / `.xlsx`	Spreadsheet
`.txt`	Text
`.md`	Text
`.csv`	Data
`.json`	Data
`.yaml` / `.yml`	Data
`.xml`	Data

Programming & Code Files

Source code files are indexed and their content is made available for AI analysis. Supported languages include:

Extension	Language
`.py`	Python
`.js`	JavaScript
`.ts`	TypeScript
`.java`	Java
`.cpp` / `.c` / `.h`	C / C++
`.cs`	C#
`.go`	Go
`.rb`	Ruby
`.php`	PHP
`.swift`	Swift
`.kt`	Kotlin
`.rs`	Rust
`.html`	HTML
`.css`	CSS
`.sql`	SQL
`.sh`	Shell

Programming File Support

You can attach source code files directly to a conversation. The AI reads and analyzes the full code content — enabling code review, bug detection, refactoring suggestions, explanations, and more — without requiring any copy-paste.

File Types and Processing

Supported types are configured dynamically per ELITEA deployment — unsupported files are rejected with an error listing allowed extensions. Unlike images, non-image files are indexed into a vector database and retrieved via semantic search rather than sent directly to the LLM.

File Size and Quantity Limits

Limit	Default Value	Notes
Maximum attachments per message	10 files	SVG files are not counted toward this limit
Maximum total size per message	150 MB	Combined size of all attachments
Maximum individual file size	150 MB	Applies to any single file
Maximum individual image size	5 MB	SVG files are not subject to this limit

Limits and Validation

All limits are configurable per ELITEA deployment — the values above are defaults. Images exceeding 5 MB are rejected client-side before sending; SVG files are exempt from this restriction.

FAQ¶

Where are my attached files stored?

All attachments are stored in the default attachments bucket. You can view and manage these files from the Artifacts menu in the main navigation.

How long are files stored?

By default, new Artifact buckets have a 30-day retention period. Files older than the retention period are automatically deleted. You can view and modify retention periods from the Artifacts page.

Can I use attachments with multiple agents in one conversation?

Yes. In conversations, all attachments are saved to the default attachments bucket. All agents participating in that conversation can access the chat history, including attachments. Which agents can process attachments depends on their individual configuration — only agents with Allow attachments enabled can actively use attached files.

Can I recover a deleted attachment?

No. Deletion is permanent. If you delete a file from the Artifacts bucket or use the "delete from artifact" option in chat, it cannot be recovered.

Why can't I send a message with only an attachment and no text?

The system requires a text prompt to provide context about how the AI should interpret or process the attachment(s). The Send button activates only after you enter text.

How many tokens does an image consume?

Token consumption varies by LLM provider:

Claude (Anthropic): Fixed number of tokens per image (consult model documentation)
GPT (OpenAI): Varies based on image size and resolution

Check your LLM provider's documentation for specific token costs.

What happens when I attach the same filename twice?

Duplicate filenames are handled automatically. The system renames the new file by appending a timestamp and file size (e.g., image_20251106_143022_1.50KB.png). Both files are preserved in the bucket with distinct names — no error is shown and no data is overwritten.

Can I use attachments in Pipeline conversations?

No. The Allow attachments toggle is not available in pipeline configuration — the INTERNAL TOOLS section is hidden for pipelines entirely. To use attachments in a pipeline-based conversation, either:

Enable attachments on an agent and add it as a participant in the conversation, or
Use the conversation-level paperclip icon to attach files directly in that session

Troubleshooting¶

File size exceeds image limit

Error: Image is rejected when attaching

Cause: The image exceeds the 5 MB per-image size limit (SVG files are exempt).

Solution:

Compress or resize the image below 5 MB
For SVG files, the size limit does not apply
Re-attach the file

Paperclip icon is disabled

Symptom: Cannot click the paperclip icon in the chat

Cause: Attachments have not been enabled for this Agent or conversation

Solution:

Follow the "Enabling Attachments" instructions above
Verify you have Editor/Admin permissions (for Agent configuration)
Contact a project administrator if permissions are insufficient

Unexpected filename in chat after upload

Symptom: Attached file appears with a different name than the original (e.g., image_20251106_143022_1.50KB.png)

Cause: A file with the same name was already attached. The system automatically renames duplicates with a timestamp and file size suffix to avoid overwriting existing files.

Solution: This is expected behavior. Both files are preserved. Use unique filenames if you need to distinguish uploads easily.

Attachment visible in chat but not found in Artifacts

Symptom: Thumbnail appears in chat, but file is missing from Artifacts menu

Possible Causes:

File was deleted directly from the Artifacts page
Retention period expired and file was auto-deleted

Solution: Files deleted from Artifacts cannot be recovered. Re-upload if needed.

Cannot delete attachment with \"Also delete from artifact toolkit\" option

Error: Deletion fails when "Also delete from artifact toolkit" is checked

Possible Causes:

File was already deleted from the bucket via the Artifacts page

Solution:

Uncheck "Also delete from artifact toolkit"
Delete from chat only

Maximum attachment limit reached

Error: Cannot attach more files to a message

Cause: Attempting to attach more than the maximum number of files per message (default: 10)

Solution:

Remove some attachments to stay within the limit
Send multiple messages if needed
Combine related content into fewer files when possible

Maximum image attachment limit reached

Error: Toast warning — Maximum N image attachments allowed

Cause: The number of non-SVG images attached would exceed the image attachment limit (default: 10). SVG files do not count toward this limit.

Solution:

Remove some image attachments
Convert images to SVG format if applicable (SVGs are exempt from this count)
Send images across multiple messages

Total message size exceeds limit

Error: Message fails to send due to total attachment size

Cause: Combined size of all attachments exceeds 150 MB

Solution:

Reduce number of attachments
Compress images or files
Send multiple messages with fewer attachments each