How to Upload Documents to Your AI Agent's Knowledge Base
Some of your best reference material isn't on a website or in your help center — it's in files. Internal docs, policy PDFs, support guides, a spreadsheet of edge cases. Macha lets you upload those files directly so your agent can search and reference them. Here's how it works.
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What you can upload
If you've got static content you want an agent to reference — internal documents, policy files, support guides — you can upload it straight into Macha. Supported formats:
- Word documents
- Text files
- CSV
- Excel spreadsheets
A couple of limits to know: you can upload up to 10 files at a time, and each file can be up to 20 MB. Stay within those and everything works smoothly. (For content that lives on the web instead, use Add Website.)
How to upload
From the Sources page, choose Upload Documents, pick your files (up to 10), and confirm. That's the whole action — Macha takes it from there.
What happens after you upload
The moment your files are in, Macha starts indexing them right away. Indexing means it:
- Reads the content of each file.
- Breaks it into chunks (so the agent can find the relevant part of a long document).
- Makes it searchable for your agents.
Depending on file size, this takes anywhere from a few seconds to a couple of minutes. When it's done, the source appears in your sources list marked Ready — and any agent you link it to can now search it.
A thing to remember: it's a snapshot
Uploaded documents are indexed once — they're a static snapshot, not a live feed. That's perfect for content that doesn't change (a policy, a guide). But if you upload a file that gets updated regularly, you'll need to re-upload it to refresh the agent's knowledge — or, for genuinely dynamic data, read it live instead. (See knowledge source vs. tool.)
After uploading: link it to an agent
Uploading a document adds it to your sources, but an agent only uses sources it's linked to. Open the agent, point it at the source (all of it, or specific documents), and now it'll reference your uploaded content when answering. (Full detail in connecting a knowledge base to an agent.)
Frequently asked questions
What file types can I upload? PDF, Word, text, CSV, and Excel.
How many files, and how big? Up to 10 files at a time, each up to 20 MB.
How long does indexing take? A few seconds to a couple of minutes, depending on file size.
Do uploaded docs update automatically? No — they're indexed once (a snapshot). Re-upload to refresh, or read changing data live with a tool.
Will the agent use the file automatically? Only if you link the source to the agent — then it searches it when answering.
The bottom line
Uploading documents is the fastest way to put your internal docs, policies, and guides into an agent's knowledge. Drop in up to 10 files (PDF/Word/CSV/Excel, ≤20 MB each), let Macha index them in seconds, link the source to your agent, and it'll answer from your real reference material — just remember to re-upload if the file changes.
Add your docs: upload your policies and guides and let your agent reference them. 7-day free trial, no credit card required. Start free.
