Documentation
Learn how to get the most out of Paperly. From uploading your first document to mastering advanced querying techniques.
Getting Started
1. Create an Account
Sign up for a free account to start using Paperly. Your documents and conversations are securely stored and only accessible to you.
2. Upload Documents
Upload your research papers, reports, or any text-based documents. We support:
- PDF files (including scanned documents with OCR)
- Word documents (.docx)
- Plain text files (.txt)
3. Start Asking Questions
Once your documents are processed, you can ask questions in plain English. Paperly will search through your documents and provide accurate answers with citations.
Features
Document Scoping
Use the paperclip icon to select which documents to search. This helps focus your queries on specific sources when you have multiple documents uploaded.
Citation Tracking
Every answer includes citations with page numbers. Click on a citation to see the exact source text that was used to generate the response.
Conversation History
Your conversations are saved automatically. Access your chat history from the sidebar to continue previous discussions or reference past answers.
Multi-Document Search
Ask questions that span multiple documents. Paperly can synthesize information from different sources and provide comprehensive answers.
Tips for Better Results
- 1
Be specific with your questions
Instead of "What is this about?", try "What methodology was used in the study described in Chapter 3?"
- 2
Use natural language
Ask questions as you would ask a colleague. No need for special syntax or keywords.
- 3
Verify with citations
Always check the cited sources to verify the accuracy of answers, especially for important decisions.
- 4
Scope your queries
When working with many documents, use document scoping to narrow down the search space for faster, more relevant results.
Supported File Formats
| Format | Extension | Max Size |
|---|---|---|
| PDF Document | 50 MB | |
| Word Document | .docx | 50 MB |
| Plain Text | .txt | 10 MB |
Frequently Asked Questions
How secure are my documents?
Your documents are encrypted at rest and in transit. We use industry-standard security practices and your data is never shared with third parties. Documents are only accessible to your account.
Can I delete my documents?
Yes, you can delete any document at any time from the Documents page. Deleted documents are permanently removed from our systems, including all associated embeddings and metadata.
How accurate are the answers?
Paperly uses RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) technology to ground answers in your actual documents. Every answer includes citations so you can verify the source. While highly accurate, we recommend checking citations for critical decisions.
What languages are supported?
Paperly primarily supports English documents and queries. While it may work with other languages, the best results are achieved with English content.