Documents & Folders
Opening, previewing and downloading a file
Open a file's own page to read it, see its details and download it, including older versions.
Step 1
Open the file
Double-click a file in the Documents list. A single click only selects it. You can also press Open in the details pane, and on a phone one tap opens it.
Q3-Report.pdf
Budget.xlsx
Step 2
The file's page
The page shows the file's name and type, its status, and a preview underneath. Not searchable yet means the file is saved but the AI can't read it until Secretary's database has space again. Secretary previews PDFs, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, RTF, text, web pages, images and audio. Back to Documents, at the top, returns you to the list. A password-protected file shows Locked. If the file cannot be opened, the page says Document not found, You don't have access to this document, or Document could not be loaded, which has Try again.
Q3-Report.pdf
PDF Document
Step 3
Play audio from the keyboard
An audio file plays in a player with its waveform and, when there is one, the transcript underneath. Press Tab to reach the waveform, then use the arrow keys to skip 5 seconds back or forward, Page Up and Page Down for 30 seconds, and Home and End for the start and the end. Older recordings show the transcript in timed lines: each line starts with its time, and pressing it jumps there. Newer recordings show the transcript as plain text. If the browser cannot play the file, the player says This audio could not be played. Try again or download the file.
Board-Meeting.m4a
This audio could not be played. Try again or download the file.
Next item on the agenda is the Q3 budget.
Step 4
Read it full screen
Press the fullscreen button next to the status to read the preview on its own, across the whole window.
Q3-Report.pdf
PDF Document
Step 5
Leave full screen
The file's name stays at the top. Press the button on the right, or Esc, to come back to the page.
Step 6
Open File details
Press the i button at the right of the title for the file's details. Press it again to close them.
Q3-Report.pdf
PDF Document
Step 7
What File details shows
File Details lists the type, size, pages, words and language, when it was uploaded and by whom, who last changed it, its tag and who has access. On a phone the same details are on the Details tab.
File Details
Inherited from folder Reports
Direct access (1)
Alex Johnson
alex@example.com
Step 8
Rename it here
Hover the title to show two buttons. The pencil, or a double-click on the title, lets you type a new name; the extension stays as it is. The sparkle suggests a name based on what is in the file. Renaming and deleting are for Moderators and above and for the person who uploaded the file, if their role has Edit documents (to rename) and Delete documents (to delete).
Q3.pdf
PDF Document
Step 9
Download
Press Download at the top right of the page. The same buttons let you chat about the file, pin it, or delete it. You can also download from the file's right-click menu in the list, or from the details pane.
Step 10
Older versions
A document made in chat and then changed in chat keeps its earlier versions. They show in the details pane on the Documents list as v1, v2 and so on, with current on the latest. Press one to download that version.
Board-Pack.docx
Inherited from folder Reports
Direct access (1)
Alex Johnson
alex@example.com
Step 11
When there is no preview
Files Secretary cannot show, such as ZIP archives, say No preview available, and are usually marked Not AI-scanned because Secretary cannot read them either. Download them to open them on your computer.
Fonts.zip
Document
No preview available
This file type cannot be previewed
Try it in Secretary, or create an account to get started.
Related guides
Finding your way around Documents
The folder panel, Home and All Documents, views, columns, sorting and the details pane.
Uploading documents
Add files to the folder you have open, or let Secretary read them and sort them into folders for you.
Uploading a whole folder
Upload a folder from your computer with all its subfolders, keeping the same structure.