Web and files
Alexein searches the web and shows its sources, reads a page you give it, reads the files you attach, and can read a folder you choose. It changes a file only where you allow it, and asks each time.
Alexein can look past your memory and your apps: it searches the web for what changes, reads a page or a file you give it, and finds files in a folder you let it read.
Search the web
For what changes or what Alexein doesn't know, such as news, weather, prices or opening hours, it searches the web and answers with the links it used. You don't need to ask it to search.
- "What's the weather in Karachi tomorrow?"
- "Any news on the rail strike today?"
- "What time does the British Museum open on Sunday?"
The step under the answer shows what it searched and which sites it used, such as "“weather in Karachi tomorrow” · 5 results · accuweather.com, weather.com". Choose a link in the answer to open it in your browser.
Web searches are free: they use no credits. There is a daily number of them. When they run out, Alexein says "That's today's web searches. They come back tomorrow."
Read a page
Paste a link and ask about it: "What does this article say about pricing? https://…". Your computer fetches the page and reads its main text, and PDFs too. Alexein can also open a link in your browser for you: "Open the booking page."
Only public pages are read, up to 3 MB each. A page that needs you to sign in can't be read: copy its text into the message box instead.
Alexein treats what a page says as information, never as instructions. A page that says "ignore your rules" is just text to it.
Save a page to memory
Ask Alexein to keep a page: "Save this page to my memory: https://…". It reads the page and saves it, with its link, to your memory, where your other apps can find it too.
The saved line says Page: …, with Undo and Review. A page can't be saved in an off-the-record chat, or while memory is paused.
Attach files
Attach files to a message, and ask about them: "Summarise this contract", "Which month had the highest spend in this sheet?"
- The paperclip › Attach files… picks files.
- Drag files onto the window. The message box says "Drop files to attach them".
- Paste a file or a picture into the message box.
Each file shows as a chip above your words, with its size and a × to remove it. Quick ask takes dropped and pasted files too.
| What you can attach | How Alexein reads it |
|---|---|
| Its text. A scanned PDF has no text to read. | |
Word (.docx) | Its text. |
Excel (.xlsx) and CSV | Its sheets and rows. |
| Text, Markdown, JSON and code | As written. |
| Images | Looked at by the model, only with a model that can look at images. |
You can attach up to 5 files, each up to 10 MB. Files are read on your computer, and their text goes with your message.
An image needs a model that can look at images. If the chat's model can't, the app says so, and your message waits. Choose another model with ⌘/ (Ctrl+/), or remove the image. Simple view has no model picker: turn it off in Settings › General to choose a model.
Let Alexein read a folder
Choose folders Alexein may read, and ask about the files in them any time: "Find my Q3 budget", "What does the lease say about pets?"
To add a folder:
- The paperclip › Let Alexein read a folder…, from any chat, or
- Settings › Files › Add folder….
Pick the folder in your computer's own window. Alexein can find and read files there when you ask. It reads nothing outside the folders you chose. Hidden files, and files that hold secrets, are skipped.
To see which folders Alexein can read, look at the paperclip: a small folder count beside it means some are chosen, and its menu lists them under Alexein can read. Choose × by a folder there, or Remove in Settings › Files, to stop: "Alexein can no longer read Documents."
Choices for each folder
Each folder in Settings › Files has three switches, all off at first:
| Switch | What it does |
|---|---|
| Can edit | Alexein can change text files here. See Let Alexein edit files. |
| Ask me before reading files here | Alexein asks each time before it opens a file here, and never searches what the files say. |
| Never save from here to memory | Once a chat reads a file here, nothing more from that chat is saved to your memory. |
A file in more than one chosen folder follows the rules of each.
Let Alexein edit files
Turn on Can edit for a folder, and Alexein can change text files in it when you ask: "Add a line about the budget to plan.md".
- Every change asks. The card shows the change, such as "Edit plan.md? +3 −2", with what's taken out in red and what's put in green.
- A copy is kept first. After the change, "Edited plan.md · Undo" puts it back, while the file is as Alexein left it. Activity lists it too, with Put it back.
- It never deletes or moves a file, and never changes anything outside the folder, hidden, or holding secrets.
Good to know:
- Choose a small folder. "Contracts" works better than your whole home folder.
- On a Mac, the first time Alexein reads a folder in Documents, Desktop or Downloads, macOS asks once for access. Choose Allow.
- Pictures in a folder aren't read. Attach a picture to ask about it.
- Name the file when you know it: "Read invoice-march.pdf in Accounts" is quicker than a search.
Related
- Privacy and trust: what stays on your computer.
- Chat and memory: choosing a model.