Search across files

These instructions cover Bearly on the web and desktop, including the web app in a phone browser.

Bearly can find and combine relevant passages from documents in a chat. Ask a focused question and the answer can include numbered citations that lead back to the source file.

Use this for evidence gathering, comparison, and precise questions. If you want a broad overview of one long file, create a Deep Summary instead.

In end-to-end encrypted chats, Bearly can read and scan documents but cannot use Search Docs.

Ask about attached documents

1. Attach the source material

   Select the plus icon beside the message box, choose Attach files, and add the documents. Wait for each attachment to finish loading.

2. Ask a focused question

   Name the files, evidence, and form of answer that matter. Bearly can work across several sources in one request.

   Compare the renewal and termination terms in these agreements. Make a table with notice periods, fees, and unusual exceptions, and cite every row.

3. Send the message

   Bearly reads or searches the relevant material and answers in the chat. Preparing a newly attached or scanned document can take a moment.

4. Open the evidence

   Select a numbered citation in the answer to open the document at the cited page and check the surrounding text. You can also open a source filename shown above the answer.

   Both Read Doc and Search Docs citations open in the chat’s file viewer. When a citation covers a page range, the file opens at the first page in that range.

For a follow-up, stay in the same chat. You can ask Bearly to quote a passage, explain a term, resolve a disagreement between files, extract a table, or look for evidence that would challenge the first answer.

For a focused starting point, summarize a PDF, compare PDFs, or extract a PDF table to Excel.

Research project files

Documents added to a project are available to chats in that project. Open or start a project chat and refer to the material by name:

Using the documents in this project, trace how the proposed launch date changed and identify who approved each revision. Cite the source for every date.

This is useful for a continuing body of reference material because you do not have to attach the same documents to every project chat. Files attached only to one ordinary chat remain with that chat.

Work with strong source material

• Use descriptive filenames so citations are easy to recognize.
• Keep only relevant sources in scope, or name the exact files to compare.
• Searchable PDFs, word-processing documents, presentations, spreadsheets, CSV, Markdown, and plain-text files are common choices. A document can be up to 200 MB for document search.
• Scans and unusual formats may need extra processing. If text cannot be extracted, export a searchable PDF or paste the important passage into the chat.
• For audio or video, use Transcribe before asking detailed questions about the spoken content.

Caution

Citations make an answer easier to verify; they do not guarantee that every inference is correct. Open the cited passage before relying on an exact quotation, number, deadline, legal term, or safety-critical claim.

If Bearly cannot find the answer

• Check that the upload completed and that you are in the chat or project containing the file.
• Mention the document name and use distinctive words, dates, people, or section titles from the likely passage.
• Ask a narrower question first, then request a synthesis after the relevant evidence has been found.
• If a citation no longer opens, the source file may have been removed. Attach it again and repeat the question.
• If no passage is found in a scan, attach a text-searchable copy.

For help attaching, previewing, or downloading a source, see Work with files in a chat. For reusable project material, see Add documents to a project.

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