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Attachments let Babbily use file context in a chat. You can attach supported files when you want help summarizing, analyzing, transforming, or referencing the content. Every chat model accepts documents, text and code, images, audio, video, and ZIP archives. If the model you picked cannot read a file itself, Babbily reads the file first and gives the model the text it found, so you don’t have to switch models before attaching something. If you use Auto in the model picker, a message that includes a file goes to Auto’s dependable default model.
To edit an image or video, attach it and ask Babbily to use the Image generation or Video generation tool. See image and video generation.

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What you can attach

The file picker offers exactly the formats Babbily can read, so an unsupported file is usually filtered out before you choose it.

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What is not supported

  • Legacy Office files. .doc, .xls, .ppt, and .hwp are not supported. Save them as .docx, .xlsx, or .pptx and attach again.
  • Some image and media formats. GIF, BMP, TIFF, ICO, MKV, and WMA are not supported. Convert them to a format in the table above.
  • Password-protected ZIP archives. Remove the password first.
  • ZIP files inside a ZIP. Nested archives are skipped; the rest of the archive is still read.
If a file is rejected, Babbily tells you which file it was and why, before the message is sent.

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Attach a file

1

Open a chat

Start a new chat or continue an existing thread.
2

Attach your file

Select Attach files (+) in the composer. Under Attachments in the Add to chat menu, choose Files, Photos, or Camera, then pick the file.
3

Tell Babbily what to do

Ask a specific question about the file.
4

Send the message

While Babbily reads a file, the activity line shows Reading with the file name. Longer documents, audio, and video take a moment before the reply starts.
In a regular chat, you can send a file on its own without a question. When editing an earlier message, its original attachments must still be available. See editing earlier messages before replacing a message.

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Attach files from News and Finance

The composers on News articles and Finance pages accept attachments too. Your files are sent with your question and follow the same formats and size limits as a new chat. A file can’t be sent there on its own. Until you add a question, the send button stays disabled and the composer shows “Add a question to send with your attachment.”

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Retry or resend a file

  • Retry works for a message that contained only a file. Babbily uses the file you already sent instead of uploading it again.
  • If a message has nothing to resend, Babbily shows Nothing to resend with “This message has no text or saved file to send again. Edit it to add a question, or send a new message.”
  • If an upload fails while you start a new chat, the chat opens with your message and an error notice, and Babbily doesn’t generate a reply. Send the message again with the file attached.

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How Babbily reads a file

Babbily reads each file once and reuses what it found.
  • Read once. Follow-up questions, edits, and retries in the same chat reuse the text from the first read instead of reading the file again.
  • Reading uses your API usage budget. The first read of a document, image, audio, or video file is model work and counts toward your API usage budget. Reuse of an already-read file does not.
  • Your files stay yours. What Babbily extracted is tied to your account and is never reused for anyone else’s chat.
  • Text and spreadsheets are read directly. Text, code, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and RTF files are converted to text without an extra model call.
  • Images the model can see are passed through. If the selected model reads PNG, JPEG, or WebP itself, it sees the image directly rather than a description.
Babbily limits how many files it reads for one message. If you attach more than it can read at once, it asks you to send fewer files or a smaller archive.

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Attach a ZIP archive

Attach a ZIP and Babbily reads the supported files inside it, so you can share a folder of documents in one attachment.
  • Up to 10 files from the archive are read, and Babbily tells the model which ones it skipped.
  • Each file inside the archive can be up to 8 MB, and the archive can hold up to 32 MB of uncompressed content.
  • Unsupported files, hidden files, and nested archives are skipped.
  • Encrypted archives cannot be read at all. Remove the password and attach it again.
Put the files that matter at the top level of the archive and leave out build output, images you do not need read, and other bulk. Babbily reads a small number of files, so a focused archive gives better answers.

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Files and the context window

A file reaches the model as text, and that text takes up space in the context window. Babbily gives attachments a share of the window and fits them into it rather than failing your message:
  • Recent files are shown in full first.
  • Longer or older files may be shown as an opening section instead of the whole file.
  • The context indicator reflects the space the file actually takes once it has been read.
If a file is only partly shown and you need a specific part of it, ask about that part directly, or attach just the relevant pages or sheet.

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Tips for better file results

  • Ask for the output format you want.
  • Mention which part of the file matters most.
  • Use one or a few relevant files instead of attaching everything.
  • Convert legacy Office files to their modern equivalents before attaching.
  • Start a new thread when the file is no longer relevant.

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Reuse files across a Project

A normal attachment belongs to the chat where you add it. If reference material should be available across several related chats, add it to a Project’s Knowledge card instead. Project knowledge supports PDF, DOCX, plain text, Markdown, CSV, and JSON files up to 25 MB each, with up to 100 files per Project.

Projects and knowledge files

Add reusable reference material and understand processing and context limits.
Do not upload passwords, API keys, private keys, payment card numbers, or other secrets. Only attach files you are allowed to use in Babbily.

Browser, device, and file support

Troubleshoot unsupported files, browser permissions, device behavior, and voice input.
Last modified on October 7, 2026