Symptoms
- Chief answers a question but doesn’t reference the File you just uploaded.
- You ask about a document and Chief acts as if it doesn’t exist.
- Chief uses some Files but not the specific one you meant.
Likely causes
- The File hasn’t finished processing — it’s still at Queued, Processing, or Indexing, not Ready.
- The File lives in a different Project than the one you’re chatting in.
- Your chat scope is limited and doesn’t include that File.
- The File is private to another person in a project with the Google integration.
Solution

- Open the Library and find the File.
- Check its status. If it shows Processing or Indexing, wait for Ready — only then can Chief use it “alongside all your knowledge.” At Indexing, you can still ask about that single File directly.
- Look at the Project shown in the sidebar. A File only counts as knowledge inside the Project it was uploaded to.
- If the File is in another Project, switch to that Project (click its name in the sidebar) and ask there, or re-upload the File into the Project you’re working in.
- In the prompt bar, check the scope control for the chat. If it’s narrowed to specific Files, your document may be excluded.
- Adjust the scope to include the File (or your whole Project), then re-send your question.
- If you see “Could not load project files to update your chat scope,” click try again and re-open the scope control.
ℹ️ Good to know: In projects with the Google integration, new chats start private “to keep mailbox and calendar content from being shared with the whole project.” A File someone else uploaded privately won’t appear in your knowledge.
Still stuck?
If a File is Ready, in the right Project, and in scope but Chief still won’t use it, email support@chief.bot with the File name and the Project.FAQ
The File shows as Ready but Chief still misses details from it.
The File shows as Ready but Chief still misses details from it.
Try asking a more specific question that names the document or the section you mean, and confirm your chat scope isn’t limited to other Files. Naming the File directly helps Chief pull the right passages.
I uploaded it to the wrong Project — do I have to start over?
I uploaded it to the wrong Project — do I have to start over?
No. You can move or copy the File between Projects from the Library, or re-upload it into the Project where you’re chatting. Once it’s Ready there, Chief can use it.
A teammate uploaded the file but I can't see it.
A teammate uploaded the file but I can't see it.
If the File was added privately (common in Google-integrated projects), it isn’t shared with the whole project. Ask them to share it, or upload your own copy.