When an answer is spread across a contract, two amendments and a pile of invoices, reading each file in turn takes hours. This workspace reads the text of up to 20 PDFs. You can search all of them at once, free, right in your browser. You can also ask Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic, to answer questions, compare the documents, list where they disagree or write one summary, with the file name and page for each point.
How to use AI PDF Workspace
- Add up to 20 PDFs and select Read PDFs.
- Type a word or phrase in the search box to find it in every file.
- Pick a task: ask a question, compare, find conflicts or summarize.
- Type your question, tick the box to agree to send the text to the AI, and ask.
- Click a page reference in the answer to read that page and check it.
Search first, then ask
- Search as you type: Once the files are read, the search box looks through every page of every document as you type. It ignores capital letters and accents, and only shows pages that contain all your words.
- It never leaves your browser: Search runs in your browser on the text that was already read, so it's instant, free and sends nothing to the AI.
- Best for exact terms: It's the quickest way to find a name, an invoice number or a clause you know is there.
- When to use the AI: Use the AI when the answer needs reading and thinking, like working out which deadline applies or whether two documents agree.
What the AI can do with your documents
- Ask a question and the answer comes only from your files, with a reference like [contract.pdf, p. 3] after each fact.
- Compare looks at clauses, dates, amounts, names and parties across the documents and says whether they match.
- Find conflicts first lists what the files agree on, then every place they disagree, citing both sides.
- Summary writes one overview of the whole set and explains how the documents relate.
- Check the references: Click any page reference to read that page and check the answer yourself.
- It can make mistakes: The AI can make mistakes, so check anything important before you rely on it.
Where your text goes
- Files are deleted after reading: Reading the PDFs happens on the VelloDoc server, and the uploaded files are deleted as soon as their text comes back to your browser.
- Nothing is sent until you ask: Nothing goes to the AI until you ask. When you do, the text of the documents and your question are sent to Anthropic's API to get the answer, and nothing is saved on our server.
- Anthropic's terms: Anthropic's commercial terms say data sent through its API isn't used to train its models by default.
- It stays in your tab: The text stays in your browser tab until you close it.
- What not to send: Don't use the AI for files you aren't allowed to share with an outside service.
Getting good answers
- Scanned pages need OCR: Scanned pages have no text until you run OCR PDF, and the workspace flags files that have pages like that.
- Name your files clearly: Give files clear names before uploading, because the names appear in every answer.
- Ask one clear thing at a time, and mention names, dates or sections if you know them.
- The size limit: The AI takes about 300,000 characters of text per question, roughly 100 pages of dense text. Anything past that is left out, and the page tells you.
- For two versions of one file: For two versions of the same file, Compare PDF shows the exact visual changes.
When people use AI PDF Workspace
Checking a contract and its amendments
Find which payment terms and dates apply after several changes, with a page reference for each.
Reviewing invoices and statements
Compare totals, dates and supplier names across a batch of invoices and spot the ones that don't match.
Studying research papers
Get one summary of several papers and see where their findings agree or differ.
Limitations to know
Up to 20 PDFs at a time, and about 300,000 characters of text per AI question. Scanned pages need OCR first, and tables can lose their layout when text is read. The AI can be wrong, so check its page references. Questions per hour and per day are limited.
AI PDF Workspace: common questions
Is the AI free to use?
Yes. There's no charge and no account. To keep it available for everyone, the number of questions per hour and per day is limited.
Which AI answers the questions?
Claude, an AI model made by Anthropic. It's only given the text of your documents and your question.
Does search send my files to the AI?
No. Search runs in your browser on text that was already read. Only the Ask button sends text to the AI, and only after you tick the agreement box.
Can it read scanned PDFs?
Only after OCR. Run OCR PDF on the scans first, then add the searchable copies here.
Can I trust the answers?
Treat them as a starting point. Each fact should come with a page reference, so click it and read the page before you rely on anything important.
Why is the AI switched off?
The AI only works when the server has been set up for it. When it's off, you can still read your files and search across all of them.