Choosing what Deep Research reads

The perimeter is the set of files a research run is allowed to read. Choosing it well is most of the work: too narrow and it misses things, too wide and it spends time and credits on documents that were never relevant.

Picking files and folders

1. Open Deep Research from the plus menu

   The file picker opens.

2. Tick files, or whole folders

   A folder brings everything inside it.

3. Choose Review & index (N)

   The progress view opens for exactly what you selected.

4. Choose Add to chat (N)

   The blue pill appears once every selected item is ready.

The indexing dots

Every file carries a dot telling you whether Deep Research can see inside it yet. Hover any dot for the same explanation in words.

• Green: indexed. Deep Research and Ask can search inside it.
• Blue: being read right now.
• Grey: waiting its turn.
• Hollow: not indexed, so it will not appear in results.
• Red: could not be indexed. It stays in your files, but cannot be searched.

A part-filled dot on a folder means some of its files are ready and some are not.

Indexing files that are not ready

The picker has Upload & index for new files and Index all here for a folder. Individual rows offer Index now, or Retry index if a previous attempt failed. See adding and indexing files.

Upload & index also takes a .zip. It is unpacked into a folder named after the archive, with the folders inside it kept exactly as they were, and everything readable starts indexing. Files a research run cannot read, like videos or program files, are still saved to your files but left out of the selection so they cannot hold up Add to chat.

The progress step

The progress screen groups your selection under Failed, In progress, Waiting and Complete. The progress count and percentage update as items become ready. Until they all finish, the main action reads Waiting for indexing…. When the count is complete, it becomes Add to chat (N).

Use Retry beside a failed item, or remove that item from the selection. Choose Back if you want to change the boundary before adding it. You can close the picker and check file status later from your files. Returning to an active Deep Research selection takes you back to its progress view.

Turning it off

Choose the blue Deep Research pill in the composer. That clears the whole perimeter. The conversation stays in your history, and you can choose a new boundary later. See what Deep Research is for.