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Upload documents

Study collections group all files for a protocol: the protocol itself, lab manual, investigator guide, slides, spreadsheets, and other trial materials. Navigator reads and searches these files when you ask questions in chat.

Who can upload​

Site staff, medical monitors, and administrators can upload documents. Sponsor administrators cannot upload from the Navigator app. See Roles & Permissions for details.

Supported file types​

You can upload the following formats to a study collection:

CategoryFormats
DocumentsPDF, Word (.docx, .dotx, .docm, .dotm)
PresentationsPowerPoint (.pptx, .potx, .ppsx, .pptm, .potm, .ppsm)
SpreadsheetsExcel (.xlsx, .xlsm), CSV
Web & textHTML (.html, .htm), Markdown (.md), AsciiDoc (.adoc, .asciidoc, .asc)
ImagesJPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, WebP

Assign a document type to each file (for example protocol document, lab manual) so citations are labeled clearly in chat.

Mixed collections

A single study collection can include PDFs and Office files together. You do not need a separate collection per file type.

Create a new collection​

  1. Open Collections from the sidebar.
  2. Click Create new.
  3. Fill in the form:
    • Protocol ID (required) - for example PROTO-2024-001
    • Sponsor Name (required) - the study sponsor
    • Files (required) - drag and drop or browse; you can select multiple files at once
  4. For each file, enter a document type.
  5. If you are a site administrator, choose Collection access on the next step:
    • All site users, or
    • Specific users only (select who may use the new collection).
  6. Click Create collection.

Navigator uploads and processes each file. You will see an Uploading or Creating status until the collection is ready. When finished, the status changes to Ready.

You can change access later from Manage → Collection Settings on the collection. See Restrict collection and document access.

Add documents to an existing collection​

  1. Go to Collections.
  2. Find the protocol row and click Manage.
  3. Upload additional files and assign document types.
  4. A Processing row shows in the Documents tab while each file finishes ingesting - it stays visible even if you close the Manage dialog and come back later, so you always have visible confirmation the upload is still running. Wait until it clears before asking questions about the new content in chat.

One document per category: each document type can only have one active document in a collection at a time - you can't upload a second, different file under a category that's already in use. If a document needs updating, use Amend on the existing one instead of uploading a new file under the same type.

Amend an existing document​

Use Amend when a document has changed - a new protocol version, a corrected lab manual, and so on - rather than uploading a new file under the same document type.

  1. Open Manage on the collection and go to the Documents tab.
  2. Find the current document and click Amend.
  3. Choose the corrected file.

The new file becomes the current version; the old one is kept as history (marked superseded) and stays indexed, but chat answers prefer the current version's content. Sponsor-managed documents (marked with a lock) can't be amended or deleted from the site - only the sponsor can update those.

If you re-upload a file that's byte-for-byte identical to the current version, Navigator recognizes it's unchanged and skips reprocessing instead of creating a new version.

Use the Download button next to any document in the Documents tab to get a copy of the current file - available to anyone who can see that document row.

Amending a document does not automatically rebuild its Schedule of Assessments - ask the assistant in chat to rebuild it after the amended file finishes processing. See Protocol amendments.

Document types​

Document types help Navigator label citations correctly. Common types include:

  • Protocol document
  • Lab manual
  • Investigator guide
  • Presentation slides
  • Data collection form

Use descriptive, consistent names across your site so citations are easy to read.

Processing time​

Large files or collections with many documents may take a few minutes to process. Navigator checks status automatically, so you can leave the Collections page and return later without refreshing - the row updates from Creating/Uploading to Ready on its own. See Tips & tricks.

Source preview in chat​

When you open a citation, Navigator shows the relevant excerpt. PDF sources may also open an in-app page viewer when a PDF is available. Other formats display the extracted text passage used in the answer.

Troubleshooting​

IssueWhat to try
Upload failsConfirm the file type is supported and within your organization’s size limits.
Collection stuck on "Creating"Status updates automatically; wait a few minutes. If it's still stuck after an unusually long time, refresh the page, then contact support if it persists.
Chat cannot find new contentEnsure you selected the correct collection in the sidebar's Study collection picker and that status shows Ready.
Wrong file type rejectedCheck the table above; rename the extension if the file was saved in an unsupported format.