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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.

:::tip 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 under Site settings → Access. See Restrict collection and document access.

Add documents to an existing collection​

  1. Go to Collections.
  2. Find the protocol row and click Manage collection.
  3. Upload additional files and assign document types.
  4. Wait until the collection shows Ready before asking questions about the new content in chat.

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. You can leave the Collections page and return later; refresh if the status has not updated.

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"Wait a few minutes, then refresh. Contact support if it persists.
Chat cannot find new contentEnsure you selected the correct collection in the chat header and that status shows Ready.
Wrong file type rejectedCheck the table above; rename the extension if the file was saved in an unsupported format.