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Uploading Files

Learn how to upload documents, recordings, and other files to Glossa for automatic requirements generation with full source traceability.

Written by Ali
Updated over a month ago

Overview

Uploading files is the primary way to add source material to your Glossa projects. When you upload files, Glossa automatically processes them to extract requirements, creates citations linking requirements to specific sections or timestamps, and maintains full traceability from requirements back to source content.

Glossa supports a wide variety of file types including documents, presentations, spreadsheets, meeting recordings, audio files, images, and text files. You can upload files individually or in bulk, and processing happens automatically in the background.

Supported File Types

Glossa supports the following file types:

Documents

  • PDF (.pdf)

  • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx)

  • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx)

  • Microsoft PowerPoint (.ppt, .pptx)

  • Text files (.txt)

  • CSV (.csv)

  • XML (.xml)

Video

  • MP4 (.mp4)

  • WebM (.webm)

  • OGG (.ogg)

  • QuickTime (.mov)

  • Matroska (.mkv)

  • AVI (.avi)

  • WMV (.wmv)

  • FLV (.flv)

Audio

  • MP3 (.mp3)

  • AAC (.aac)

  • M4A (.m4a)

  • OGG (.ogg)

  • WebM (.webm)

  • WAV (.wav)

  • FLAC (.flac)

Images (with OCR)

  • JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg)

  • PNG (.png)

  • GIF (.gif)

  • WebP (.webp)

  • SVG (.svg)

  • TIFF (.tiff, .tif)

  • BMP (.bmp)

For images, Glossa uses OCR (Optical Character Recognition) to extract text content.

File Size Limits

Maximum file size: 1 TB per file

This generous limit accommodates even very long meeting recordings and large document collections.

How to Upload Files

Step 1: Navigate to the Files Tab

  1. Open the project where you want to upload files

  2. Click the Files tab in the project navigation

  3. Click Add Input Data button

Step 2: Select Files

You have two options for selecting files:

Option A: Click to Select

  1. Click the file selection area

  2. Your system's file browser will open

  3. Navigate to the file(s) you want to upload

  4. Select one or multiple files

  5. Click Open

Option B: Drag and Drop

  1. Open your file system (Finder on Mac, File Explorer on Windows)

  2. Select the file(s) you want to upload

  3. Drag them into the Glossa upload area

  4. Drop the files when the upload area is highlighted

Bulk Upload: You can select and upload multiple files at once using either method. There's no limit to the number of files you can upload in a single batch.

Note: Files will be added into Glossa once you add them into the Input Data screen, even if you click Cancel instead of Finish (as soon as you add them, Glossa starts uploading). If you didn't mean to add the file, delete it from the Add New Input Data modal or the Files list.

Step 3: Upload and Process

After selecting files:

  1. Files appear in the upload queue

  2. Click Finish

  3. Files are uploaded to Glossa

  4. Processing begins automatically

You can continue working in Glossa while files upload and process in the background.

Upload Process

Processing Status

Once uploaded, files go through automatic processing:

Status indicators:

  • Pending: File uploaded, waiting to begin processing

  • Processing: Glossa is analyzing the file and generating requirements

  • Ready: Processing complete, requirements generated

  • Error: Processing failed (see Troubleshooting section)

Processing indicator: At the bottom of the Files tab, you'll see:

Files currently processing: [number]

This shows how many files are actively being processed.

Processing Time

Processing time varies based on:

  • File size

  • File type (video/audio take longer than documents)

  • Current system load

Typical processing times:

  • Small documents (< 10 pages): 2-4 minutes

  • Large documents (50+ pages): 4-6 minutes

  • Audio files (1 hour): 5-10 minutes

  • Video files (1 hour): 10-15 minutes

  • Very large files (4+ hours of video): 20-30 minutes

No notification when complete: Glossa doesn't send a notification when processing finishes. Simply refresh the page or check the Files tab to see when files are ready. Processing is usually quick enough that you won't need to wait long.

Requirements Granularity

When files are processed, Glossa generates requirements based on your project's Requirements Granularity Level setting.

How it works:

  • The granularity setting is configured at the project level

  • Every file uploaded to the project uses the current granularity setting at the time of upload

  • Three levels available: Broad Strokes, Balanced, Granular

Setting granularity:

  1. Go to the Project dashboard

  2. Click More then Edit Project

  3. Change the Requirement Detail & Visibility level (Broad Strokes, Balanced, or Granular)

  4. Click Save Changes

  5. Files uploaded after this change will use the new setting

Impact on requirements:

  • Broad Strokes: Fewer, high-level requirements (good for sales discovery)

  • Balanced: Moderate detail (good for most discovery work)

  • Granular: Many detailed requirements (good for technical deep-dives)

Important: You cannot change the granularity setting for files that have already been processed. If you want different granularity, you must delete the file and re-upload it with the new setting.

What Happens After Upload

Once a file is processed:

1. Requirements Are Generated

Requirements are automatically created based on file content:

  • Requirements appear in the Requirements tab

  • Each requirement has Draft status by default

  • Requirements include AI-generated quality scores

2. Citations Are Created

Each requirement includes citations to the source file:

  • For documents: Citations highlight the specific paragraphs or sections

  • For audio/video: Citations include timestamps where the requirement was mentioned

  • View citations in the Reference Data tab of each requirement

3. File Appears in Files Tab

The uploaded file is listed in the Files tab:

  • Shows file name, type, size, upload date, and status

  • Click the file name to preview the content

  • Download the original file if needed

Uploading from Integrations

In addition to manual file uploads, you can add files from connected integrations:

From the Files tab:

  1. Click Add Input Data

  2. Choose the integration:

    • Email Integrations (Gmail, Outlook)

    • Cloud Storage (Google Drive, OneDrive)

    • Meeting Integrations (automatically added via Google Meet/Teams)

    • Slack (tag @GlossaBot in channels)

These integrations are documented separately in their respective articles.

Best Practices

Organize Files Before Uploading

Before uploading to Glossa:

  • Review files for relevance

  • Remove duplicate or outdated content

  • Use clear, descriptive file names

  • This makes files easier to identify later in Glossa

Upload in Logical Batches

Rather than uploading everything at once:

  • Upload files for one discovery session together

  • Upload by topic or functional area

  • Upload by phase (discovery, planning, etc.)

  • This makes it easier to track which requirements came from which source

Set Granularity First

Before uploading files:

  1. Decide what level of detail you need

  2. Set the Requirements Granularity Dial

  3. Then upload files

This prevents needing to delete and re-upload if granularity is wrong.

Use Descriptive File Names

Files in Glossa retain their original file names:

  • Use names like "Discovery_Call_Jan15_2025.mp3" not "Recording1.mp3"

  • Include dates, topics, or client names when relevant

  • This makes files searchable and easier to identify

Combine Multiple Source Types

Upload diverse file types for comprehensive requirements:

  • Meeting recordings for spoken requirements

  • Documents for formal specifications

  • Images of whiteboards or diagrams

  • Emails for written client requests

Glossa will detect contradictions across all sources.

Review Generated Requirements

After files are processed:

  1. Review the Requirements tab for new requirements

  2. Verify accuracy and completeness

  3. Edit titles or descriptions as needed

  4. Check that citations link to correct file sections

Troubleshooting

File Upload Fails

Possible causes:

  • File exceeds 1 TB limit

  • Unsupported file type

  • Network connection interrupted

  • Browser issue

Solutions:

  1. Verify file size is under 1 TB

  2. Check file type is supported (see list above)

  3. Check your internet connection

  4. Try a different browser

  5. Try uploading a smaller file to test

  6. Contact support if issue persists

File Stuck in "Pending" Status

Possible causes:

  • High system load

  • Very large file size

  • Processing queue backed up

Solutions:

  1. Wait 10-15 minutes and refresh

  2. If still pending after 30 minutes, contact support

  3. Check the "Files currently processing" indicator

File Shows "Error" Status

When a file shows Error status, Glossa displays a detailed error message explaining what went wrong.

Common error causes:

  • File is corrupted or damaged

  • File is password-protected

  • File contains unsupported encoding

  • File is empty or has no extractable content

  • Processing timeout (very large or complex files)

Solutions:

  1. Read the detailed error message

  2. Try opening the file on your computer to verify it's not corrupted

  3. Remove password protection if applicable

  4. Try uploading a different version of the file

  5. For large files, try breaking into smaller chunks

  6. Contact support with the error message for help

No Requirements Generated After Processing

This can be normal:

  • Not all files contain actionable requirements

  • Templates, invoices, or non-requirement content won't generate requirements

  • Very brief or vague content may not produce requirements

What to check:

  1. Verify the file contains actual requirements, features, or business needs

  2. Check if content is too high-level or vague

  3. Try uploading more detailed or specific documents

  4. Consider manually creating requirements and adding the file as a citation

Processing Takes Longer Than Expected

For very large files:

  • 4-hour video recordings may take 30+ minutes

  • Very large PDFs (100+ pages) may take 10-15 minutes

  • This is normal

If processing seems stuck:

  1. Check the "Files currently processing" counter

  2. Wait for processing to complete (don't interrupt)

  3. Refresh the page after 15-20 minutes

  4. If processing runs for hours without completing, contact support

Want to Re-upload with Different Granularity

To change granularity for already-uploaded files:

  1. Change the Requirements Granularity Dial in Project Settings

  2. Delete the original file from the Files tab as well as associated requirements

  3. Re-upload the file with the new granularity setting

Limitations

  • No file descriptions: Cannot add notes or descriptions to uploaded files

  • Cannot rename: Files cannot be renamed after upload (retain original file names)

  • No folders: Files are stored in a flat list, not in folders

  • No retroactive granularity: Cannot change granularity for already-processed files

  • One-time processing: Files are processed once when uploaded, not re-processed if updated externally

Security & Privacy

Data Encryption

Uploaded files are:

  • Encrypted in transit: TLS 1.2+ during upload

  • Encrypted at rest: AES-256 in Glossa's storage

  • Stored securely

File Retention

  • Files are stored permanently in Glossa when uploaded

  • Deleting a file removes it from storage

  • Files are deleted within 60 days after account termination (unless required by law)

AI Processing

  • File content is sent to AI services for processing

  • Processing follows Glossa's Data Processing Agreement

  • See glossapro.ai/dpa for details

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