Document Processing Issues

This guide helps you resolve problems with uploading, processing, and indexing documents in knowledge bases.

Upload failures

Check file size — The file may exceed the maximum allowed size for your plan
Check file format — Ensure the file is in a supported format (PDF, DOCX, XLSX, TXT, PPTX, CSV)
Browser issues — Try a different browser or clear your browser cache
Network issues — Check your internet connection; large files need a stable connection

Network instability — A network interruption during upload. Try again with a stable connection.
File corruption — The file may be damaged. Try opening it locally to verify, then re-upload.
Server timeout — Very large files may time out. Try splitting the document into smaller files.

If a document stays in “Processing” status for an unusually long time:

Wait — Large documents or bulk uploads may take longer. Allow up to 30 minutes for large batches.
Check the queue — If many documents were uploaded simultaneously, they’re processed sequentially.
Retry — Delete the document and upload it again.
Contact support — If it’s still stuck after retrying, there may be a backend issue.

Common reasons for processing failures:

Cause	Solution
Unsupported format	Convert to a supported format (PDF, DOCX, etc.)
Corrupted file	Repair or re-export the file from its source application
Password-protected PDF	Remove password protection before uploading
Encrypted document	Decrypt the document before uploading
Empty file	Ensure the file has actual content
Unreadable scan	For scanned PDFs, ensure the scan quality is adequate for OCR

If documents show “Indexed” status but the agent can’t find them:

Wait a moment — There may be a brief delay between indexing and searchability
Check your query — Try different phrasings; the content may not match your exact wording
Check access control — You may not have access to the knowledge base
Verify content — Open the original document and confirm the information you’re looking for is actually in the text (not just in images or headers)

Verify the files are in the folder/library that was selected during datasource configuration
For auto-sync, wait for the next sync cycle
Trigger a manual sync from the datasource settings
Verify the connection credentials haven’t expired (re-authorize if needed)