Chat with PDF
Upload a PDF and ask questions about its content. The AI answers using only your document.
How DockDocs grounds AI answers in your source
Every answer is generated from the text of the document you uploaded — not from the model's general knowledge. When the AI can ground an answer in your document, DockDocs shows the exact passage it draws from, so you can trace that answer back to its source — a source citation won't appear for every answer. When the document does not contain enough evidence, DockDocs says so instead of guessing, and a quoted reference that cannot be located in your file is flagged as unverifiable rather than presented as fact. That source-grounding is what separates a trustworthy document assistant from a general chatbot.
// Benefits
What chatting with your PDF gives you
Ask focused questions about one document and get answers built from its text — not the model's general knowledge.
Answers from the document, not guesses
The AI reads the text you extracted and answers from it, so you're working with what your PDF actually says — not whatever the model happens to remember.
Anchored to the source when it can be
When the AI can locate the passage an answer rests on, it shows that supporting quote and marks it verified against the source. Not every answer has a quotable source — and the AI says so when it can't trace one.
Your file stays in the browser
The text is extracted locally in your browser; only the selected text context and your question are sent to the AI provider. The PDF file itself is never uploaded.
// Workflow
How a PDF chat fits your work
For the moment you have a long PDF and a specific question, and you'd rather ask it than scroll the whole thing.
- 1
Upload a PDF with selectable text — its text is extracted in your browser.
- 2
Ask a focused question about the document.
- 3
Read the answer with its supporting quotes — when a point can't be traced to the text, it's marked “can't verify” instead of guessed.
// Recommended reading
More AI document tools
Related tools for reading, reviewing, and comparing documents with traceable findings.
AI summary
Condense a long document into a structured summary you can scan in seconds.
Continue ->Contract risk check
Flag risky, one-sided, or missing clauses — quoted from your contract.
Continue ->Compare documents
Ask one question across several documents and see how their answers differ.
Continue ->AI Document Workspace
Analyze multiple documents at once — chat, summarize, and compare across your whole library.
Continue ->How Chat with PDF works
- Chat with PDF reads your uploaded document and answers from its contents — answers point back to the source page or passage when one can be located, a property sometimes called verifiable document AI, so you can verify them.
- It works with text-based PDFs such as contracts, reports, research papers, manuals, and meeting notes. Scanned, image-only PDFs should be run through OCR first.
- It is free to start with no account. Text is extracted in your browser and only the text needed to answer is sent to the AI provider — DockDocs does not store your document after your session and does not use your files to train its own models. For how this compares with fully server-based tools, see private PDF AI.
- You can ask for a specific clause, a deadline, a number, a definition, or a plain-language summary of any section, then continue with follow-up questions.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I chat with a PDF or document?
- Upload your PDF, then type a question about its content. The AI reads the document and answers using what is actually in the file — for example asking for a deadline, a clause, a figure, or a summary of a section.
- Is Chat with PDF free?
- Yes. You can upload a PDF and ask questions for free. There is a free usage quota, with paid plans for heavier use.
- Are the answers based on my document or general knowledge?
- Answers are grounded in your uploaded document — the AI is instructed to answer from the file's content rather than general knowledge. For important details like dates, numbers, and legal terms, verify the answer against the source passage.
- What kinds of documents can I ask about?
- It works with text-based PDFs such as contracts, reports, research papers, manuals, and meeting notes. For scanned (image-only) PDFs, run OCR first so the text can be read.
- Are my documents kept private?
- Text is extracted from your PDF and only the text needed to answer is sent to the AI provider. DockDocs does not store your document after your session and does not use your files to train its own models. No account is required to start.
Need a one-shot overview instead of a conversation? Try AI Summary. For OCR, summaries, and chat together, open the AI Workspace. For contracts and legal documents, AI contract review covers which clause types matter and why seeing the exact language is more useful than the AI's summary of it.