> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.memorylake.ai/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Associating Documents with Projects

> Add documents to a project's context — by upload, drag-and-drop, or from your library

## Overview

A document must be associated with a project for its content to appear in that project's retrieval. There are three ways to get documents in — and the same file can serve several projects at once.

## Ways to Add Documents

### Upload directly

In the project's **Files** tab, drag files (or whole folders — structure preserved) onto the page, or use the upload button. Files land in your Library and are associated with the project in one step.

### Attach in chat

Attach a file to a Playground message (or share one with a connected agent — the OpenClaw plugin auto-uploads it). It's uploaded into the project's context automatically.

### Associate from your Library

Already uploaded elsewhere, or mounted via a [connector](/features/memorylake/connectors/overview)?

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Files tab">
    Navigate to the project and click **Add documents**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Select from the tree">
    A dialog shows your Library as a tree with checkboxes — select individual files, whole folders (all contents included; half-checked means partially selected), or a mix. Connector spaces (WPS Space, Lark Space) appear here too.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Confirm">
    Selected items associate with the project and enter processing.

    <Check>
      Documents appear in the Files tab with a processing status.
    </Check>
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Processing Status

| Status      | Meaning                               |
| ----------- | ------------------------------------- |
| **Pending** | Queued for parsing and indexing       |
| **Running** | Being processed                       |
| **Okay**    | Content is searchable in this project |
| **Error**   | Processing failed — open for details  |

## Removing Documents

Disassociating a document (remove action in the Files tab) takes it out of this project's context. **The file itself stays in your Library** — and in any other projects it's associated with. Deleting a file from the Library, by contrast, removes it everywhere.

## Best Practices

* Associate only what belongs to the project's purpose — focused projects retrieve better
* Use folder association to bring in related files at once
* Check processing status after adding; content isn't retrievable until `okay`
* Review and remove outdated documents periodically — stale sources produce stale answers

## Next Steps

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Document Management" icon="folder" href="/features/memorylake/document-management/overview">
    The Library: uploads, folders, and file operations
  </Card>

  <Card title="Memories" icon="brain" href="/features/memorylake/memories/overview">
    What happens to content after processing
  </Card>
</CardGroup>