Bot cannot access uploaded documents

Goal

Fix a bot or chat that doesn't seem to "see" the files you uploaded.

Work through these checks

1. Did you attach the file in the right place? A bot only reads files added to that bot's Knowledge section (Bot Builder → Configure → Knowledge). Adding a file to the Knowledge Bank alone, or to a different chat, won't make a specific bot an expert on it. (See How to attach knowledge to a bot.)

2. Did you republish? After adding knowledge to a bot, Publish Changes so the bot picks it up.

3. Are you within the limits? Up to 10 documents per chat (max 5 CSV/XLSX), and up to 5 CSV/XLSX in a bot's Knowledge. Beyond that, files may not all be read.

4. Is the file a supported type? .xlsm, audio, and video aren't supported. See Supported file types and size limits.

5. Image not being read? Most image errors mean the image is too large for the AI model. The error often appears only when the model tries to read it, not at upload. Try a smaller image.

Verify it's working

• Ask the bot something answerable only from the document. If it answers correctly, it can see the file.

Still stuck?

Reach out through our contact form with the bot name and the file you're attaching, and we'll get back to you.