File Management

OpenClaw can work with files you upload, analyze documents, and help you process content.

Supported File Types

Documents

• PDF - Extract text, summarize, answer questions
• Word (.docx) - Read and analyze content
• Text (.txt, .md) - Process plain text files
• Spreadsheets (.xlsx, .csv) - Analyze data, generate insights

Code

• Source files - Review, explain, and improve code
• Config files - Validate and troubleshoot configurations
• Log files - Parse and identify issues

Images

• Screenshots - Extract text (OCR), describe content
• Diagrams - Explain architecture, identify components
• Photos - Describe content, extract information

How to Upload Files

From Web

Click the upload button or drag files into the chat area.

From Telegram

Send files directly to the bot, or use the attachment menu.

Slack and Discord

Slack and Discord are still coming soon in the hosted public flow, so file uploads there are not part of the current public setup path.

What You Can Do

Document Analysis

Upload a document and ask:

• “Summarize this PDF”
• “What are the key points?”
• “Find mentions of [topic]”
• “Extract all the dates mentioned”

Code Review

Upload code files and ask:

• “Review this code for bugs”
• “Explain what this function does”
• “Suggest improvements”
• “Are there security issues?”

Data Analysis

Upload spreadsheets and ask:

• “What trends do you see?”
• “Calculate the average of column B”
• “Create a summary of this data”
• “Find outliers in the dataset”

Image Understanding

Upload images and ask:

• “What’s in this screenshot?”
• “Extract the text from this image”
• “Explain this diagram”
• “What error is shown here?”

File Storage

Temporary Storage

By default, uploaded files are processed and then discarded. They’re not stored permanently.

Persistent Storage (VPS only)

On VPS deployments, you can enable persistent file storage:

• Files stored on your server
• Reference files in future conversations
• Build a knowledge base over time

See Configuration for setup.

Size Limits

Privacy

Files are processed on your infrastructure:

• Never sent to third parties except your configured model provider when analysis requires it
• Not used for training
• Deleted after processing (unless persistent storage enabled)