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

# Projects

> Organize documents and knowledge for your assistants

Projects are collections of documents that power your assistants' knowledge. When you upload files to a project and connect that project to an assistant, the assistant can search through your documents to provide accurate, context-aware answers.

## Creating a Project

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Projects page">
    Click **Projects** in the sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Create a new project">
    Click **New Project**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Configure the project">
    Enter a **name** and optional **description**, then choose a visibility level.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Project Visibility

| Visibility    | Access                                              |
| ------------- | --------------------------------------------------- |
| **Workspace** | All workspace members can view and edit             |
| **Private**   | Only the project owner and explicitly added members |

<Tip>
  Use **Private** visibility for sensitive documents like HR policies or client-specific materials. Use **Workspace** visibility for shared resources like product documentation.
</Tip>

## Managing Documents

### Uploading Files

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open a project">
    Navigate to the project where you want to add documents.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Upload files">
    Click the upload button and select one or more files from your computer.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Wait for processing">
    Files are automatically processed and indexed after upload. You can track the status of each document.
  </Step>
</Steps>

### Supported File Types

* **PDF** (.pdf)
* **Microsoft Word** (.docx)
* **Plain text** (.txt)
* **Markdown** (.md)

### How Document Processing Works

When you upload a document, IllumiChat automatically:

1. Extracts the text content from the file
2. Splits it into smaller, searchable chunks
3. Creates vector embeddings for semantic search
4. Indexes everything so your assistants can find relevant information quickly

This process is called Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and it means your assistants answer based on your actual documents rather than general knowledge alone.

<Warning>
  Processing large documents may take a few minutes. You can continue using IllumiChat while documents are being processed.
</Warning>

## Project Members

For **Private** projects, you can manage who has access:

* **Add members** -- Grant specific workspace members access to the project
* **Remove members** -- Revoke access for individual users
* **Viewer vs. Editor roles** -- Viewers can see documents but not modify them. Editors can upload, edit, and delete documents.

## Starring Projects

Star your most-used projects for quick access. Starred projects appear prominently in your sidebar.

<Note>
  Once a project is connected to an assistant, any documents you add or update in the project are automatically available to that assistant after processing completes.
</Note>