File Management: Upload and Manage Files in Layest

File management in Layest covers everything related to uploading, organizing, and using files across your workspace. Files can serve several purposes: they can be attached to data objects as structured records, ingested as knowledge sources that ground your agents in specific documents, or shared directly in AI assistant conversations to provide in-context reference material. Understanding how files flow through Layest helps you design agents that work with real-world documents, spreadsheets, images, and more.

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Uploading Files

You can upload files from the dedicated Files section in the Layest sidebar. This central file library stores all files that have been uploaded directly — separate from files attached to data objects, which are managed within the object’s detail panel. To upload a file:

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Supported File Types and Size Limits

Layest accepts a broad range of common file formats. Support varies slightly depending on how you intend to use the file. Size limits per file:

• Standard plans: up to 25 MB per file
• Growth and Enterprise plans: up to 100 MB per file

Files that exceed the size limit for your plan are rejected at upload time with a clear error message. If you need to work with larger files, contact support to discuss Enterprise options.

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Attaching Files to Data Objects

Files can be attached directly to objects in a data collection using a File attribute. This associates a specific document, image, or resource with a structured record — for example, attaching a signed contract PDF to a Deal object or a profile photo to a Contact object. To attach a file to an object:

1. Open the object’s detail panel in any collection.
2. Locate the File attribute field (your collection must have a File-type attribute configured — see Attributes).
3. Click Attach File and either select a file already in your library or upload a new one.
4. Click Save to confirm the attachment.

Agents with write access to the collection can also attach files to objects during their workflows when given the appropriate instructions. Agents reference attached files by the file’s name or the object’s attribute value.

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Using Files as Knowledge Sources for Agents

One of the most powerful uses of files in Layest is as knowledge sources for agents. When you add a file as a knowledge source, the agent can search and cite the document’s contents when answering questions or completing tasks. To add a file as an agent knowledge source:

1. Open the agent you want to configure in Agents.
2. Click the Knowledge tab.
3. Click Add Source → File.
4. Select one or more files from your library, or upload new files directly from this dialog.
5. Click Add to Knowledge. Layest indexes the file contents and makes them available to the agent at runtime.

Once a file is indexed as a knowledge source, the agent can quote from it, summarize it, and answer questions about its contents. The agent cites the file name in its responses so you can trace the source of any information.

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Sharing Files in AI Assistant Conversations

You can share files directly in any AI assistant conversation in Layest to give the assistant immediate, in-context access to a document.

• Click the Attach icon (paperclip) in the conversation input bar.
• Select a file from your library or upload a new one.
• Send your message. The assistant reads the file contents and uses them to inform its response.

Files shared in conversations are scoped to that conversation — they do not automatically become part of an agent’s persistent knowledge base. To make a file permanently available to an agent, add it as a knowledge source through the Knowledge tab instead.

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Organizing Files in Folders

As your file library grows, folders help you keep everything navigable. Create as many folders and sub-folders as you need to mirror your team’s structure — for example, organizing by project, client, or document type. To create a folder:

• Click New Folder in the Files section toolbar.
• Enter a name and click Create.

To move files into a folder:

• Drag and drop files onto the folder, or
• Select one or more files (hold Shift or Cmd/Ctrl to multi-select), right-click, and choose Move to Folder.

To rename or delete a folder:

• Right-click the folder and select Rename or Delete. Deleting a folder moves all files inside it to the root of the file library — it does not delete the files themselves.