Chat with Your Documents

Learn how to use Archie, Archivus’s AI assistant, to ask questions about your documents.

What is Archie?

Archie is Archivus’s AI-powered assistant with 26 specialized tools. You can ask questions about your documents and get instant answers with source citations.

Key Features:

  • Ask questions in natural language
  • Get answers with confidence scores
  • See source citations (which document, which page)
  • Chat with multiple documents at once
  • Search, organize, and analyze without leaving the conversation

Open Archie

From the Sidebar

  1. Click “Archie” in your sidebar
  2. Chat interface opens immediately
  3. Start asking questions

Navigate directly to /archie or use URL parameters:

URL Effect
/archie Opens Archie
/archie?document=doc_abc123 Opens with document attached
/archie?q=Find%20invoices Opens and sends query
/archie?document=doc_abc123&q=Summarize Opens with document + auto-query

Adding Documents to Chat

Using @ Mentions (Recommended)

Type @ followed by the document name:

@contract-2024 What are the key terms?

Benefits:

  • Fast and precise
  • Works with up to 5 documents at once
  • Archie focuses only on documents you specify

From Document View

  1. Open a document - Click on any document
  2. Click “Ask Archie” button in the document view
  3. Archie opens with your document attached
  4. Start asking questions

Asking Questions

Basic Questions

Just type your question and press Enter:

  • “What is this document about?”
  • “What are the key terms?”
  • “When does this contract expire?”
  • “Who are the parties involved?”

Follow-up Questions

Archie remembers context, so you can ask follow-ups:

You: What is this contract about?
Archie: [Provides summary]

You: What are the payment terms?
Archie: [Answers based on contract context]

You: Can it be extended?
Archie: [Finds extension provisions]

Multi-Document Questions

When you have multiple documents attached:

  • “Compare these two contracts”
  • “What are the differences between these proposals?”
  • “Which proposal offers better terms?”

Understanding Answers

Confidence Scores

Each answer includes a confidence score (0.0 to 1.0):

Score Language Used Reliability
0.9+ “Clearly states” Very reliable
0.7-0.9 “Indicates” Likely accurate
0.5-0.7 “Suggests”, “May” Verify important details
< 0.5 Low confidence May need rephrasing

Source Citations

Answers include source citations:

  • Document name - Which document the answer came from
  • Page number - Which page (if applicable)
  • Excerpt - Relevant text snippet

Click citations to view the source in context.

Beyond Q&A: Archie’s Tools

Archie can do much more than answer questions:

Capability Example Commands
Search “Find all contracts from Acme Corp”
Organize “File this invoice in the correct folder”
Compare “Compare these three proposals”
Analyze “What did we spend on vendors this quarter?”
Research “Research current market rates” (Pro+)

Ask Archie: “What can you help me with?” for a full list.

Tips for Better Results

Be Specific

Effective:

  • “What is the termination clause in this contract?”
  • “What are the payment terms and due dates?”
  • “Who are the named parties to this agreement?”

Less Effective:

  • “Tell me about this”
  • “What’s in here?”
  • “Explain”

Use Follow-ups

Instead of one big question, break it down:

1. "What is this document about?"
2. "What are the key dates?"
3. "What are the payment terms?"
4. "Are there any risks I should know about?"

Check Sources

For important decisions:

  • Review the confidence score
  • Click citations to verify
  • Read the original text

Example Conversations

Contract Analysis

You: What is this contract about?

Archie: This is a service agreement between Acme Corp and Tech Solutions Inc. It covers software development services for a 12-month period starting January 2025. Key terms include monthly payments of $10,000, deliverables include a web application, and termination requires 30 days notice.

You: What are the payment terms?

Archie: Payment terms are Net 30 days. Monthly invoices of $10,000 are due within 30 days of invoice date. Late payments incur a 1.5% monthly interest charge.

Confidence: 0.94 Sources: Page 2, Page 5

Document Comparison

You: @proposal-a @proposal-b @proposal-c Compare these proposals

Archie: Here’s a comparison:

Aspect Proposal A Proposal B Proposal C
Price $50,000 $45,000 $55,000
Timeline 6 months 4 months 5 months
Maintenance Included Not included Included
Support Standard None 24/7

Proposal B offers the best value for timeline, but Proposal C includes ongoing support which may be valuable long-term.

Confidence: 0.87 Sources: All three documents

Troubleshooting

Low Confidence Answers

If confidence is low (< 0.7):

  1. Rephrase your question - Be more specific
  2. Check document - Make sure document is fully processed
  3. Add more context - Reference specific sections
  4. Break it down - Ask smaller, focused questions

No Answer Found

If Archie can’t answer:

  1. Check document status - Document must be fully processed (green)
  2. Verify document is attached - Use @ mention to attach
  3. Try different wording - Rephrase your question
  4. Information may not exist - Answer might not be in the document

Slow Responses

If responses are slow:

  1. Large documents take longer to process
  2. Multiple documents increase processing time
  3. Complex analysis (comparison, financial) needs more time
  4. Check your internet connection

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
@ Open document mention picker
Enter Send message
Shift+Enter New line
Esc Cancel current operation

Next Steps

Ready to chat? Open Archivus and click “Archie” in the sidebar!