Document Collections
Group related documents together with Collections for better organization and AI-powered insights.
What are Collections?
Collections are flexible groupings of documents that can span folders and workspaces. Unlike folders (which organize by storage location), collections organize by concept, project, or purpose.
Examples:
- “Q4 2025 Financial Documents” - Invoices, receipts, and statements from Q4
- “Website Redesign Project” - Contracts, mockups, and requirements
- “Company Policies” - HR policies, handbooks, and procedures
Creating Collections
Via the UI
- Navigate to My Documents or any folder
- Select documents you want to add
- Click “Add to Collection” in the toolbar
- Choose an existing collection or create new
Via Archie AI
Ask Archie to create collections for you:
"Create a collection called 'Tax Documents 2025'"
"Create a Source of Truth collection for company policies"
Via API
curl -X POST https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"name": "Q4 Financial Documents",
"description": "All financial documents from Q4 2025",
"is_source_of_truth": false
}'
Source of Truth Collections
Mark collections as “Source of Truth” to prioritize them in AI responses.
What is Source of Truth?
When a collection is marked as Source of Truth:
- 20% relevance boost in search results and RAG
- Prioritized by Archie when answering questions
- Visual badge indicates authoritative status
- Trust level (1-100) for fine-grained control
Use Cases
- Official Policies - Ensure AI references current policies, not drafts
- Legal Templates - Prioritize approved templates over ad-hoc versions
- Product Documentation - Make sure AI uses latest product specs
Setting Source of Truth
Via UI:
- Open collection settings
- Toggle “Mark as Source of Truth”
- Set trust level (default: 80)
Via API:
curl -X PATCH https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections/:id \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"is_source_of_truth": true,
"trust_level": 90
}'
Querying Trusted Sources
Ask Archie to use only trusted sources:
"Using only trusted sources, what is our vacation policy?"
Or use the dedicated tool:
"Ask trusted sources: What are the payment terms in our contracts?"
Managing Collections
Adding Documents
Single document:
curl -X POST https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections/:id/documents \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"document_id": "doc_123"}'
Multiple documents:
curl -X POST https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections/:id/documents/bulk \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{"document_ids": ["doc_123", "doc_456", "doc_789"]}'
Removing Documents
curl -X DELETE https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections/:id/documents/:doc_id \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Deleting Collections
Deleting a collection does NOT delete the documents - they remain in their original folders.
curl -X DELETE https://api.archivus.app/api/v1/collections/:id \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY"
Archie Collection Tools
Archie has 8 specialized tools for working with collections:
| Tool | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
list_collections |
View all your collections | 0 |
get_collection |
Get collection details | 0 |
search_in_collection |
Search within a collection | 1.0 |
ask_collection |
Answer questions from collection | 2.0 |
analyze_document_relationships |
Find connections | 3.0 |
get_related_documents |
Discover related docs | 1.0 |
get_trusted_sources |
List Source of Truth collections | 0 |
ask_trusted_sources |
Query only trusted sources | 2.0 |
Example Queries
"What collections do I have?"
"Search in my Legal collection for non-compete clauses"
"What do the documents in my Tax collection say about deductions?"
"Find relationships between documents in my Contracts collection"
Collection vs Folder
| Feature | Collection | Folder |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Conceptual grouping | Storage organization |
| Document can be in multiple | Yes | No (one folder) |
| Source of Truth | Yes | No |
| Archie integration | Full (8 tools) | Basic |
| Best for | Projects, themes, topics | File hierarchy |
Best Practices
Creating Effective Collections
- Be specific - “Q4 2025 Invoices” not just “Invoices”
- Use for projects - Group all related documents
- Mark authoritative sources - Use Source of Truth for official docs
- Keep updated - Add new relevant documents as they arrive
Trust Level Guidelines
| Trust Level | Use Case |
|---|---|
| 90-100 | Official policies, legal documents, signed contracts |
| 70-89 | Approved templates, verified procedures |
| 50-69 | Working documents, drafts under review |
| Below 50 | Reference materials, informal notes |
Common Collection Patterns
By Project:
- “Website Redesign 2026”
- “Q1 Marketing Campaign”
- “Series A Fundraising”
By Type:
- “Active Contracts”
- “Employee Handbook & Policies”
- “Financial Statements”
By Status:
- “Pending Review”
- “Needs Signature”
- “Archived Projects”
API Reference
Create Collection
POST /api/v1/collections
List Collections
GET /api/v1/collections
Get Collection
GET /api/v1/collections/:id
Update Collection
PATCH /api/v1/collections/:id
Delete Collection
DELETE /api/v1/collections/:id
Add Document to Collection
POST /api/v1/collections/:id/documents
Remove Document from Collection
DELETE /api/v1/collections/:id/documents/:doc_id
Bulk Add Documents
POST /api/v1/collections/:id/documents/bulk
FAQ
Q: Can a document be in multiple collections? A: Yes! Documents can belong to any number of collections without duplication.
Q: Does deleting a collection delete the documents? A: No. Documents remain in their original folders.
Q: How many collections can I have? A: Unlimited on all tiers.
Q: Can I share collections with my team? A: Collections respect workspace/project permissions. Documents in a collection are only visible to users who have access to those documents.
Q: What’s the difference between trust level 80 and 100? A: Higher trust levels get more relevance boost. Use 100 for the most authoritative documents.
Need more help? Use Archie: “Help me organize my documents into collections”