Getting Around Archivus

A complete guide to navigating the Archivus interface. Learn where everything is and how to work efficiently.

Interface Overview

Archivus uses a modern, responsive layout with three main areas:

  • Sidebar (left) - Main navigation to all features
  • TopBar (top) - Search, layout controls, notifications, and user menu
  • Main Content (center) - The active page or feature

On mobile devices, the sidebar becomes a slide-out menu accessed via the hamburger button.

The sidebar is your primary navigation hub. Here’s what each section does:

Upload Button

At the top of the sidebar, the Upload button opens a dialog to upload documents directly. Drag and drop files or click to browse. Uploaded documents are automatically processed by AI.

Icon Label Description
Archivus Archivus Your AI assistant home. Chat with Archie to search, analyze documents, or get help with any task.
FileText Documents Browse, filter, and manage all your documents. View recent uploads, AI analysis results, and document details.
Layers Spaces Organize work into Organizations > Workspaces > Projects. Railway-style columns let you see the hierarchy at a glance.
Search Search Advanced search with filters. Find documents by content, tags, date, or AI-extracted entities.

Pro Features

Icon Label Tier Description
Zap Actions Pro+ AI Agents and Workflows. Automate document processing with configurable AI crews.
Sparkles Studio Pro+ Create and compose. Generate documents, merge content, and use AI writing assistance.

Tools

Icon Label Description
Wrench Tools Utility hub for document operations. Includes Pipelines, Compare, and Migrations.

Tools includes:

  • Pipelines - Automated document processing workflows
  • Compare - Side-by-side document comparison with diff highlighting
  • Migrations - Import documents from Google Drive and other sources

Collaboration

Icon Label Description
Users Team Team Hub for collaboration. Manage shared documents, team activity, and workspace invitations.

Bottom Section

At the bottom of the sidebar you’ll find:

  • Settings - Account, billing, security, branding, and workspace configuration
  • Help & Docs - Opens the documentation site (docs.archivus.app)
  • User Profile - Quick access to your account settings with your avatar and name

TopBar Features

The TopBar provides quick access to controls and information. Here’s what each element does:

Layout Menu

Click the Layout button (grid icon) to control which panels are visible:

  • Sidebar - Toggle the main navigation sidebar
  • Toolbar - Toggle page-specific toolbars when available
  • Folders - Toggle the folder panel for document organization
  • Hide TopBar - Temporarily hide the TopBar (restore with Cmd+Shift+T)

Shows your current location in the app. Click any segment to navigate back up the hierarchy.

The search bar in the center opens the Command Palette:

  • Click the search bar or press Cmd+K (Mac) / Ctrl+K (Windows)
  • Search documents by content or filename
  • Jump to any page quickly
  • Ask Archie questions directly
  • Execute quick actions

Right-Side Controls

Element Description
AI Credits Shows remaining AI credits. Click to view billing.
Progress Ring Onboarding progress for new users.
Lightbulb Suggestion Box - Share feedback and feature requests.
Help Opens the Archie Help Desk panel for in-app assistance.
Theme Toggle Switch between light and dark mode.
Bell Notification center - View activity, mentions, and alerts.
Avatar User menu with profile, settings, documentation link, and logout.

Main Areas Explained

Archivus (AI Home)

Your AI assistant is always ready to help. Use it to:

  • Search across all documents with natural language
  • Ask questions and get answers with citations
  • Analyze specific documents using @ mentions
  • Get help navigating Archivus features

Pro tip: Type @ in the chat to mention specific documents for context-aware responses.

Documents

The Documents view shows all your files with powerful organization tools:

  • Grid/List Toggle - Switch between card and table views
  • Filters - Filter by date, type, tags, AI status, or folder
  • Sort Options - Sort by date, name, or relevance
  • Bulk Actions - Select multiple documents for batch operations

Click any document to open the Document Detail View with:

  • Full document preview
  • AI analysis panel (summary, entities, key points)
  • Version history
  • Comments and collaboration
  • Share options

Spaces

Spaces provides a hierarchical view of your organizational structure:

Organizations > Workspaces > Projects

  • Organizations - Top-level containers (your company or team)
  • Workspaces - Departments or functional areas
  • Projects - Specific initiatives or document collections

The Railway-style column layout shows all levels simultaneously. Click any item to see its children in the next column.

Mobile: Swipe left/right to navigate between columns.

Advanced search with filters:

  • Keyword Search - Match exact terms in document content
  • Semantic Search - Find documents by meaning using AI
  • Entity Search - Search for people, organizations, dates, amounts
  • Tag Search - Filter by AI-generated or manual tags
  • Date Range - Limit results to specific time periods

Results show relevance scores and highlight matching content.

Actions (Pro+)

Manage AI Agents and automated workflows:

  • Agents - AI assistants with specific roles (Analyst, Reviewer, etc.)
  • Crews - Groups of agents that work together on complex tasks
  • Workflows - Multi-step automations triggered by events

Common use cases:

  • Automatic contract review
  • Invoice data extraction
  • Compliance checking
  • Document classification

Studio (Pro+)

Create and compose with AI assistance:

  • Document Generation - Create new documents from templates
  • Content Merge - Combine content from multiple sources
  • AI Writing - Get writing suggestions and improvements
  • Templates - Save and reuse document structures

Tools

A hub for document utilities:

Pipelines

Automated document processing:

  • Define processing steps (extract, classify, tag, route)
  • Set up triggers (on upload, schedule, manual)
  • Monitor pipeline execution
  • View processing history

Compare

Side-by-side document comparison:

  • Upload two versions of a document
  • Visual diff highlighting
  • Text extraction comparison
  • AI-powered change summary

Migrations

Import from external sources:

  • Google Drive - Bulk import with folder structure
  • My Drive - Personal Google Drive files
  • Shared Drives - Team Drive content

More providers coming soon.

Team

Collaboration hub:

  • Shared Documents - Documents shared with you
  • Team Activity - Recent actions by team members
  • Workspace Invitations - Pending and sent invitations
  • My Shares - Documents you’ve shared with others

Settings

Configure your Archivus experience:

Tab Description
Account Profile, avatar, password, connected accounts
Workspace Workspace name, settings, and preferences
Billing Subscription, AI credits, payment methods
Team Invite members, manage roles and permissions
Branding Custom logo and display name (Team+)
Security Two-factor auth, API keys, session management
Notifications Email and in-app notification preferences
Integrations Connected services and OAuth apps

Keyboard Shortcuts

Speed up your workflow with these shortcuts:

Global

Shortcut Action
Cmd/Ctrl + K Open Command Palette
Cmd/Ctrl + / Focus search
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + T Toggle TopBar
Cmd/Ctrl + Shift + F Toggle Folders panel
Escape Close dialogs and panels

Documents

Shortcut Action
Cmd/Ctrl + U Upload document
G then D Go to Documents
G then S Go to Spaces
G then A Go to Actions

In Document View

Shortcut Action
J / K Next / Previous document
E Edit document metadata
S Share document
D Download document

Mobile Experience

Archivus is fully responsive on mobile devices:

  • Tap the hamburger menu (top-left) to open the sidebar
  • Swipe right from the edge to open the menu
  • Tap outside or swipe left to close

Spaces

  • Swipe left/right to navigate between columns
  • Tap to select items
  • Pull down to refresh

Documents

  • Tap to preview
  • Long-press for quick actions
  • Pinch to zoom document preview

Chat

  • Full-screen chat interface on mobile
  • Voice input support (where available)
  • Optimized keyboard handling

Tips for New Users

  1. Start with Archivus - Ask Archie anything to get oriented
  2. Upload a few documents - See AI analysis in action
  3. Explore the Command Palette - Press Cmd+K for quick navigation
  4. Set up your workspace - Create folders and organize in Spaces
  5. Complete the onboarding - Follow the progress ring for guided setup

Getting Help

Need assistance? Here are your options:

  • Ask Archie - Click the Help icon in TopBar for AI assistance
  • Documentation - Click Help & Docs in sidebar
  • Suggestion Box - Share feedback via the lightbulb icon
  • Support Email - Contact support@archivus.app

Next Steps: