# Files on the bot's computer

Browse the files a bot made, view documents, data, images, and video right in the app, download them, and ask the bot about any file.

Canonical page: https://themachine.myapps.ai/docs/desktop/cloud-computer/files

Everything a bot makes in a thread is saved on that thread's computer. The
**Computer** tab lets you browse it, like the file explorer on your own
computer.

## Open the file browser

![The bot's computer panel on the Computer tab, showing the workspace files](/images/docs/desktop/computer-files.webp)

1. Click the **monitor** icon in the chat header.
2. Make sure the **Computer** tab is selected.

If the computer was asleep, it wakes up. You'll see *"Waking …'s
computer…"* for a moment.

The header shows how many folders and files there are.

## Find your way around

| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| Open a folder | Click it. |
| Go back | Click a folder name in the path at the top, or press **Backspace** to go up one level. |
| Change the view | Switch between **grid** and **list**. |
| Find a file | Type its name in the search box (**Search in …**). |

You start in the **workspace**, the bot's main folder. Files you attached are
in its `uploads` folder. You can also look in other folders on the computer,
like `/tmp`.

## View a file

Click a file to open it in the panel. These display right there:

| Kind | Examples |
|---|---|
| Documents | Markdown, plain text, PDF, HTML |
| Data | CSV and TSV, shown as tables |
| Code | Any programming language, with colors |
| Images | PNG, JPEG, GIF, SVG, and more |
| Media | Audio and video, with a player |
| Zip files | A list of what's inside, with the total unzipped size. Click a text file inside to read it. Nothing is unzipped onto the computer. |

For web pages and Markdown, switch between **Preview** (how it looks) and
**Source** (the text behind it).

Other files show *"No preview for this file type"* with a **Download**
button. To see a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint deck as it
really looks, use the [Live view](/docs/desktop/live/live-view#code) instead:
double-click the file in its **File Manager**, and the **Code** window shows
a preview.

Press **Esc** to close the file.

## Upload files

Drag files from your own computer onto the **Computer** tab. You'll see
**Drop to upload to** followed by the folder on screen (**Workspace** at the
top level). Let go, and the files are copied into that folder on the bot's
computer.

- Open a folder first to upload straight into it.
- Each file can be up to **100 MB**.
- A strip shows **Uploading…**, then *"Uploaded report.pdf"* or what went
  wrong.

Dropping files here puts them on the bot's computer only. To send a file in
a message, drop it on the message box instead. See
[Attachments](/docs/desktop/chat/attachments).

## Do something with a file

With a file open:

| Button | What it does |
|---|---|
| **Download** | Saves a copy to your computer. |
| **Copy** | Copies the file's contents. |
| **Ask about it** | Sends the bot a message about this file, so you can follow up with things like *"summarize this"*, *"fix the typo on line 3"*, or *"turn this into a chart"*. |

You can also download files a bot mentions in the chat: they appear as chips
with **Save a copy**.

## Publish a folder

To put a folder online as a website:

- At the top level, click **Deploy…** and choose the folder.
- Inside a folder, click **Deploy** followed by its name.

See [Deployments](/docs/desktop/deployments).

## Keep what matters

Files stay on the computer as long as the thread exists, including while it's
asleep. But **deleting the thread deletes the computer and all its files**.

Before you delete a thread, download anything you want to keep. For longer
projects, ask the bot to save work somewhere permanent, like a connected app
or a git repository, if you use one.

## Tips

- **Ask the bot to name files clearly:** *"Save it as 2024-q3-report.md."*
- **Ask for a folder per project:** *"Keep everything for this in a folder
  called launch."*
- **Ask what it made:** *"List the files you created and what each is for."*