Grok Bot files: what you can upload, getting results back, and cleaning up

What to hand to an agent first

• What you can attach

  Use the attachment control or drag files into the message box. You can also paste images and links. Common inputs include images, audio and video, PDFs and plain text, Word, Excel and PowerPoint files, CSV and JSON, HTML and email files. xAI's changelog for 14 Oct 2026 (version 0.71.2) says: "You can attach files up to 250 MB and videos up to 1 GB, and the Bot says when a video is too large to watch." It also says: "One message can carry up to 20 attachments instead of 6, and a notice says how many weren't added past the 200 MB total." The new limits need Grok Bot 0.70.2 or later, so update the app first. xAI's Files and results docs still list the older limits (six attachments at a time, 25 MB each, 200 MB for video) as of 20 Oct 2026. Large, encrypted, damaged or unusual files may not be readable (xAI's Files and results docs). While attachments upload, your message shows a Sending… bar that fills as they go (xAI's changelog).

• When a file won't read

  Check that you're on Grok Bot 0.70.2 or later, that the file is within the limits above (up to 250 MB, or 1 GB for video), that one message has no more than 20 attachments, and read the notice if some weren't added (xAI's changelog). Then check that it isn't encrypted or password-protected, that the upload finished before you sent, and that the type is supported. Try exporting an unusual format as PDF, CSV, plain text or an image. Don't remove a document's protection if that would break your own data rules (xAI's Troubleshooting docs).

• Bigger files: send a link instead

  Paste a link when the Bot can reach the page from its computer or through a connector. If the page is private, sign in on the computer or install the right connector (xAI's Files and results docs). For files in Google Drive, the Drive plugin can search and read files that account can open (Grok Bot help: Connect plugins), so a large file can stay in Drive while the Bot reads it there. Our Google Drive guide has a safe setup.

• From your phone

  On iPhone, use the share sheet in another app, choose Grok Bot, pick a chat and choose Attach. The item goes into that chat's message box so you can add a note and send it. On Android, the share sheet currently accepts text only (xAI's Mobile docs). In the phone app you can also take or attach a photo, or choose an image or file, from inside a chat (xAI's Mobile docs).

• Tell the Bot what each file is

  Say what each attachment is and how to use it. xAI's own example tells the Bot which PDF is the signed policy and which spreadsheet is this month's transactions, asks for a new spreadsheet plus a short summary, and ends with "Do not modify the originals." (xAI's Files and results docs). That last line is worth adding to any job that works on your own files.

• Getting results back

  Ask for a specific result: a document with headings and source links, a spreadsheet with set columns, or a draft that hasn't been sent. Files, images and links appear as cards in the chat. Open a card to preview it, then save the file (xAI's Files and results docs). Files and images a Bot sends from its computer arrive in the chat, and opening one while the computer is asleep wakes it and opens the file (xAI's changelog). Bots can also save a web page as a PDF and send audio files such as MP3 (xAI's changelog). If one big archive won't download, our tip is to ask the Bot to send the files one by one as attachments, so each arrives as its own card.

• Where files live, and finding them again

  The Bot's computer has a shared folder, /workspace, and Bots can read files other Bots save there. Use project folders and clear names (xAI's Files and results docs). The chat should still hold the final result, or a clear link to it (xAI's Files and results docs). Search finds message text and attachment names in all chats (xAI's changelog), and on the phone you can search Files on its own (xAI's Mobile docs).

• Cleaning up

  xAI's docs don't describe a delete button for files. To clean up, ask the Bot to list what's in a project folder in /workspace and delete only the files you confirm. Before an action it can't undo, such as deleting, a Bot checks your own messages for approval (xAI's changelog). xAI's docs say to remove sensitive project files from /workspace when a job ends (xAI's Approvals docs). Deleting files on the computer doesn't delete chats (Grok Bot help: Grok Bot computer). If you see a low disk space warning, Disk Saver proposes a cleanup and deletes nothing unless you confirm (Grok Bot help: FAQs). Want jobs that turn your files into finished paperwork? Our free What should my bot do? planner picks three in 5 quick questions.

Ready-made use cases

1. 01Monthly bookkeeping prep
   The agent categorizes transactions, finds missing receipts and preps a clean summary for your accountant.
   ~3h/week · estimate
2. 02Turn discovery calls into proposals
   After a call, the agent turns notes or the transcript into a scoped proposal with pricing tiers.
   ~4h/week · estimate
3. 03Metrics digest without opening dashboards
   The agent pulls your key numbers from Stripe, analytics and your store into one daily message.
   ~2h/week · estimate

Grok Bot routine: Monthly bookkeeping prep
Schedule: 1st of each month

On the 1st of each month, categorize last month's transactions, find receipts in my email for anything uncategorized, list missing receipts, and write a P&L summary for my accountant.

Rules: draft first, never send or post anything external without my approval. Keep summaries short.

Grok Bot, ChatGPT, Claude and n8n versions: all templates

Email me this template + the Starter Kit

Keep these human

• Every Bot on your account can read files saved in /workspace. Keep files another Bot shouldn't use off the computer (xAI's Computer and apps docs).
• Remove sensitive project files from /workspace when the job ends (xAI's Approvals docs).
• Add "Do not modify the originals." to jobs that work on your own files (xAI's Files and results docs).
• Deleting a Bot doesn't remove shared-computer files (xAI's Approvals docs).
• Start in draft mode: the agent prepares, you approve, then you loosen the leash routine by routine.

FAQ

Related guides

• Grok Bot computer rolled back and lost work? What to do now, and next time
• What happens to your data when you delete Grok Bot, a Bot or your plan
• How to connect Google Drive to Grok Bot (read, never share)
• Grok Bot can't reach its computer? Retry, Recover, Update and Reset, in the right order
• Grok Bot first-day fixes: locked out, usage gone, starting from X and bots that never ship
• AI agent for small-business bookkeeping (the owner's side)
• Turn your SOPs and docs into instructions your AI agent follows