Working with Files and Source Material

Vesence works best when it has the right source material.

Source material can be documents, spreadsheets, presentations, PDFs, emails, attachments, templates, prior drafts, screenshots, or other files that Vesence should use to complete a task.

The better the source material, the better Vesence can analyze, compare, draft, edit, and explain.

What counts as source material?

Source material can include:

• Word documents
• PDFs
• Excel workbooks
• PowerPoint presentations
• Outlook emails and attachments
• Teams messages and shared files where available
• SharePoint and OneDrive files where connected
• iManage and NetDocuments files where connected
• Templates and precedents
• Prior drafts or marked-up versions
• Images or screenshots
• Audio transcripts or meeting notes, where transcription is enabled
• Written instructions from the user

Source material is anything Vesence should rely on when doing the work.

Document management systems (iManage and NetDocuments)

Many firms keep their documents in a document management system such as iManage or NetDocuments. Where your organization has connected one, Vesence can work with those files directly, in the same way it works with SharePoint or OneDrive.

When a system is connected, it appears in the “+” (add) menu in the chat box, next to Upload file and SharePoint. From there you can attach a document or folder as source material for the task.

Where supported, Vesence can:

• Bring documents from iManage or NetDocuments into the working context
• Use them as source material for summaries, drafts, comparisons, or checks
• Save resulting work back to the document management system for review

Example prompts:

• "Use the attached iManage document as the source of truth."
• "Compare this draft with the version from NetDocuments."
• "Summarize the documents I attached from iManage."

iManage and NetDocuments are optional integrations that an organization enables. If you do not see them, they have not been connected for your account.

Ask Vesence to find source material

Vesence can also look for relevant material in connected Outlook, Teams, SharePoint, and OneDrive sources.

Example prompts:

• "Find the latest draft and related email thread for Project Atlas."
• "Search Teams and SharePoint for background on this client question."
• "Find relevant emails, attachments, and OneDrive files for this matter."

See: Using Vesence with SharePoint and OneDrive for more information.

Why source material matters

Vesence should base its work on available evidence and context.

If Vesence has the right files, it can:

• Answer questions with better grounding
• Compare information across sources
• Avoid guessing missing facts
• Identify conflicts between documents
• Draft from the correct template or precedent
• Check whether figures, names, dates, and terms match
• Create outputs that reflect the actual materials

If Vesence does not have the right material, it may need to ask for it.

Tell Vesence which source is authoritative

When several files contain similar or conflicting information, tell Vesence which one is the source of truth.

Examples:

• "Use the signed PDF as the source of truth."
• "Use the term sheet for deal terms and the template for structure."
• "Use the latest Word draft for wording. Use the older version only for comparison."
• "Use the spreadsheet for numbers, but flag any mismatch with the agreement."

This helps Vesence avoid choosing silently between conflicting sources.

Explain how each file should be used

Different files can play different roles in a task.

A file might be:

• The document to edit
• The source of truth
• Background context
• A template or precedent
• A comparison version
• A checklist or review standard
• A source for figures, names, dates, or definitions

Examples:

• "Edit the agreement using the term sheet."
• "Use the NDA precedent for structure, but use the new party names and deal terms."
• "Use the email thread only to understand the background."
• "Use the checklist as the review standard."

Use files and instructions together

Files provide context, but instructions tell Vesence what to do with that context.

For example, instead of saying:

• "Review these."

Say:

• "Review these agreements for missing signatures, inconsistent dates, and unusual termination rights. Create a table of findings."

The files provide the content. The instruction provides the direction.

Common file workflows

Summarize files

Example prompts:

• "Summarize this document in plain English."
• "Create an executive summary of these PDFs."
• "Summarize this email thread and its attachments."

Compare files

Example prompts:

• "Compare these two drafts and explain the practical differences."
• "Compare the agreement against the term sheet."
• "Check whether the spreadsheet matches the contract."

Extract information

Example prompts:

• "Extract all deadlines into a table."
• "List all payment obligations from these documents."
• "Create a table of parties, dates, governing law, and termination rights."

Create work product from files

Example prompts:

• "Create a first draft using this template and these instructions."
• "Create a checklist from these closing documents."
• "Create a client question list from this document package."

Edit supported files

Example prompts:

• "Update the party name throughout this document."
• "Revise this clause and show the changes as tracked changes where supported."
• "Clean up the spreadsheet formatting."

Working with scanned or image-based files

Some PDFs or documents may be scanned or image-based.

Vesence may still be able to inspect them visually where supported, but the result may be less precise than working with text-based files.

If a scanned document is important, ask Vesence to flag any parts it cannot read clearly.

Example prompt:

• "Inspect this scanned PDF and flag any unclear pages or text."

Working with versions

Version control matters when files have similar names, redlines, drafts, or signed copies.

When asking Vesence to compare or update documents, explain which version is older, which version is newer, and what output you want.

Examples:

• "Compare the redline against the clean draft and summarize the changes."
• "Use v4 as the latest draft and v3 as the comparison version."
• "Check whether the signed PDF matches the final approved Word version."

Working with generated outputs

When Vesence creates a file, that file becomes part of the Workspace.

You can ask Vesence to continue from it.

Examples:

• "Use the issue list you just created and turn it into client questions."
• "Revise the draft summary to be shorter."
• "Use the comparison table to draft an email."

Tips for better results

• Add all relevant files before asking for analysis or drafting.
• Name the source of truth if there are multiple versions.
• Tell Vesence what output you want.
• Explain whether a file is for editing, comparison, background, or style.
• Ask Vesence to cite or identify where key points came from where useful.
• Ask Vesence to flag missing or unreadable materials.
• Review generated outputs before relying on them.