File Indexer
NELA’s File Indexer turns folders on your computer into a searchable knowledge graph the assistant can use while you chat. It is built for real project trees — not just a bag of loose paragraphs — and is one of the strongest parts of the product.
In the app this shows up as Search my files.
What makes it different
Most “chat with your docs” tools only chop files into chunks and hope a similarity search finds the right piece. NELA’s File Indexer goes further:
- Understands structure — how files relate (folders, links, and document structure), not only raw text blobs.
- Hybrid search — matches both exact keywords and meaning, then pulls in related material so answers stay grounded.
- Built for folders — point it at a project directory; it keeps up as files change and can catch up again when you reopen NELA.
- Stays on your machine — indexing and search run locally in Private workflows. Cloud only sees files you explicitly attach to a Cloud chat.
You do not need to know the internals. Think of it as a librarian that reads your tree, remembers relationships, and hands the assistant the right pages when you ask.
How to use it
- Index or sync the folders you care about (from the files / knowledge tools in the app).
- In Chat, turn on Search my files.
- Ask questions in natural language (“Where do we define the pricing rules?” / “Summarize the onboarding docs”).
- Prefer concrete questions — the indexer is best when there is something real to find.
File Indexer vs Document library
| File Indexer | Document library | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Whole folders / projects on disk | Selected PDFs, Word, slides you add |
| How you ask | Search my files | Search my documents |
| Feel | Deep folder search with structure | Classic “ask my uploaded docs” with sources |
Many people use both: library for curated packs, File Indexer for the live project tree.
Tips for great results
- Index the folder that actually contains the source of truth (not a huge dump of unrelated downloads).
- After big renames or moves, give NELA a moment to resync.
- If answers feel off, check that Search my files is on for that turn.
- Private mode keeps this path on-device; see Private vs Cloud if you mix in Cloud chats.
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