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Files & context

Starfire can work with context at different lifetimes. Choosing the right layer keeps conversations more reliable and prevents important material from being trapped inside one chat.

Three context layers

Conversation context

Use for temporary material that only matters to the current conversation. Examples:
  • an error screenshot
  • a configuration snippet
  • one document to summarize
  • a log file for a single debugging session

Project context

Use for material that belongs to an ongoing body of work. Examples:
  • product requirements
  • architecture notes
  • related conversations
  • build artifacts
  • project-specific instructions

Knowledge context

Use for reference material that should be indexed and retrieved repeatedly. Examples:
  • documentation collections
  • repositories
  • policies
  • research libraries
  • internal reference files

Attachments are not automatically permanent knowledge

Uploading a file to a conversation does not mean every future Starfire conversation should retrieve from it. Durable reuse belongs in a Project or Knowledge source.

Context limits still matter

Even when Starfire can access a large body of material, the active model has a finite context window. Retrieval systems help select relevant material rather than injecting every stored document into every request.

File processing

Depending on the file type and enabled features, Starfire can extract text, metadata, or other representations for use by a model or retrieval system. Processing status can matter: a newly uploaded file may exist before it is fully indexed for Knowledge queries.

Sensitive files

Only upload material you are authorized to process. Avoid putting passwords, API secrets, private keys, or unnecessary regulated data into ordinary AI context.
A file attached to a chat, a file stored in a project, and a file indexed into Knowledge can have different retention, retrieval, and sharing behavior. Check the owning context before assuming who can access it.

Project OS

Learn how durable project context is organized.

Knowledge

Learn how persistent retrieval and RAG sources work.