In short. Google AI Mode lets users upload PDFs and Drive files before asking a question or follow-up question.
Definition: Yes. Google AI Mode lets a user upload one or more files, including PDFs, local files and Drive files, from the Ask anything bar, then ask a question or follow-up question about them.
Key facts
- Google's AI Mode help page lists text, voice, images and files as question inputs.
- The same help page says that the upload menu accepts one or more files, including PDFs, local files and Drive files.
- After an upload, the documented flow is to type a follow-up or a new question in the Ask anything bar.
- Google's July 2025 AI Mode announcement says AI Mode analyzes file contents and cross-references relevant information from the web.
How are PDFs and Drive files added?
Google documents file input as part of the normal AI Mode question flow. The computer instructions place the upload control in the Ask anything bar. The same help page lists three access routes: google.com/ai, the AI Mode option after entering a question on www.google.com, and AI Mode on the Google app home screen.
1. In the Ask anything bar, click the menu.
2. Upload one or more files, including PDFs, local files and Drive files.
3. To ask a follow-up or a new question, type into the Ask anything bar near the bottom of the screen.
The wording covers a PDF stored on the device and a file selected from Google Drive. It also permits more than one file in the upload step. A Drive file is therefore an input selected for the question, alongside a local file or PDF.
What does the file contribute to the answer?
Google's AI Mode announcement says that AI Mode analyzes the contents of an uploaded file and cross-references them with relevant information from the web. It describes the result as an AI response with prominent links for further reading. The current help page likewise describes AI Mode as using web information and supporting follow-up questions.
The announcement gives PDF slides from a psychology lecture as an example of an uploaded document followed by questions that deepen understanding beyond the primary course materials. That example shows the PDF supplying context for a continuing question thread, while the web remains part of the answer workflow.
What did Google say about availability?
In its 29 July 2025 announcement, Google said PDF uploads on desktop were being added in the coming weeks. The same announcement described the feature as available in the United States and India, in English, for users aged 18 or older, with results that could vary. It then said that additional file types, including Google Drive files, would follow in the months ahead.
The current help page documents a broader upload instruction that includes Drive files. The two pages therefore record different points in the feature's rollout: the announcement describes an early PDF rollout, while the later help instructions include Drive files in the upload menu.
What does this change for a website?
The opened Google documentation describes a user-side file upload and its interaction with web information. It does not document a website tag, PDF URL, or hosting setting that makes a website's PDF appear in this upload control. A public PDF can still be part of the web information that AI Mode uses when the response searches the web, but the documented file input is selected by the user from local files or Drive.
Related terms
- Google AI Mode
- Can Google AI Mode answer a question about a supplied webpage URL?
- How can Gmail and Drive be included in Gemini Deep Research?
FAQ
Can you add a PDF and a Drive file to one AI Mode question?
Yes. The help page says that one or more files can be uploaded and names PDFs, local files and Drive files in the same step.
Does an uploaded PDF remove web information from the answer?
No. Google's announcement says AI Mode analyzes the file and cross-references relevant information from the web, with links in the response.
Are file size and PDF compatibility limits documented here?
The opened help page specifies the upload path and file categories but does not give a file size limit or a PDF compatibility table.
Can a follow-up question be asked after the upload?
Yes. The documented sequence ends by typing a follow-up or a new question in the Ask anything bar.
Sources
- Google Search Help, "Get AI-powered responses with AI Mode in Google Search", null
- Google, "AI Mode in Search adds Canvas, file upload, and more", 29 July 2025
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