# Drive

> **What you will learn**
> What it means to put a file in a workspace, who can see it, and what to check
> before uploading.
>
> **If file formats are unfamiliar,** start with [Shapes of data](/guide/it-data-formats).

## Uploaded files become material for answers

Drive is not merely storage. **Documents you upload become reference material
for agents.**

```mermaid
graph TD
  A["Upload a file"] --> B["Split the content into chunks"]
  B --> C["Index each chunk as a vector"]
  C --> D["A question finds the nearest chunks"]
  D --> E["Answer grounded in those chunks"]
```

The fundamental way to
[reduce hallucination](/guide/ai-hallucination) is "give it material and have it
answer from within that." Drive is where that material accumulates, per
workspace.

## Organised in folders

It holds files and folders. The address is `/w/<handle>/d/<path>`.

```
Drive
  ├─ product/
  │   ├─ catalogue.pdf
  │   └─ specs.xlsx
  ├─ policies/
  └─ contract-templates/
```

**Split folders by "who may see this."** It is easier to manage than granting
permissions file by file.

## Who can see it

Each file can carry **view permission**, granted to one of two kinds of target.

| Target | Meaning |
|---|---|
| **Department** | by [department](/guide/cn-groups) |
| Individual | a specific member only |

> **Grant to departments.** Grant to individuals and every staff move means
> editing files one by one, and when that slips **someone who left keeps
> seeing them.** The principle from
> [groups and departments](/guide/cn-groups) applies to files too.

## Search scope

You can set **how far an agent looks** when it searches Drive.

| Where it is set | Scope |
|---|---|
| Workspace default | the default for all conversations |
| Per [sub-agent](/guide/cn-create-agent) | that agent only |
| Per [channel](/guide/cn-channels) | requests arriving through that entrance |

**The per-channel setting matters most.** With all of Drive open to the
[chat widget](/guide/cn-chat-widget), internal documents become material for
visitors' questions.

```
✗ widget → all of Drive
✓ widget → the product/ folder only
```

## Before uploading

```
□ should this file be in the workspace at all
□ does it contain personal data
□ which channels can reach this file
□ does it need a department permission
```

**The third is the easiest to miss.** The moment you upload, every entrance to
that workspace can reach it — the widget, email, and the API.

## What to upload

| Suitable | Unsuitable |
|---|---|
| Product specs and catalogues | rosters containing personal data |
| Policies and manuals | unpublished financials (if any channel is open) |
| Frequently referenced templates | temporary files and intermediate output |
| FAQs and response guidelines | large original media |

**"Frequently referenced, and acceptable to leave the building"** makes the best
candidate.

## Not the same as a HyperTeams working directory

The names are similar enough to confuse.

| | Drive | [Working directory](/guide/ht-working-directory) |
|---|---|---|
| Where | the cloud | your machine |
| What | material to reference | files to actually change |
| The agent | reads it for answers | **edits and creates** |
| The team | sees it together | when the system is registered |

**Drive is what you put there to be read; a working directory is what you put
there to be changed.**

---

## Check yourself

**1. How does uploading to Drive differ from plain storage?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**Uploaded documents are indexed and become the basis for an agent's answers.**
They are split into chunks, indexed as vectors, and the chunks nearest a question
are used to ground the answer.
</details>

**2. Why grant file permissions to departments rather than individuals?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**Because individual grants mean editing files one by one on every staff move,
and when that slips, people who left keep seeing them.** Department grants follow
from changing membership alone.
</details>

**3. What is the easiest check to miss before uploading?**

<details>
<summary>Answer</summary>

**Which channels can reach the file.** From the moment you upload, every entrance
to that workspace — widget, email, API — can reach it.
</details>

---

Next, connecting your own machine → [Connecting a system](/guide/cn-systems)