Home 2. Features Document Vault

Document Vault

Last updated on Dec 07, 2025

The Document Vault is your centralized, AI-powered repository for all legal documents. Upload, organize, search, and manage documents with semantic search capabilities that understand meaning, not just keywords.

What is the Document Vault?

Think of the Vault as a smart filing cabinet that not only stores your documents but understands their content. Using advanced AI technology, it can find documents based on concepts and meaning, making search 10x more powerful than traditional keyword search.

Key Features

Intelligent Storage

  • Unlimited document types - PDF, Word, Excel, images, Google Docs

  • Automatic text extraction - Even from images using OCR

  • Instant indexing - Documents become searchable in seconds

  • Cloud storage - Access from anywhere

  • Version tracking - Know when documents were added/modified

Semantic Search

  • Concept-based finding - Search by meaning, not exact words

  • AI-powered relevance - Results ranked by actual relevance

  • Natural language queries - Ask questions like talking to a person

  • Cross-document search - Find information across all documents at once

organisation Tools

  • Tagging system - Add custom tags for categorization

  • Metadata - Track additional information about documents

  • Filtering - By date, type, source, status

  • Bulk operations - Manage multiple documents at once

Integration

  • Google Drive sync - Automatic import from Google Drive

  • Manual upload - Drag and drop or browse to upload

  • Browser-based - No desktop software required

Accessing the Vault

  1. Click "Vault" in the left sidebar

  2. Or navigate to /vault

  3. The Vault opens with document list view

[SCREENSHOT: Vault with document list]

Uploading Documents

Manual Upload

Single Document

  1. Click the "Upload" button (top-right)

  2. Click "Browse" or drag-and-drop a file

  3. Select your document

  4. Wait for upload and processing

  5. Document appears in the list

[SCREENSHOT: Upload button and drag-drop area]

Multiple Documents

  1. Click "Upload"

  2. Hold Ctrl (Windows) or Cmd (Mac) while selecting files

  3. Or drag-and-drop multiple files at once

  4. All files upload and process in parallel

  5. Track progress for each file

Maximum: 10 files at once

Google Drive Import

For automatic synchronization from Google Drive:

  1. Set up Google Drive integration first

  2. Go to Settings > Integrations > Google Drive

  3. Click "Sync Documents"

  4. Select folders or sync all

  5. Documents import automatically

Benefits of Google Drive sync:

  • Automatic updates when files change

  • Preserve Google Docs formatting

  • Sync entire folder structures

  • Two-way linking (edit in Drive, searchable in Alingo)

Supported File Types

Documents

  • PDF (.pdf) - Most common, best for final versions

  • Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx) - Editable documents

  • Text files (.txt, .md, .rtf) - Plain text documents

  • Rich Text (.rtf) - Formatted text

Spreadsheets

  • Microsoft Excel (.xls, .xlsx) - Spreadsheets and data

  • CSV (.csv) - Comma-separated values

Images (with OCR)

  • JPEG (.jpg, .jpeg) - Photos and scans

  • PNG (.png) - Screenshots and graphics

  • TIFF (.tiff, .tif) - High-quality scans

  • GIF (.gif) - Simple graphics

OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Alingo automatically extracts text from images, making scanned contracts searchable!

Google Workspace (via integration)

  • Google Docs - Word processing documents

  • Google Sheets - Spreadsheets

  • Google Slides - Presentations

File Size Limits

  • Maximum: 100 MB per file

  • Recommended: Under 50 MB for faster processing

  • Average: Most contracts are 1-10 MB

Document Processing

Processing States

Each uploaded document goes through these stages:

1. Uploading

  • File is being transferred to cloud storage

  • Progress bar shows percentage complete

  • Typically takes 5-30 seconds depending on file size

2. Processing

  • Text is being extracted from the document

  • OCR is applied to images if needed

  • Document is being analysed for structure

  • Status shows as "Processing"

  • Time: 10-30 seconds for most documents

[SCREENSHOT: Document with "Processing" status badge]

3. Indexed

  • Document is fully searchable

  • AI embeddings have been created

  • Ready for semantic search

  • Status shows as "Indexed" with green checkmark

  • Time: Usually 10-60 seconds total from upload

[SCREENSHOT: Document with "Indexed" status badge]

4. Failed (if errors occur)

  • Red error indicator

  • Hover to see error message

  • Common causes: Unsupported format, corrupted file, file too large

  • Solution: Try re-uploading or converting to PDF

What "Indexed" Means

When a document is indexed:

  • ✅ Searchable via semantic search

  • ✅ Available to AI Assistant for questions

  • ✅ Appears in search results

  • ✅ Can be used in playbook analysis

  • ✅ Fully processed and ready to use

Searching Documents

Using the Search Bar

The search bar at the top of the Vault uses semantic search:

  1. Type your search query

  2. Results appear instantly

  3. Most relevant documents show first

  4. Search understands meaning, not just keywords

[SCREENSHOT: Search bar with query and results]

Semantic Search Examples

Traditional keyword search:

  • Query: "termination clause"

  • Finds: Documents containing exact words "termination" and "clause"

Semantic search (Alingo):

  • Query: "how to end contract early"

  • Finds: Documents about termination, cancellation, early exit, etc.

  • Understands you mean termination clauses

  • Returns relevant results even if exact words differ

Search Tips

Good search queries:

  • "liability limitations in vendor contracts"

  • "data processing agreements with EU companies"

  • "non-compete clauses in employment contracts"

  • "payment terms net 30 days"

Why they work:

  • Specific and descriptive

  • Natural language

  • Include context

  • Focus on concepts, not exact wording

Less effective queries:

  • "contract" (too broad)

  • "document about xyz" (be more direct)

  • Single words (add context)

Advanced Search (Coming Soon)

Future versions will include:

  • Filter by date range

  • Filter by document type

  • Filter by tags

  • Boolean operators (AND, OR, NOT)

  • Saved searches

Viewing Documents

Document List View

The default view shows all documents in a list:

Columns displayed:

  • Name - Document filename

  • Type - File format and source (Drive, Upload)

  • Last Modified - When last updated

  • Size - File size

  • Source - Upload or Google Drive

  • Status - Indexed, Processing, or Failed

[SCREENSHOT: List view with all columns]

Grid View

Alternative view showing documents as cards:

  1. Click the grid icon (top-right)

  2. Documents display as cards with previews

  3. Shows name, type, date, and status

  4. Click any card to open

[SCREENSHOT: Grid view with document cards]

Document Detail Panel

Click any document to see details:

Information shown:

  • Full document name

  • File type and format

  • Last modified date

  • File size

  • Processing status

  • Tags (if any)

  • Description (if added)

  • Google Drive link (if from Drive)

Actions available:

  • View document (opens in new tab)

  • analyse with AI

  • Add to playbook

  • Delete document

[SCREENSHOT: Document detail panel]

Organizing Documents

Adding Tags

Tags help categorize and find documents:

  1. Select a document

  2. In the detail panel, click "Add Tag"

  3. Type tag name (e.g., "vendor contracts", "Q1 2024")

  4. Press Enter

  5. Tag appears on the document

Tag best practices:

  • Use consistent naming (all lowercase or Title Case)

  • Create a tagging system (by client, type, date, project)

  • Don't over-tag (3-5 tags per document is usually enough)

  • Use multi-word tags for specificity ("data-processing-agreement")

Adding Descriptions

Provide context for each document:

  1. Select a document

  2. Click in the "Description" field

  3. Type a brief description

  4. Click "Save"

Good descriptions:

  • "Master Service Agreement with Acme Corp, signed 2024-01-15"

  • "Standard NDA template v2.0 - updated for GDPR"

  • "Employment contract template for senior developers"

Using Metadata

Metadata is automatically captured:

  • Upload date - When document was added

  • Last modified - Last change to the file

  • File size - Storage space used

  • File type - Format and extension

  • Source - Manual upload or Google Drive

  • Google Drive ID - Link to original (if applicable)

Managing Documents

Deleting Documents

Single document:

  1. Select the document

  2. Click the trash icon or "Delete" button

  3. Confirm deletion

  4. Document is permanently removed

Bulk deletion:

  1. Select multiple documents (checkboxes)

  2. Click "Delete Selected"

  3. Confirm deletion

  4. All selected documents removed

Warning: Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. The document is removed from:

  • Your Vault
  • AI search results
  • Any playbooks it's associated with
  • (If from Google Drive, original file in Drive is NOT deleted)

Refreshing the Vault

To reload document list:

  1. Click the "Refresh" button (top-right)

  2. Or press F5 to refresh browser

  3. Latest status updates appear

Useful when:

  • Documents stuck in "Processing"

  • Waiting for Google Drive sync

  • After bulk operations

  • Checking if new documents appeared

Document Actions

Available actions per document:

View Document

  • Opens document in new tab

  • PDF: Browser PDF viewer

  • Google Docs: Opens in Google Docs

  • Other formats: Downloads to your computer

analyse with AI

  • Sends document to AI Assistant

  • Ask questions about this specific document

  • Extract clauses for playbooks

  • summarise contents

Add to Playbook

  • Associate document with a playbook

  • Use for clause extraction

  • Reference as source material

  • Helpful for playbook maintenance

Google Drive Integration

How It Works

When connected:

  1. Select folders to sync in Settings

  2. Alingo monitors those folders

  3. New files auto-import to Vault

  4. Changes in Drive update in Vault

  5. Two-way linking maintained

Benefits

  • No manual upload - Automatic synchronization

  • Stay current - Updates reflect automatically

  • Preserve formatting - Google Docs formatting maintained

  • Team collaboration - Share Drive folders, auto-sync to Alingo

  • Centralized storage - Files stay in Drive, searchable in Alingo

Syncing Process

  1. Go to Settings > Integrations > Google Drive

  2. Click "Sync Documents"

  3. Choose sync option:

  • All documents - Sync entire Drive

  • Specific folder - Select from folder list

  1. Click "Sync"

  2. Background process begins

  3. Documents appear in Vault as they're processed

Sync time: Varies by number and size of documents

  • 10 documents: ~1-2 minutes

  • 100 documents: ~10-20 minutes

  • 1000+ documents: May take hours, runs in background

[SCREENSHOT: Google Drive sync dialog with folder selection]

Managing Synced Documents

Identifying synced documents:

  • Blue cloud icon next to document name

  • "Source: Google Drive" in details

  • "Google Drive" badge in list view

Opening in Google Drive:

  1. Click document

  2. Click the "Open in Google Drive" link

  3. Document opens in Google Docs

Synced document considerations:

  • Deleting from Vault doesn't delete from Drive

  • Deleting from Drive doesn't auto-delete from Vault (manual cleanup needed)

  • Changes in Drive may take 5-10 minutes to reflect in Vault

Best Practices

For Legal Teams

  1. Upload your entire contract library - The more documents, the better the AI works

  2. Use consistent file naming - "ClientName_AgreementType_Date.pdf"

  3. Tag systematically - Create a tagging taxonomy

  4. Add descriptions - Future you will thank present you

  5. Sync Google Drive folders - Automate document management

  6. Regular cleanup - Remove outdated documents quarterly

For Business Users

  1. Upload only business-relevant documents - Contracts you're working on

  2. Tag with project or client name - Easy retrieval

  3. Check processing status - Wait for "Indexed" before searching

  4. Use semantic search - Describe what you're looking for

  5. Don't delete shared documents - Check with Legal first

File organisation Tips

Naming convention example:


ClientName_DocumentType_Date_Version.pdf

Examples:

Acme_MSA_2024-01-15_v1.pdf

Acme_NDA_2024-03-20_Final.pdf

Smith_Employment_2024-02-01.pdf

Tagging strategy:

  • Client tags: client-acme, client-smith

  • Type tags: nda, msa, employment, dpa

  • Status tags: active, expired, template

  • Department tags: sales, procurement, hr

Troubleshooting

Document stuck in "Processing"

Try:

  1. Wait 2-3 minutes (large documents take longer)

  2. Refresh the page (F5)

  3. Check file format is supported

  4. Verify file isn't corrupted (try opening it elsewhere)

  5. Re-upload if still stuck after 5 minutes

Prevent:

  • Convert complex Word docs to PDF first

  • Ensure images are clear and readable

  • Keep files under 50 MB when possible

Search not returning expected results

Check:

  • Document status is "Indexed" (not "Processing")

  • Search query is specific enough

  • Document actually contains the information

  • Try rephrasing the query

Improve results:

  • Upload more related documents (AI works better with more context)

  • Use natural language descriptions

  • Include synonyms in your query

  • Check document content manually to verify

Can't upload documents

Possible causes:

  • File too large (> 100 MB limit)

  • Unsupported file type

  • Browser issues

  • Network connection problems

Solutions:

  • Compress large PDFs before uploading

  • Convert to supported format (PDF recommended)

  • Try different browser

  • Check internet connection

  • Disable browser extensions temporarily

Google Drive sync not working

Verify:

  • Integration is connected (Settings > Integrations)

  • You have permissions on the Drive folder

  • Pop-ups are allowed for OAuth

  • Try disconnecting and reconnecting

Common issues:

  • OAuth token expired - Reconnect integration

  • Folder permissions changed - Verify access in Drive

  • Sync in progress - Check status in Settings

Documents disappearing from Vault

Possible reasons:

  • Another user deleted them

  • Filter applied hiding them

  • Check audit logs (Settings > Audit) for deletion events

  • Contact support if unexplained

Performance Tips

Faster Uploads

  • Optimize PDFs - Use PDF compression tools

  • Batch similar documents - Upload in groups of 10

  • Upload during off-peak - Faster processing

  • Use wired connection - More stable than WiFi

Faster Search

  • Wait for indexing - Don't search until "Indexed"

  • Be specific - Narrow queries get faster results

  • Use tags - Filter before searching

  • Limit scope - Search within a category when possible

Better Storage Management

  • Archive old documents - Download and remove from Vault

  • Remove duplicates - One copy is enough

  • Clean up test uploads - Remove test files regularly

  • Export important documents - Keep local backups

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