Theme
Reference
File formats
Vythos reads text. A file it can't read is never silently dropped — it's reported with its name and the reason, wherever you meet it: in a sync report, in the file picker, or when you try to make it a rule.
Read
| Format | Extensions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
.pdf | Text-based PDFs. A scan with no text layer has nothing to read | |
| Word | .docx | Tables included |
| Excel | .xlsx, .xlsm | Sheets arrive as rows |
| PowerPoint | .pptx | Slide text and notes |
| Markdown | .md, .markdown | |
| Plain text | .txt | |
| CSV / TSV | .csv, .tsv | |
| HTML | .html, .htm | |
| JSON | .json | |
| Rich text | .rtf |
Google's own formats
Read in full, with their structure intact:
| In Google Drive | What comes through |
|---|---|
| Google Docs | The document, headings and tables kept |
| Google Sheets | Every sheet, as rows |
| Google Slides | Slide text and notes |
Google Forms, Drawings, Sites, Jamboards and Apps Script files are refused by name: there's no useful text to export.
Not read
Refused by name, with the reason, rather than downloaded and failed:
| Group | Formats |
|---|---|
| Legacy Office | .doc, .xls, .ppt — re-save as .docx, .xlsx or .pptx |
| Apple iWork | .pages, .numbers, .key — export as PDF or Office |
| Images | .png, .jpg, .gif, .webp, .heic, .tif, .svg |
| Design files | .psd, .ai, .indd, .sketch, .fig |
| Video | .mp4, .mov, .avi, .mkv, .webm |
| Audio | .mp3, .wav, .m4a, .aac |
| Archives | .zip, .rar, .7z |
Reading rules out of an image — a brand guideline exported as PNG, a scanned signed contract — isn't supported. If the rule is in a picture, put the words in a document.
Practical advice for rule documents
- PDF is fine, as long as it was exported rather than scanned. If you can select the text in a PDF viewer, Vythos can read it.
- Tables survive in Word, Excel, Google Docs, Google Sheets and Markdown — which matters most for rate cards.
- A spreadsheet is read as rows, so a rate card as a spreadsheet works. Give columns clear headings.
- Check what came through. The Add rule card has Read the document, which shows exactly what Vythos took. Worth doing once for each kind of document.
When a file is refused
| Message | What to do |
|---|---|
| Vythos does not read Google forms / drawings / … | There's no text to read. Use a Doc |
| A legacy format refusal | Re-save it in the modern format |
| '…' is empty | The file has no readable text — usually a scan |
| That's a folder | Pick the file inside it |