What you can import
Bower handles mixed batches — you don’t need to separate files by type before uploading.| File type | What Bower does |
|---|---|
| Images (.jpg, .png, .heic) | Generates an AI description of the image and extracts any text it finds. Both the description and extracted text become a searchable note — so you can find images by what’s in them, not just their filename. |
| Voice recordings (.m4a, .mp3, .wav) | Transcription with scientific vocabulary recognition |
| PDFs | Content extraction; auto-generates flow charts from embedded images |
| Word documents (.docx) | Converted to editable notes; formatting including tables and coloured text is preserved |
How to import
Open the import dialog
Click the New note dropdown in any collection and select Import, or use the + New note button on the dashboard.
Select your files
Select all files — mixed types are fine. You can import up to 20 files at a time, with a maximum of 50 MB per file.
Limits
| Limit | Value |
|---|---|
| Files per import | 20 |
| Max file size | 50 MB per file |
After import
- Each note is immediately searchable.
- Images are searchable by their AI-generated description — you can find a photo of a gel by searching for “gel electrophoresis” even if the filename is
IMG_4382.jpg. - Extracted tables are editable inline.
- The original file is always attached to the note — nothing is discarded.
- Bird can summarise, compare, or cross-reference the imported notes as soon as processing completes.