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Macro provides unified file storage across emails, channels, and documents. Files are automatically imported from attachments, searchable by content, and accessible via @mentions.

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Overview

Auto-Import

Email attachments and channel uploads automatically import to your file storage. No manual organizing needed.

Full-Text Search

Search inside PDFs, documents, and images. Find text even in screenshots and scanned documents.

Smart Organization

Files are linked to emails, channels, and docs they came from. Navigate context, not folder hierarchies.

Universal Access

@mention any file anywhere. Permissions inherit from where it’s shared.

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File Types

Macro supports a wide range of file types:
Native Editing:
  • .md - Markdown (opens in Macro editor)
  • .txt - Plain text
  • Macro documents (created in-app)
Preview & Search:
  • .pdf - PDF with text extraction
  • .docx, .doc - Microsoft Word
  • .pages - Apple Pages
  • .odt - OpenDocument

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Auto-Import from Emails

When you receive an email with attachments:
1

Attachment Detected

Macro detects attachments in incoming emails automatically.
2

Import to Storage

Attachments are imported to your file storage:
  • Full file saved
  • Metadata extracted (size, type, date)
  • Link maintained to source email
3

Text Extraction

For supported types (PDF, images, docs):
  • Text is extracted for search
  • OCR applied to images if needed
  • Content indexed immediately
4

Accessible Everywhere

Files are now searchable and @mentionable:
  • Search by filename or content
  • @mention in any document
  • Still accessible from original email
Storage behavior:
  • Attachments under 100MB auto-import
  • Large files (>100MB) show “Import” button in email
  • Duplicate files (same hash) reference existing file
  • Original attachment remains in email for context

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Import Settings

Settings > Files > Auto-ImportConfigure what gets auto-imported:
  • All attachments (default)
  • Only specific file types (e.g., only PDFs and images)
  • Only from internal senders
  • Skip files over size limit
Recommended: Enable for all file types to maximize searchability.
Files from external emails have special handling:
  • You own the imported file (sender does NOT get access)
  • Can @mention file to others (grants them access)
  • Original sender needs explicit permission to access your copy
This prevents permission leakage from external sources.

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Channel File Sharing

Share files in channels by uploading or dragging:

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Upload to Channel

  1. Drag files from desktop into channel
  2. Files upload and appear inline
  3. Channel members automatically get access (Viewer by default)
  4. File is linked to channel and message

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File Messages

Files in channels appear as rich previews:
  • Images/Videos: Inline preview (click to expand)
  • PDFs: First page thumbnail + page count
  • Documents: Icon + filename + size
  • Code: Syntax-highlighted preview
Click any file preview to open in Macro’s file viewer. For PDFs, this opens the full PDF viewer with search and annotation.

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PDF Viewer

Macro has a powerful built-in PDF viewer:

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Features

Text Extraction

Intelligent parsing extracts text from PDFs:
  • Searchable by content
  • Copy text directly
  • Preserved formatting
  • Works with scanned PDFs (OCR)

Full-Text Search

Search within PDF:
  • Press Cmd+F in viewer
  • Highlights all matches
  • Jump between results
  • Works across all pages

Navigation

Easy navigation:
  • Thumbnail sidebar
  • Table of contents (if available)
  • Jump to page: Cmd+G
  • Next/previous page: j/k or Space

Annotations

Annotate PDFs:
  • Highlight text
  • Add comments
  • Draw shapes
  • Annotations sync via CRDT

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PDF Viewer Shortcuts

ShortcutAction
SpaceNext page
Shift+SpacePrevious page
j / kScroll down / up
Cmd+F / Ctrl+FSearch in PDF
Cmd+G / Ctrl+GGo to page
Cmd++ / Ctrl++Zoom in
Cmd+- / Ctrl+-Zoom out
Cmd+0 / Ctrl+0Fit to width
Cmd+1 / Ctrl+1Actual size
Cmd+2 / Ctrl+2Fit to page

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AI with PDFs

Use AI to understand PDF content:
1

Open PDF

Open any PDF in Macro’s viewer.
2

Highlight & Ask

  1. Highlight any text in the PDF
  2. Click Explain (or press Cmd+Shift+E)
  3. AI popup explains the selected text
3

Ask Questions

Or @mention PDF in AI chat:
@ai Summarize @contract.pdf section 3
@ai What are the key terms in @proposal.pdf?
4

Cite Sources

AI responses cite specific PDF sections:
  • References page numbers
  • Links back to exact location
  • Shows excerpt in context
AI citations use unique IDs for PDF sections. Example: [PDF:doc123:p5] links to page 5 of the document.

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Search by Content

Use unified search to find files by content: 
type:file "machine learning"     # Files containing "machine learning"
type:pdf contract                # PDFs with "contract" in content
type:image receipt               # Images with text "receipt" (OCR)
type:doc proposal                # Documents with "proposal"

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Search Operators

Filter by file type:
type:file              # All files
type:pdf               # PDFs only
type:image             # Images only
type:video             # Videos only  
type:doc               # Text documents
Combine operators for precise results: 
type:pdf from:[email protected] "confidential" size:>1mb
→ PDFs from legal, containing "confidential", over 1MB

type:image in:#receipts modified:[1 month] 
→ Images in #receipts channel, modified in last month

type:file ext:docx "Q4 2024" -"draft"
→ .docx files with "Q4 2024" but not "draft"
Press Cmd+/ to open search, then type type:file to start searching files. Autocomplete suggests operators as you type.

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File Management

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File Browser

Access all your files:
  1. Press Cmd+1 to open sidebar
  2. Click Files section
  3. Browse by:
    • Recent files
    • Files by source (email, channel, upload)
    • Shared with me
    • File type

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Organize Files

Link files to relevant content:
Meeting notes @meeting-notes
Proposal draft @proposal  
Budget spreadsheet @q4-budget
Files show “Mentioned in” backlinks automatically.
Add tags to files for categorization:
  • Right-click file → Add tags
  • Type tag names (create on-the-fly)
  • Search by tag: tag:important tag:finance
  • Tags are personal (not shared)

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File Actions

Right-click any file or press Cmd+K with file selected:
ActionDescription
OpenOpen in Macro viewer/editor
DownloadDownload to local device
ShareShare via @mention or link
Copy LinkCopy @mention link
RenameChange filename
Move to TrashDelete file (can undo)
Show in EmailJump to source email (if applicable)
Show in ChannelJump to channel message (if applicable)
PropertiesView metadata, permissions, version history

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File Versioning

Files in Macro are versioned:
When you edit a file in Macro:
  • Each save creates a new version
  • Previous versions preserved
  • Access via Cmd+H (version history)
  • Restore any previous version
Uploading a new version doesn’t break @mentions or links. The file ID remains the same, so all references stay valid.

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Permissions

File permissions work like document permissions:

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Inheritance Model

1

File Created/Uploaded

You’re the Owner with full permissions.
2

Shared in Channel

Channel members get access based on their role:
  • Channel Owners → Editor access
  • Channel Members → Viewer access
  • Guests → No access (unless explicit)
3

Sent via Email

Email recipients automatically get:
  • Internal → Viewer access
  • External → Guest link (optional)
4

@Mentioned

When you @mention a file:
  • Recipient gets Viewer access automatically
  • They can request Editor access
  • Shows in their “Shared with me”
Files from external emails (attachments you received) are owned by you, not the sender. The sender does NOT automatically have access to your imported copy.
See Permissions Guide for detailed permission management.

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Storage Limits

Per-file limits:
  • Standard: 100 MB per file
  • Large files (optional): Up to 5 GB
  • Videos: Up to 2 GB (auto-compression available)
Files over limit show upload warning.

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External Sharing

Share files with people outside Macro:
1

Generate Link

Right-click file → Share → Create guest link
2

Configure Access

  • Viewer (read-only) or Editor (can upload new versions)
  • Expiration: 1 day, 1 week, 30 days, or custom
  • Password protection (optional)
3

Copy & Send

Copy link and send via any channel (email, Slack, etc.)
4

Track Access

View who accessed:
  • File properties → Guest access
  • See view count and last access time

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Email as Attachment

Send files via email:
Attach as regular file:
  • Recipient gets copy (not linked to your file)
  • No version updates
  • Works with any email client
  • File size limits apply

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Troubleshooting

Check:
  • File size under limit (100 MB default)
  • File type is supported
  • Internet connection stable
  • Storage quota not exceeded
Fix:
  • Compress large files before upload
  • Check Settings > Storage for quota
  • Try again with better connection
Try:
  • Search by filename: filename:document.pdf
  • Search by content: type:file "search term"
  • Check original source (email, channel)
  • Look in Files > Recent
If still missing:
  • Check trash (Files > Trash)
  • File may not have auto-imported (check original email)
Cause: PDF is image-based (scanned) and OCR failed.Fix:
  • Re-upload higher quality scan
  • Try manual OCR: Right-click → Extract text
  • Wait a few minutes (OCR can be slow)
Check: Open PDF, try to select text. If you can’t, it needs OCR.
Check:
  1. Did you @mention it or just send the link?
    • @mention grants access, plain link doesn’t
  2. Are they in the channel? (if shared via channel)
  3. Do they have explicit permissions?
Fix: Right-click file → Share → Add their email with Viewer or Editor access.

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Best Practices

Use @Mentions

Always @mention files instead of copying text or screenshots. Creates live links that update.

Enable Auto-Import

Let all email attachments auto-import. Makes them searchable and accessible everywhere.

Share in Channels

Upload files to team channels instead of DMing copies. Everyone gets access, no duplicates.

Use Version History

Upload new versions instead of creating “v2”, “v3” files. Keeps links valid and history clean.
Quick workflow:
  1. Receive email with PDF attachment → auto-imports
  2. Search finds it: type:pdf contract
  3. Share in channel: Review this @contract.pdf
  4. Team can view, search, and annotate
  5. No manual downloading or organizing needed

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