Overview
Multi-source research lets you conduct deep analysis using your own content sources. Upload documents, paste URLs, or add text directly to create a comprehensive research notebook from materials you provide.Unlike topic-based research that searches the web, multi-source research analyzes only the content you provide, making it perfect for document analysis, literature reviews, and proprietary content research.
Supported Source Types
DecipherIt accepts three types of sources:URLs
Web pages, articles, blog posts, documentation sites, and any publicly accessible URL.
Documents
Upload PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, Excel files, images, and more.
Text Content
Paste any text content directly - notes, quotes, research findings, or custom content.
How It Works
Source Collection
Add up to 20 sources of any combination of URLs, documents, or text content.Source Processing:
- URLs are scraped using Bright Data’s
scrape_as_markdowntool - Documents are converted to markdown using MarkItDown service
- Text content is used directly as provided
Content Extraction
The Web Scraper agent extracts content from URLs in parallel, while MarkItDown converts uploaded files to text.Parallel Processing:
- All URLs scraped simultaneously
- Documents converted asynchronously
- Text content prepared for analysis
Research Analysis
The Researcher agent synthesizes all sources (scraped URLs, converted files, and text) into a comprehensive analysis.Cross-Source Analysis:
- Identifies themes across all source types
- Cross-references insights between sources
- Integrates file content seamlessly
- Notes patterns and relationships
Adding Sources
- URLs
- Documents
- Text Content
- Open New Notebook dialog
- Select Sources tab
- Choose URL from the source type dropdown
- Paste the URL (e.g.,
https://example.com/article) - Click Add
URLs must be publicly accessible. Authentication-protected or paywalled content may not be fully extracted.
- Articles and blog posts
- Documentation sites
- Research papers (HTML format)
- News articles
- GitHub repositories (rendered pages)
Source Management
Adding Sources
The Create Notebook dialog shows all added sources:- Source counter: Shows
X/20sources added - Visual indicators: Color-coded badges (URL=blue, Text=green, File=purple)
- Preview: Truncated display for long URLs or text
- Remove button: Click X to remove any source
Source Limits
You can add up to 20 sources per notebook in any combination of URLs, documents, and text.
- Location:
client/components/notebook/create-notebook-dialog.tsx:58-131 - Sources stored with metadata (type, filename, file path)
- Validation ensures source limit compliance
Technical Implementation
Source Processing Architecture
client/components/notebook/create-notebook-dialog.tsx:165-184
Multi-Source Research Agent
The sources research crew processes all source types:backend/agents/sources_research_agent.py:21-196
MarkItDown Integration
Documents are converted to markdown for analysis:backend/agents/sources_research_agent.py:158-167
Research Output
Multi-source research generates:Integrated Summary
Comprehensive analysis synthesizing insights from all source types with proper attribution.
Source References
Complete list of all sources (URLs, file names, and text snippets) used in the analysis.
Cross-Source FAQs
10 questions answered using information from across all your sources.
Vector Database
All content chunked and embedded for semantic search in the Chat feature.
Use Cases
Document Analysis
Document Analysis
Upload multiple documents (PDFs, Word docs) to:
- Compare findings across papers
- Synthesize research literature
- Extract key themes from reports
- Summarize meeting notes
Web Research
Web Research
Combine URLs from multiple sources to:
- Compare different perspectives
- Analyze news coverage
- Research competitors
- Gather documentation
Mixed Content Analysis
Mixed Content Analysis
Combine all source types to:
- Add context to documents with text notes
- Supplement URLs with your observations
- Create comprehensive research from diverse sources
- Build knowledge bases from multiple formats
Best Practices
Source Quality
- Use authoritative, credible sources
- Ensure documents are text-based (not scanned images)
- Verify URLs are accessible
- Provide context with text sources
Source Diversity
- Mix source types for richer analysis
- Include primary and secondary sources
- Add your notes as text sources
- Use file uploads for proprietary content
Limitations
Related Features
Deep Research
Automated web research on any topic
Interactive Q&A
Ask questions about your sources