> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.getvirtualbrain.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Creating Brains

> Create a Brain, then fill it through uploads, cloud sync, web capture, or saved deliverables

Go from empty workspace to queryable knowledge base in minutes: create a Brain, name it after the engagement, and add content through any of four routes. A Brain is only as good as what's in it, so this page covers both the setup and the ways to fill it.

<Frame>
  <iframe style={{ width: '100%', aspectRatio: '16/9' }} src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CtkDkXHGm0s" title="How to upload content to a Brain" frameBorder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowFullScreen />
</Frame>

## Create a Brain

<Steps>
  <Step title="Go to Brains from the top navigation">
    The left sidebar lists your Brains under **My Brains** and **Shared with me**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click + New brain">
    The button sits at the bottom of the left sidebar.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Name it and create">
    Give it a clear, descriptive name. Naming it after the engagement keeps it easy to find later, for example "Industrials Coverage (Schneider)" or "ACME Audit FY26". Click **Create Brain** to finish.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Open your Brain">
    You'll see its file table and, in the header, who owns it, when it was last updated, and whether it's private or shared.
  </Step>
</Steps>

<Frame caption="A Brain's contents, with file type, processing status, and last-updated date">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/virtualbrain/VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq/images/brains/brain-files.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq&q=85&s=7c9abcb6dbc4abbde0c125bdb398286b" alt="A Brain's file table listing documents with columns for file type, processing status, and last update" width="2994" height="1702" data-path="images/brains/brain-files.png" />
</Frame>

<Info>
  Each Brain holds up to 10,000 files by default, and can be sized up on demand.
</Info>

## Four ways to add content

### 1. Upload from your computer

Click **Add File** to browse and select documents, or simply drag and drop them onto the Brain.

<Frame caption="Add File lets you browse for documents or drag and drop them onto the Brain.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/virtualbrain/VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq/images/brains/brain-add-upload.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq&q=85&s=8163134e6429b7f52e9e4a7b0e21a05a" alt="The upload view of a Brain showing the Add File option and drag-and-drop area" width="2988" height="1698" data-path="images/brains/brain-add-upload.png" />
</Frame>

<Note>
  **Supported formats:** PDF, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, CSV, Markdown, HTML, plain text, images, audio (mp3, m4a), Outlook emails (.msg), and MP4 video. YouTube videos can be added by link through [Web Content](/features/brains/web-capture). Each file can be up to 250 MB.
</Note>

If an upload fails, the file's status tells you why: the file is too big, the Brain is full, the file type is unsupported, the file is password-protected, or malware was detected. Fix the cause and re-upload.

### 2. Sync from cloud storage

Click **Add Integration** to pull documents straight from SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox and keep them in sync. See [Cloud Storage Connectors](/features/brains/connectors) for the full setup and how re-syncing works.

### 3. Capture from the web

Open the **Web Content** view and either paste a URL and click **Load web content**, or use the VirtualBrain browser extension. See [Web Capture](/features/brains/web-capture) for both routes, including pages behind a login or paywall.

### 4. Save deliverables back

When you produce a document, whether a memo from [Chat](/features/chats/refining-and-exporting) or a finished output from an [App](/features/apps/overview), you can save it back into the Brain as a deliverable. It then sits alongside your source files, so the Brain becomes a living record of both the evidence and the work product built on it.

<Frame caption="Saving a finished output back into the Brain as a deliverable.">
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/virtualbrain/VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq/images/brains/brain-add-deliverable.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=VZdLXSl7brhQEIEq&q=85&s=fb7f5b1c3dab0366029c8fd5a9498bb6" alt="The dialog for saving a produced document back into a Brain as a deliverable" width="2986" height="1702" data-path="images/brains/brain-add-deliverable.png" />
</Frame>

## Best practices

Keep each Brain scoped to one engagement, client, or topic, because mixing unrelated files dilutes answer quality. Add the documents you'll actually cite, not everything you can reach. After adding content, the [Status column and notifications bell](/features/brains/organizing-documents) confirm when files are processed and ready to query.

## Related

* [Cloud Storage Connectors](/features/brains/connectors): sync SharePoint, OneDrive, Google Drive, or Dropbox
* [Web Capture](/features/brains/web-capture): add web pages and YouTube videos
* [Organizing Documents](/features/brains/organizing-documents): processing status, search, filters, and statistics