Why is my PDF not being indexed by Elephas?

Check that the file format is supported (PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, MD, EPUB, HTML). Password-protected PDFs cannot be indexed — remove the password first. Scanned PDFs without OCR text will produce empty results — use a PDF with searchable text.

Why is indexing stuck or showing an error?

Remove the file from the workspace, restart Elephas, and re-add the file. If the error persists, the file may be corrupted or in an unsupported format. Try opening it in another app to verify it is readable.

Why are my Notion or Apple Notes files not updating?

Files from Apple Notes and Notion do not auto-refresh. Open the integration settings in your workspace and click Refresh to re-fetch updated content.

How to Fix Indexing Problems in Elephas Super Brain

“Your brain files are not available”

This message means the Super Brain is empty — no files, notes, or integrations have been added yet, so there is nothing for Elephas to answer from. Open the Brain, add files (or drag and drop them), and wait for them to appear under the Indexed tab. Then switch to the Chat tab and ask your question. See Adding Files to Your Workspace.

File not indexing

Check that the file type is supported (PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, MD, EPUB, HTML)
Password-protected PDFs cannot be indexed. Remove the password first
Very large files (over 100 MB) may take several minutes. Check the progress indicator
Scanned PDFs without OCR text may produce empty results. Use a PDF with searchable text

Super Brain indexing errors

In your Brain's Files & Folders list, each file shows a status: Indexed, Unindexed, or Unsupported. A file that failed shows a red “This file is not indexed” label — hover it (or tap the file) to see the exact error message. Common causes and fixes:

Needs re-indexing: right-click the file and choose Re-index, or remove it, restart Elephas, and re-add it.
Unsupported file type: convert the file to a supported format (PDF, DOCX, TXT, RTF, MD, EPUB, HTML) and add it again.
“Indexing limit exceeded”: you have reached your plan's indexing limit. Wait for it to refresh next month, or connect your own provider API key to index beyond the limit (see AI Provider Configuration).
Corrupted file: if it still fails, open the file in another application to confirm it is readable.

After resolving the issue, re-index the file or re-sync the Brain, and watch for any new errors.

Embedding / provider errors during indexing

Before indexing, Elephas validates your indexing provider (Elephas, OpenAI, Voyage AI, or Azure) or your offline model. Common messages:

“Offline embedding model is currently loading. Please wait.” The local model is still starting. Wait and check progress in Preferences > Offline.
“OpenAI API key not found”: go to Preferences > AI Providers > OpenAI and re-enter your API key.
“Elephas credits limit exceeded” (e.g. 1200/1000): buy more credits or upgrade your plan in Preferences > License (see Billing, Plans & Credits).

“Brain update failed”

This error (sometimes shown as Error: 'f' failed: could not open…) is usually triggered by macOS Optimized Storage offloading files when free disk space is low. Free up space or adjust Optimized Storage (System Settings > General > Storage), then wait a moment and retry. If it is quota-related, see You Exceeded Your Current Quota.

“No context found”

This appears in Super Chat when Elephas has nothing to answer from. Two causes:

The Brain is empty — add files (see “Your brain files are not available” above)
The files attached to the chat were not parsed/indexed. Verify the files show as Indexed, and tap a file to view its specific error

If files are indexed and it still says no context, email support@elephas.app.

Integration files not updating

Files from Apple Notes and Notion do not auto-refresh. Open the integration settings and click Refresh to re-fetch updated content.

Disk space

Indexed data takes approximately 10-20% of the original file size. If you are low on disk space, remove workspaces you no longer need, or remove individual files from a workspace.