Quickstart

Step 1: Create an account

Go to poly.app and click Log in. You can register with an email address. We are currently in private beta, but here are some ways that you might be able to get an invite:

• Join our waitlist and we'll email you when we have an opening.
• Hop into our Discord and say hi—we often give out invites to active community members or those who can provide feedback on our beta.
• Ask a friend who already has an account to invite you. Each user can invite 5 friends. Poly Carbon members get even more invites.

Once signed in, you'll land in your Home — your personal file space.

Step 2: Upload your first files

Drag files or folders from your desktop onto the Poly window. Poly accepts drops anywhere in the file browser.

Alternatively, click the File → Upload menu option and select files or a folder from the dialog.

As soon as files are uploaded, Poly begins indexing them in the background — extracting text, generating thumbnails, and building the search index. For most files this takes a few seconds. Larger files like lengthy PDFs or videos may take longer. Your files are available for browsing and searching immediately, even while indexing is still in progress.

Step 3: Try Smart Search

Click the search bar at the top of the screen and type a natural language query:

• "2026 marketing strategy"
• "diagram of our web app's analytics architecture"
• "Family photos"

Poly searches the content of your files, not just their names. It supports a vast array of file types (see Supported File Types). If a PDF contains the text "marketing strategy" anywhere in it, or if any section of the PDF even relates to marketing strategy, Poly will find it. You can even search for images, videos, and audio by their content. Search by file similarity, or text, or even color (see Searching for more details).

Step 4: Talk to the AI agent

Click the Tools → Agent button in the bottom right Tools panel (or press Cmd+/ / Ctrl+/) to open the agent chat.

Try asking:

• "Summarize the quarterly report I just uploaded"
• "What are the key takeaways from my meeting notes?"
• "Find all invoices from this year and list the vendors"

The agent reads your files and responds with answers, not just links. It shows you citations into specific files and even specific pages, paragraphs, or timestamps. You can ask it to edit files, organize your folders, or even find files on the web and automatically store them in your Poly file system.

Step 5: Install the desktop app (optional)

For deeper OS integration — including Finder support on macOS and faster offline access — install the Poly desktop app. See Installation for instructions.

What's next?

• Navigating your files — learn the file browser
• Searching — explore advanced search features
• Agent — see everything the agent can do
• Sharing files — collaborate with others