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Document Q&A

Ask questions about your community's governing documents and get instant, accurate answers with source citations.

Before You Start: Upload Your Documents​

Prerequisites

The AI can only answer questions about documents that have been uploaded to PorchQ. Before you or your residents can ask questions like "Can I install a fence?", your community's governing documents must be uploaded and indexed.

Step 1: Upload Documents (Board/Manager)​

  1. Navigate to Documents & Forms in your property sidebar
  2. Click Upload or drag and drop files
  3. Upload your community's governing documents:
    • CC&Rs (Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions)
    • Bylaws
    • Rules & Regulations
    • Architectural Guidelines
    • Pet Policies
    • Parking Rules
    • Any other policy documents

Step 2: Wait for Indexing​

After upload, documents are automatically processed:

  1. Text extraction - The system reads the document content
  2. Chunking - Content is split into searchable sections
  3. Indexing - Document sections are indexed for AI search

This typically takes a few minutes. You can check the indexing status on each document.

Step 3: AI is Ready​

Once documents show "Indexed" status, the AI can answer questions about them. Both board members and residents can now ask questions through the AI Assistant.

How It Works​

  1. You ask a question in plain English
  2. AI searches your indexed documents using semantic search
  3. AI generates an answer based on relevant document sections
  4. Sources are cited so you can verify the information

Asking With Attachments​

Board members and managers can attach a file directly in the AI Assistant composer when they want the assistant to answer from a specific document or review a specific image.

  1. Open AI Assistant
  2. Click + in the composer
  3. Select one or more supported files
  4. Ask what you want the AI to review
  5. Remove any attachment chips you do not want included before sending

Supported chat attachment types are PDF, Word, Excel, text, JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Each file can be up to 25 MB. PorchQ stores document attachments as hidden chat attachment documents and indexes them before answering.

Image attachments are handled differently. PorchQ sends supported images directly to the AI Assistant for review, so image-only answers may describe what is visible or summarize readable text without showing the same source citations as indexed document answers.

Residents cannot upload new chat attachments. They can ask questions about documents their board has marked visible to residents.

Example Questions​

Here are some questions you can ask about your HOA documents:

Rules & Restrictions​

  • "Can I install a fence in my backyard?"
  • "Are short-term rentals like Airbnb allowed?"
  • "What pets are permitted in the community?"
  • "Can I park my RV in the driveway?"
  • "Are satellite dishes allowed?"

Amenities & Facilities​

  • "What are the pool hours?"
  • "How do I reserve the clubhouse?"
  • "What's the guest policy for amenities?"
  • "Are there quiet hours for common areas?"

Processes & Procedures​

  • "What's the architectural approval process?"
  • "How do I submit a modification request?"
  • "What happens if I violate a rule?"
  • "How are HOA fees determined?"
  • "When are board meetings held?"

Financial​

  • "What do my HOA dues cover?"
  • "Are there any special assessments?"
  • "What's the late fee policy?"

Document Indexing​

For Document Q&A to work, your documents must be indexed. This happens automatically when you upload documents.

Indexing Status​

Documents can have these indexing statuses:

  • Pending - Waiting to be processed
  • Processing - Currently being indexed
  • Indexed - Ready for AI search
  • Failed - Indexing encountered an error

Supported Document Types​

The AI can index and search:

  • PDF files (text-based, not scanned images)
  • Word documents (.doc, .docx)
  • Excel spreadsheets (.xls, .xlsx)
  • Text files (.txt)

Image chat attachments are not indexed for document search. JPEG, PNG, and GIF images can still be reviewed directly from the AI Assistant composer.

Tips for Better Indexing​

  1. Use text-based PDFs - Scanned documents without OCR may not index properly
  2. Clear formatting - Well-structured documents produce better search results
  3. Descriptive titles - Name your documents clearly (e.g., "CC&Rs 2024" not "Document1")

Understanding Responses​

Source Citations​

Every answer includes source citations showing which documents the information came from. Click on a source to view the original document.

When No Answer Is Found​

If the AI can't find relevant information, it will tell you. This might mean:

  • The information isn't in your indexed documents
  • You need to upload additional documents
  • Try rephrasing your question

Privacy & Security​

  • Your documents are stored securely and only accessible to your community
  • AI queries are processed using industry-standard encryption
  • Document content is not used to train AI models