# Analyze files with AI··Task
import { Steps } from "@astrojs/starlight/components"
AI··Task can analyze files produced earlier in a flow. Add email attachments or a service step's response body as
file pills, then send those files to the selected model together with the required text input. The files are resolved
again on every run, so the AI··Task uses the files from that execution.
## When to use
- Summarize, classify, or extract information from a document returned by an integration or HTTP request.
- Analyze one or more files received by an email trigger.
- Ask a model about an image, PDF, spreadsheet, or text document supported by that model.
This feature uses files already available in the flow. It does not upload files from your computer.
Before you begin, add the AI··Task after the email trigger or service step that produces the files. Run that source
once so its files appear in the attachment picker.
## Guide
### Attach a service response body
Use a service step when the file is returned as the response body of an integration, HTTP request, nested flow, or
email action. The service step must be earlier than the AI··Task in the flow.
1. **Run the service step.** Run or dry-run the source step so **Step logs** contains a response.
2. **Open the AI··Task Input tab.** Select the AI··Task and open **Input**.
3. **Open the attachment picker.** Below the **Input** field, select **Add file**.
4. **Choose the source step.** Under **Steps**, select the service step that returned the file.
5. **Choose a run.** Under **Step logs**, select the run whose response you want to inspect.
6. **Attach the response body.** Under **Service files**, select the filename or **Body**.
The selected response appears as a file pill below the **Input** field.
### Attach files from an email trigger
Use an email trigger when the files arrive as attachments on an incoming email. You can attach every file from the
email or select individual attachments.
1. **Send an email to the trigger.** Trigger the flow once with an email that contains the files you want to use.
2. **Open the AI··Task Input tab.** Select the AI··Task and open **Input**.
3. **Open the attachment picker.** Below the **Input** field, select **Add file**.
4. **Open the email source.** Under **Triggers**, select **Emails**, then choose the relevant email run.
5. **Choose the attachments.** Under **Email attachments**, select **All attachments**, or select individual
**Attachment[n]** rows.
6. **Add individual files.** If you selected individual rows, select **Add N files** to add them to the AI··Task.
Each selection appears as a separate file pill. **All attachments** stays dynamic and uses all attachments from the
email in each execution.
### Configure the AI··Task
Attachments supplement the text input; they do not replace it. Tell the model what to do with the attached files and
choose a model that supports their file types.
1. **Choose a model.** In **Model**, select a model that accepts the images or documents you attached.
2. **Write the input.** In **Input**, describe the files and the result you need. The field cannot be empty.
3. **Check the estimate.** Review the **Files** segment in the token meter for an approximate file cost.
4. **Run the flow.** Run the complete flow so the source and AI··Task use data from the same execution.
5. **Review the response.** Open the AI··Task **Logs**, then inspect **Response**.
The file token count is an estimate. The provider determines the final token usage and charge.
### Update or remove an attachment
File pills remain linked to their source step or trigger. Update a pill when it should point to a different file, or
remove it when the AI··Task no longer needs that source.
1. **Open the file pill.** Select the pill below **Input** to inspect its source and referenced files.
2. **Replace the source when needed.** Select **Update**, then choose one replacement file from the attachment picker.
3. **Set missing-file behavior when available.** Keep **Required** enabled to fail the step when the pill has no value
in a later run. Disable it to allow an empty value.
4. **Remove an attachment when needed.** Select the pill's **Remove** control.
If the pill shows **No file data yet**, preview or run its source step.
## Example
A security team needs a short summary of a supplier policy published as a PDF. Their flow uses an HTTP Request step
named **Fetch supplier policy**, followed by an AI··Task named **Summarize policy**.
1. **Fetch the policy.** Configure **Fetch supplier policy** to return the PDF as its response body, then run the step.
2. **Attach the response.** On **Summarize policy**, select **Add file**, **Fetch supplier policy**, the latest run,
and the PDF body.
3. **Ask for the summary.** Enter an instruction such as “Summarize the attached policy and list every action required
from suppliers.”
4. **Inspect the result.** Run the flow and review the AI··Task response in **Logs**.
The same AI··Task configuration processes the current PDF returned by the HTTP Request on each flow execution.
## Keep in mind
- File support depends on the selected model and provider. The model picker does not currently verify compatibility
with attached file types.
- Bedrock models accept PNG, JPEG, GIF, and WebP images, and PDF, CSV, DOC, DOCX, XLS, XLSX, HTML, TXT, and Markdown
documents. Other providers can support different formats.
- Files larger than 200 MB cannot be loaded for inference. Providers can impose lower limits.
- An AI··Task requires text in **Input**, even when files are attached.
- The attachment picker currently supports email trigger attachments and response bodies from earlier service steps.
## Related
- [AI··Task: A simple guide](../ai-task-a-simple-guide/)
- [AI··Task: Prompt guidelines](../ai-task-prompt-guidelines/)