Overview
PDF & Image Understanding is Mem’s ability to read, index, and make sense of the PDFs and images in your notes. Once a file is understood, it becomes fully searchable and available to chat with—just like any other note in your Mem. This happens automatically in the background when you upload a file. No setup, no tagging, no extra steps. Key ideas- Automatic: Upload a PDF or image and Mem gets to work understanding it right away.
- Searchable: Your file’s contents show up in search results—with a preview of the matching page or image.
- Available in chat: Ask Mem questions about your documents and get answers grounded in what’s actually in them.
- Works across file types: Supports PDFs and images, including handwritten notes, receipts, slides, and scanned documents.
What “understood” means
When Mem has finished processing a file, you’ll see a tooltip indicating it’s been understood and is ready to use in search and chat. This means:- The content has been indexed and is searchable
- You can ask Mem questions about it in chat
- Mem can cite specific pages or sections when answering
What about images linked from external websites?
If you paste an image that’s hosted on another website (for example, copied from Wikipedia or Getty Images), Mem will display it in your note but will not be able to index it. You’ll see a tooltip explaining this. To make an externally linked image searchable, download it and re-upload it directly to Mem.PDFs
How it works
Drop a PDF into any note and Mem will automatically extract and index its contents—including text, tables, and structure. Once understood, the PDF is searchable and available in chat. On web: PDFs open as an expanded embed view by default. You can collapse it to a compact chip if you prefer. On iOS: Tap a PDF attachment to open it in the viewer.Viewing PDFs
- Embed view (web): See a preview of the PDF inline in your note. Scroll through pages directly.
- Lightbox: Open the full-screen reader for a closer look. Navigate page by page.
- Chip view (web): Collapse the embed to a compact chip to keep your note tidy.
Page limits
Mem indexes up to 100 pages per document across all plans. For documents longer than 100 pages, Mem indexes the first 100 pages in full detail and generates a summary of the rest—so the entire document is still accessible in search and chat, just at a higher level beyond page 100. A tooltip on the document will explain if a page limit applies.Free plan limits
On the free plan, Mem understands up to 25 PDF pages per month across all your uploads. This resets on the 1st of each calendar month. If uploading a PDF would exceed your remaining pages for the month, the upload will be blocked entirely—Mem doesn’t partially index files. You’ll see a prompt to upgrade to Pro or wait until your limit resets.Example: If you have 10 pages left this month and try to upload a 15-page PDF, the upload will be blocked. You’d need to upgrade or wait until the 1st.
Images
How it works
Add an image to any note and Mem will analyze its visual content—including text, handwriting, tables, and objects—and index it for search and chat. Images are free to understand on all plans.OCR: Extract text from images
If your image contains text (handwritten notes, receipts, screenshots, slides), Mem can extract that text and insert it directly into your note. To use OCR:
This is useful for making handwritten notes editable, pulling data from receipts, or turning a screenshot into searchable text.
Using PDF & Image Understanding in search
When you search for something in Mem, results can include matching content from your PDFs and images—not just your text notes.- PDFs appear as chips in the search results, with a small preview of the matching page
- Images appear as thumbnails when the image content is relevant to your query
- Click any result to open the file in a lightbox directly from the search results page—no need to navigate into the note and hunt for the attachment
Using PDF & Image Understanding in chat
Ask Mem anything about your documents and it will search across your PDFs and images to find the answer. Example queries:- “What engineers have Python experience based on the resumes I’ve uploaded?”
- “What were the key findings in the research paper I saved last week?”
- “What’s the total on the invoice from March?”
When to use PDF & Image Understanding
Research & knowledge work
Save research papers, reports, and articles as PDFs. Search across all of them at once, or ask Mem to synthesize findings across multiple documents.Contracts & legal docs
Upload agreements, NDAs, or legal filings. Ask Mem to pull specific clauses or summarize key terms without reading the whole thing.Resumes & hiring
Drop candidate resumes into Mem and ask questions like “Who has experience with Python and machine learning?”Receipts & expenses
Photograph or upload receipts and invoices. Search for them later or ask Mem to pull totals and vendor names.Handwritten notes
Upload photos of handwritten notes from meetings, whiteboards, or notebooks. Use OCR to extract the text into your note, or just search and chat with the image directly.Slides & presentations
Add presentation decks to your notes. Mem understands the content on each slide and makes it findable in search and chat.Plans & limits
| Free | Pro | |
|---|---|---|
| PDF pages understood per month | 25 pages | Unlimited |
| Max pages per document | 100 pages | 100 pages |
| Images understood | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| Max file size (PDF or image) | 25 MB | 25 MB* |
FAQs
Do I need to stay on the page while Mem is processing my file?No. Once you’ve uploaded a file, you can navigate away freely. Mem processes files in the background, so understanding will complete whether or not you’re on that note. You’ll see the understood indicator next time you visit. How long does it take for a file to be understood?
Most images are processed in around 10 seconds. PDFs vary depending on page count—a 10-page PDF typically takes under a minute. You’ll see a processing indicator while Mem is working, and a tooltip when it’s ready. Does Mem understand images that are pasted or linked from other websites?
No. Mem can only index images that are stored directly in Mem. If you paste an image copied from another website, it will appear in your note but won’t be searchable or available in chat. You’ll see a tooltip explaining this. To fix it, download the image and re-upload it to Mem directly. What happens when I hit my 25-page monthly limit?
If uploading a PDF would push you over your monthly limit, the upload will be blocked. Mem doesn’t partially index files—it’s all or nothing. You can either upgrade to Pro for unlimited understanding, or wait until your limit resets on the 1st of the month. What happens to PDFs longer than 100 pages?
Mem fully indexes the first 100 pages and generates a summary of the remainder. Both the detailed pages and the summary are searchable and available in chat—so even very long documents are accessible, just at a higher level beyond page 100. A tooltip on the document will indicate when a page limit applies. Are images free to understand?
Yes, images are included on all plans with no monthly limit. What file size is supported?
Both PDFs and images must be under 25 MB. Support for larger files is coming for Pro users. My PDF was already in Mem before PDF & Image Understanding launched—will it be indexed?
Yes. Mem automatically backfills existing PDFs and images in your workspace. This happens in the background and doesn’t count against your monthly page budget. Can I search inside a PDF without opening it?
Yes. Search across all your notes and Mem will surface relevant pages from your PDFs directly in the results—no need to open the file first. Why isn’t my image showing an “understood” tooltip?
A few possible reasons:
- The image is hosted on an external website (not stored in Mem)
- The file is larger than 25 MB
- Processing is still in progress—check back in a few seconds
Related
- Search: /features/search
- Chat: /features/chat
- Note Editor: /features/editor
- Clean Up: /features/clean-up