Google AI Studio File Uploading: Supported File Types, Maximum Size Limits, Upload Rules, And Document Reading Features
- Michele Stefanelli
- 8 hours ago
- 5 min read

Google AI Studio offers a range of capabilities for file uploading and document analysis, enabling users to interact with different file types while utilizing AI models for advanced processing. Understanding the supported file types, size limits, upload rules, and document reading features is essential for effective use of the platform.
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Google AI Studio Supports Various File Types For Uploading And Analysis.
Google AI Studio supports a variety of file types, making it versatile for different use cases. The primary file types accepted for uploading include PDFs, plain text (TXT) files, images (such as PNG, JPEG, and WebP), and audio and video files. These file types are processed for both text extraction and multimodal analysis, where both text and visual elements are considered.
PDFs and text files are commonly used for document understanding, while image files can be used for visual recognition tasks. Audio and video files are accepted, although their processing limits may vary depending on the file size and platform plan. Additionally, files stored in Google Cloud Storage can be referenced via URIs, making it easier to manage larger documents or datasets.
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Supported File Types in Google AI Studio
File Type | Description | Supported Use Cases |
Portable Document Format | Text extraction, document summarization, and analysis | |
TXT | Plain text | Simple document analysis and extraction |
PNG, JPEG, WebP | Image files | Visual analysis, diagram interpretation, and multimodal processing |
Audio | Common audio formats | Speech recognition, transcription, and analysis |
Video | Common video formats | Video analysis, scene recognition, and summarization |
Cloud Storage URIs | File references from Cloud Storage | Access large datasets and documents stored in the cloud |
These file types allow for a wide range of workflows, including text-based analysis, visual content recognition, and multimodal document processing.
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File Upload Limits And Retention Policies Vary Depending On The Method Used.
File uploads in Google AI Studio are subject to specific size limits, which can differ based on whether the file is uploaded via the API or through the Studio interface. The most significant upload limits are:
API and Cloud Storage Uploads: Files can be uploaded up to 2 GB per file, and the total storage limit per project is 20 GB. Files uploaded through the API are retained for 48 hours before they are automatically purged unless re-uploaded.
Inline Studio Uploads: When uploading directly through the Studio interface, the file size limit is typically 7 MB per file, although this may vary depending on the file type. Video files have higher limits, generally capped at 2 GBper file, with some plans offering more storage capacity.
Additionally, when working with large datasets, using Google Cloud Storage to store files and referencing them via URI allows for managing larger files without hitting size restrictions. For documents exceeding the maximum file size or those requiring long context windows, splitting large files into smaller chunks is a recommended strategy.
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File Upload Limits and Retention in Google AI Studio
Method | File Size Limit | Total Storage Limit | Retention Time |
API and Cloud Storage | 2 GB per file | 20 GB per project | 48 hours |
Inline Studio Uploads | 7 MB per file | N/A | Temporary session |
File retention periods can vary based on the method used, so users should plan accordingly when handling large documents or media files.
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Upload Rules Govern File Handling Across The Studio Interface And API.
Google AI Studio follows specific rules for handling file uploads depending on the surface being used. The rules are designed to optimize workflows and ensure efficient file processing.
API/Developer Surface:Files must be uploaded or referenced through Google Cloud Storage for larger documents. Files are stored temporarily, and each request supports up to 10 files per prompt. These files count against the project’s storage quota and are subject to an automatic purge after 48 hours.
Gemini Apps/End-User Uploads:For end users, up to 10 files can be attached to a single prompt. Each non-video file is capped at 100 MB, while video files can be as large as 2 GB. These file upload rules allow for multiple document processing tasks within the same prompt, but limits apply to prevent excessive storage or slowdowns.
Files uploaded via Google Cloud Storage are referenced by URI and do not count against immediate upload limits, making this a more scalable solution for larger datasets.
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File Upload Rules in Google AI Studio
Surface | File Upload Method | File Limitations | Upload Limit Per Prompt |
API/Developer | Cloud Storage URIs or direct upload | 2 GB per file, 10 files per prompt | Up to 10 files |
Gemini Apps/End-User | Direct upload or Cloud Storage URI | 100 MB for non-video files, 2 GB for video | Up to 10 files |
The file handling rules ensure a smooth upload and retrieval process, with different guidelines based on whether the upload is performed by developers or end-users.
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Google AI Studio Features Powerful Document Reading And Analysis Capabilities.
Google AI Studio offers advanced document reading features that leverage both text extraction and multimodal capabilities. These features enable detailed analysis of PDFs, images, and videos.
PDF Document Parsing and Text Extraction:Google AI Studio can read PDFs and extract content such as text, tables, and visual elements. This allows for a deeper understanding of the document’s structure and the relationships between text and images or tables. The AI models can summarize content, answer questions based on the document, and process large amounts of data efficiently.
Multimodal Analysis:When image files are uploaded alongside text, Perplexity AI can process both modalities, providing insights that combine textual content and visual elements. For example, when uploading a document with diagrams, the model can identify and describe visual data such as graphs, tables, and charts.
Structured Data Extraction:Google AI Studio can extract structured data from documents and convert it into formats like JSON or HTML. This enables users to work with data in a more structured way, facilitating further analysis or integration into other systems.
Context Management for Large Documents:For documents that exceed the context window or size limits, Google AI Studio employs chunking techniques to break the content into manageable pieces. These chunks are processed sequentially, ensuring that the AI retains the most relevant information for analysis.
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Document Reading and Analysis Features in Google AI Studio
Feature | Description | Supported File Types |
PDF Document Parsing | Text and visual content extraction | |
Multimodal Analysis | Combines text and visual content for comprehensive analysis | Image, PDF, Video |
Structured Data Extraction | Extracts and converts data into structured formats (JSON, HTML) | PDF, Text, Images |
Context Management | Breaks large documents into manageable chunks for processing | PDF, Text |
These features make Google AI Studio an ideal tool for analyzing complex documents, performing multimodal analysis, and extracting structured data for further processing.
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Best Practices For File Uploading And Document Processing In Google AI Studio.
To maximize the effectiveness of Google AI Studio, users should follow certain best practices for file uploading and document processing.
Use Cloud Storage for Larger Files:When dealing with large documents or datasets, use Google Cloud Storage to store and reference files. This helps avoid size restrictions and provides more flexibility for large-scale processing.
Split Large Documents:For documents that exceed size or context limits, consider splitting the content into smaller, more manageable pieces to avoid issues with processing and context retention.
Organize Files for Easy Retrieval:Clear naming conventions and metadata tagging can improve the efficiency of file retrieval and processing, especially when working with multiple documents or datasets.
By following these best practices, users can optimize their workflows and ensure the smooth processing of large and complex files.
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