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From document to answer
The workflow extracts document text, divides it into searchable passages, retrieves passages related to the question and asks the model to answer using that evidence. Page references are possible only when extraction preserves reliable provenance.
Scanned pages first need OCR. If OCR misses text, retrieval cannot cite what it never received. Complex tables and diagrams may also lose context during extraction.
Use citations as a verification path
A citation should point to supporting document content, not merely appear beside an answer. Open the referenced page, read the surrounding language and check whether the answer preserves conditions, exceptions and dates.
No citation can mean retrieval found insufficient support. A citation can also be incomplete if the answer combines several claims from different sections.
- Ask narrow questions.
- Request page references when available.
- Compare quoted meaning with the source.
- Do not accept a confident tone as evidence.
Know the limits of document AI
Models can summarize incorrectly, merge unrelated facts or infer beyond the document. They may also fail on long appendices, repeated headers, poor OCR and ambiguous tables.
Use AI to accelerate review, not replace professional judgment for legal, medical, financial, safety or employment decisions.
Put the workflow into practice
Arrange source documents, select the pages you need, and create one PDF locally in your browser. Review the result before choosing any optional next step.
Try Chat with PDFFrequently asked questions
Clear answers before you merge
Does every answer have a page citation?
Only when retrieval returns supporting passages with usable page provenance.
Can the assistant answer from a scanned PDF?
It can only use scanned content that OCR successfully recognizes.
What if the answer is not in the document?
A grounded workflow should report insufficient evidence rather than invent a document answer.
Are citations proof that the answer is correct?
No. Read the cited source and verify the interpretation.
