Files in a MapX Project

Every project in MapX holds files — the datasets and documents you upload, plus the data the AI generates while working with them. Files are stored server-side with the project, so the same content is available whenever you reopen the project.

​

What Counts as a File

• Uploaded data and documents — CSV, Excel, GeoJSON/JSON, Shapefile, GeoTIFF imagery, and documents such as TXT, Markdown, Word, and PDF. See Supported File Formats for the full list.
• AI-generated data — datasets the AI creates during analysis, such as cleaned copies, converted data, or intermediate results. They are stored in the project like uploaded files.

Reports are not data files. A report is a deliverable that packages maps, charts, and insights — it has its own Reports panel and is covered on the Reports page.

​

Files vs. Layers

Files and layers are related but different:

• A file is the stored data in your project.
• A layer is that data rendered on the map.

When you upload tabular or vector data, MapX detects the location columns and renders it as a layer; the file remains in the project as the source of that layer. Analysis results (buffers, heatmaps, spatial joins, scored sites) also become layers. GeoTIFF imagery becomes a raster layer. Documents never become layers — the AI reads them as source material for analysis and reports. Files bound to a layer leave the Data panel and appear as the layer’s source in the Layers panel, where you can open its attribute table to edit rows, fields, or geometry — see Editing data and geometry. The workspace organizes these resources into separate panels:

• Layers — everything currently rendered on the map, including layer source files and analysis results. See Layers.
• Data — project files that are not bound to a rendered layer, such as documents, uploaded datasets you have not mapped yet, and AI-generated data.
• Charts and Reports — visualizations and deliverables, each with its own panel.

​

The Data Panel

Each file row shows a format icon and name, plus the format, size, time, and provenance (uploaded or AI-generated). Use the toolbar to find what you need:

• Search — filter by file name.
• Type filters — switch between All, Table, Document, Text, and Other; each chip shows how many files of that kind the project holds.
• Sort — by newest, name, or size.

From the Data panel you can:

• Upload files — add new data or documents to the project.
• Preview a file — click a row to open it in the preview canvas (see below).
• Reference a file in chat — click the quote button on a row to attach the file to the chat, or use @ in the input to insert its name.
• Download files — single downloads are available on paid plans.
• Batch manage — enter Select mode to download or delete several files at once.

​

Previewing Files

Clicking a file row (or its quote button) opens a preview canvas and attaches the file to the chat, so follow-up questions automatically apply to it. Previews are tailored to the file type:

• CSV, Excel, and tabular data — rendered as a data table (the first 200 rows are shown).
• TXT, Markdown, and JSON — rendered as text with a visible row or item count when content is truncated.
• PDF and Word documents — read-only previews of the pages.

File contents are stored server-side and streamed to the browser as needed, so large files stay responsive. When the AI works with a file, it can return a file card in the conversation with the same preview.

​

Deleting Files

Deleting a file is permanent. Files in the Data panel are standalone — deleting one does not remove layers that are already rendered; manage layer sources from the Layers panel instead. If you still need a file, download it first (paid plans) or export a project manifest as a backup.