Start here
Use this page to find the right starting point. You do not need to read the docs in order.
What this page covers
Concise product orientation, prerequisites, first destination, and links into the main workflows.
If you are new to Atlas
Work through Your first research project in Atlas. It walks through the full loop in one session: create a project, add one source, ask a cited question, and save a finding.
If you already have material to add
Pick the guide for the type of material you want to import:
| What you have | Where to start |
|---|---|
| A PDF paper or report | Import a PDF into Atlas |
| A web article or online report | Add a website source |
| A video lecture or interview | Add a YouTube source |
| A paper title, DOI, arXiv ID, or topic | Search and add academic papers |
| Existing Markdown notes | Import Markdown notes |
If you want to read and understand a source
- Add the source and wait for it to finish processing.
- Open the knowledge map to see the document structure.
- Read the source summary.
- Ask a specific question and verify one citation.
Related pages:
- [Read PDFs](/docs/read-and-move through-pdfs)
- Generate a knowledge map
- Follow citations back to source
If you want to synthesize across sources
- Add multiple sources to one project.
- Use summaries to identify the most relevant material.
- Ask questions that compare or contrast sources.
- Capture findings in notes.
- Use the semantic map to explore clusters and patterns.
Related pages:
If something is not working
Go to the guide that matches the problem:
- Source did not import or process: Troubleshoot source processing
- Answer is vague, uncited, or wrong: Troubleshoot citations and weak answers
- Upload, chat, or map is blocked: Troubleshoot billing and limits
- Layout, login, or upload behaves unexpectedly: Troubleshoot mobile and browser issues