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Uploading books

Updated on August 5, 2026

Theca accepts PDF, EPUB, and TXT files. You can upload several books at once and watch the individual progress of each one.

Only upload material you have the rights to use. Your library is private and only you have access to it.

How to upload a book

  1. In the Library, click Upload.
  2. Drag files into the area that appears, or click it to browse your folders.
  3. Review the list of selected files. If you want to remove one before uploading, use the remove button next to its name.
  4. Click Upload to start the transfer.

The button shows how many files are ready — for example, "Upload 3 files".

Uploading multiple books at once

You can select several files in the same step. The upload area accepts multiple files at once, either by dragging them together or selecting them with Ctrl/Cmd in the file browser.

Tracking each file's status

While files are uploading, the panel shows an overall progress bar and the status of each file individually:

  • uploading — the file is being transferred to the server.
  • processing… — the file arrived and is being saved.
  • duplicate — you already have that book in your library; it will not be uploaded again.

When finished, the panel shows a summary of how many books were uploaded and whether any failed.

What happens after uploading

Uploading a book is not the last step. Theca needs to process it before you can search it or generate summaries from it. You will see the book in your library with the status Pending or Queued until processing begins. See Indexing and OCR to understand what happens at that stage.

Size limits

The maximum file size and your total storage limit depend on your plan. If you exceed the limit, the file will not be uploaded and you will receive a notice. Check the plans and limits page for details.

Frequently asked questions

Which formats does Theca accept? PDF, EPUB, and TXT. Other formats are not supported at this time.

What happens if I upload the same book twice? Theca detects it and shows the "duplicate" status. No second copy is created; the book you already have stays as it is.

I uploaded a file and got an error — what do I do? Check that the file is not corrupted and that its size is within your plan's limit. Then try again.

Can I search a book I just uploaded right away? Not immediately. The book must be processed first. See Indexing and OCR to learn how long it takes and what the app shows in the meantime.

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