Short answer
PDF files generally provide the highest search accuracy and most consistent results in AskTuring.
Full explanation
AskTuring supports a wide range of file formats, including PDF, DOC, DOCX, PPT, PPTX, RTF, TXT, and MD. While all of these formats work, PDF files typically deliver the most accurate and reliable results during searches and AI-assisted queries.
This is because PDF formatting preserves the document’s structure, layout, and text encoding consistently across systems. That consistency helps AskTuring’s AI interpret and index the content more effectively.
Other formats, such as Microsoft Word or plain text files, will still work well but may introduce small formatting inconsistencies (such as hidden characters, tracked changes, or layout shifts) that can slightly affect search results or answer accuracy.
If you upload scanned PDFs, AskTuring automatically performs optical character recognition (OCR) during the upload process. This converts scanned images into searchable text, so no manual conversion is needed.
Tips
Use clean, text-based PDFs whenever possible for the most reliable indexing and search accuracy.
When converting from another format, export as a PDF rather than printing or scanning, to maintain proper structure.
Avoid uploading PDFs that contain handwritten or low-resolution scans, as OCR accuracy may be reduced.
Keep file names descriptive and consistent to make document management easier within your Project.