Sources → Docs: Papers & Documents
Docs is where the things you read live: paper PDFs, Word files, slide decks, saved web pages, EPUBs, images — even data files and code. It maps onto sources/docs/ in the project.
Getting files in
Four ways, pick any:
| Method | How |
|---|---|
| Drag | Drop files from Finder straight onto the list |
+ at the bottom | From File… picks a local file |
| From the web | From Web… takes a URL; Scholardo extracts the article body and saves it as Markdown |
| From the in-app browser | Hit the save button in the toolbar while browsing — see In-app Browser |
If an import looks like a duplicate, Scholardo asks whether to skip it or keep both.
Or let the AI find it
The + menu also has Search papers via MCP… — the agent searches paper metadata by topic and downloads the full text straight into Docs. This path runs on OpenAlex and Unpaywall.
Reading status and the reading queue
Each row has a status dot on the right. Click it to set:
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| ○ To Read | Queued |
| ◐ Currently Reading | In progress |
| ✓ Read | Done |
Anything marked To Read or Currently Reading also collects into a Reading Queue section pinned to the top of the list, collapsible. Whatever else you file where, your active front is always visible at a glance.
The agent can queue things too
Agents can add a paper to your reading queue with the MCP tool queue_add. When it finds something relevant, it can drop it straight into your to-read list.
Sorting and filtering
The sort icon in the top right opens the menu:
Sort by: Created · Modified · Name · Size · Kind (groups by type) · Topic (AI grouping)
Type filter: All · Documents · Code · Data
Tag filter: If you've tagged files with Finder's color labels, every tag shows up here with a count and can be filtered on.
Grouping by topic
Choosing Topic in the sort menu kicks off an AI classification: Scholardo hands the job to your current agent, which reads the document metadata, derives topic groups, and writes the result back into the project. Once it lands, the list renders in topic sections.
The section header offers Regenerate topics and Exit topic grouping. Regenerating replaces the existing topics (with a confirmation prompt first).
Needs an AI
Topic grouping requires at least one working agent or AI API. Without one, Scholardo points you at Settings first.
File groups
Right-click any file → New Group… to file it into a group of your own. Groups render as collapsible blocks with a file count.
- Remove from Group — the file returns to the main list
- Disband Group… — dissolves the group; every file returns to the main list. Nothing is deleted.
Group data lives in the project's .scholardo/ directory and syncs with git — open the same project on two machines and the groups match.
Search
The magnifier in the sub-tab row opens in-list search, filtering the current list by filename. The query is remembered per project and survives collapsing and reopening the sidebar.
To search inside documents rather than by filename, use Semantic Search.
What opens when you click
Click a row and the file opens in the middle pane. The window is chosen by extension:
| File type | Opens as |
|---|---|
.pdf | PDF reader — highlights, sticky notes, thumbnail page grid |
.docx .doc | Word rendering |
.pptx .ppt | Slide preview |
.epub | EPUB reader, highlightable |
.html .mhtml | In-app web rendering, highlightable |
.md | Markdown editor with live preview |
.csv .xlsx .tsv .xls | Spreadsheet grid editor |
| Images / audio / video | Matching preview; media plays |
| Anything else | Code editor |
Behavior shared by every window (zoom, find-in-page, sending a selection to the AI) is in Preview Windows. For highlighting in PDFs, web pages, and EPUBs, see Annotations.
Other row actions
Right-click a row:
- Rename
- Add to References — generates a reference entry for this document into
sources/refs/ - Move to Trash… — goes to the system Trash, so it's recoverable
Select several rows (Cmd / Shift click) and open them for an aggregate preview tab.