Can I ask questions about my PDFs and articles?

Yes. Ask works with saved material, including PDFs, articles, notes, and transcripts. Follow the answer’s citations back to the sources to check it.

Can I ask while I am reading one source?

Yes. Open Ask from the reader to work through a question about the piece in front of you. The example on this page uses one article.

Can I keep an answer in a notebook?

Yes. A notebook can contain saved sources, your own notes, and Ask answers, so the question stays with the material you were working on.

Ask your reading

Ask a question about what you read.

Open Ask when you want to test your understanding or find an idea again. Answers draw on your saved sources and include citations you can follow back to the reading.

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Ask the question in your own words

While reading Chelsea Rosenthal’s Mattering That It’s You, we asked: “Why can work be useful without feeling meaningful?” The answer explains the distinction in the article and includes numbered citations. Open those passages to judge how well the answer fits.

Ask answers why work can be useful without feeling meaningful, with citations to the article — The actual answer to “Why can work be useful without feeling meaningful?”, with citations to Rosenthal’s article.

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Keep a question with the sources you are working on

A notebook can hold source cards, your own notes, and an Ask answer. This demonstration brings together two Paul Graham essays and a working question about helping early users by hand. The displayed answer cites How to Get Startup Ideas.

Finding our first users notebook with two Paul Graham essays, a note, and a question answered from the startup ideas essay — Finding our first users: two saved essays, a working note, and an Ask answer citing How to Get Startup Ideas.

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A few practical questions

Can I ask questions about my PDFs and articles?: Yes. Ask works with saved material, including PDFs, articles, notes, and transcripts. Follow the answer’s citations back to the sources to check it.
Can I ask while I am reading one source?: Yes. Open Ask from the reader to work through a question about the piece in front of you. The example on this page uses one article.
Can I keep an answer in a notebook?: Yes. A notebook can contain saved sources, your own notes, and Ask answers, so the question stays with the material you were working on.

Start with a source and a question.

Read the answer, open its citations, and keep the parts that help you think.

Start free

Founding members get 90 days of full Premium, early access, and direct support (limited spots). After that, Free stays free.

Written by Omphalis teamLast updated 5 September 2026